For the past couple of months, editors at the Star-Telegram and other papers owned by our parent company, McClatchy, have been working on what we want to accomplish in the coming year.
The news business has changed a lot in the past five years, and it is sure to change more in the coming five.In all of our newsrooms, "digital" is the operative word. After a century of relying solely on delivering the printed word on newsprint to our customers, we are making the transition to a news organization that is digital-first.All our reporters, photographers and editors are committed to getting our news out on mobile and web platforms first, then following up in print.Later this month, or early in February, the Star-Telegram will debut a true iPad app that we hope will change the way you consume our journalism and advertising information. You can already read us on tablets, of course, if you subscribe to our digital package, which includes the e-edition, the electronic replica of the Star-Telegram's printed newspaper.That's how I prefer to read "the paper" -- there's no ink on my hands or wrinkled pages; I can make the type as big as I want; I can instantly send a story I like to my friends through email or social media; and I don't have to walk out to my driveway in the rain to get that day's edition.But our iPad app is going to be much different from the e-edition.I read The New York Times using its iPad app every day, and I find that preferable to looking at the website. Although it won't be in a traditional "newspaper" format, the grouping of stories will be logical and updated throughout the day. And the iPad lends itself to spectacular photography, something the Star-Telegram has long been known for. If you've seen our monthly iPad sports magazine, DFW OT, you know what I'm talking about. We start each issue with pictures of local sports events, and I'm amazed at the detail you can see. You can pan and enlarge pictures on the iPad, to see details that you can't see on the printed page or on websites.We'll also be equipping more of our reporters with iPads to use as tools in the field. All of them have laptops already, but the added photo capability of the iPad and the variety of apps they can use to enhance their reporting make it almost as essential as a smartphone.One change we're making that you won't see, although it will make us much more efficient, is a new content-management system. Beginning tomorrow, our staff will spend the next five months being trained on the new system, which will allow us to create and publish print and online packages simultaneously. Later, we'll integrate a new web-content management system that will give us more seamless control of our different websites.All McClatchy papers will be working in the coming year on video strategy and improving delivery of investigative journalism.Video is becoming almost as important as still photography to news organizations, especially with the advent of high-definition cameras like those on almost any smartphone. You don't have to be a professional anymore to shoot video that is broadcast quality, so people who use us online expect our sites to have plenty of video. And good investigative journalism is another thing our customers in print and online expect. The original intent of newspapers was to serve as watchdogs of government and business, and we take that tradition seriously. Having the ability to shine a light on a problem and see it get fixed is one of the most fulfilling things about journalism, and over the years the Star-Telegram has made that a priority.In that regard, 2013 will be no different.Jim Witt is executive editor of the Star-Telegram.817-390-7704Twitter @jimelvisHave more to add? News tip? Tell us
