The "rethinking" that is going on

What changes are newspapers making to adjust to the dismal (if not frightening) prospects ahead?

Layoffs get the news, but smaller things are happening too. What are newspapers rethinking? What new approaches are they trying? Let’s track a few:

Duluth News-Tribune: Eliminating food and home/garden sections. “News director” appointed.
What’s happening? Newsroom positions encompasses more than just newspaper.

Chicago Tribune: Promotes RedEye editor to managing editor of the Trib (in time for radical redesign).
What’s happening? Younger leadership moves in, with experience actually growing readership.

Lincoln County Patriot: Local computer programmer launches online newspaper.
What’s happening? Yet another entrepreneur fills a need for local news. How will the local paper respond? Sign him up, I say. Co-brand the patriot. Don't ignore him...enlist his help somehow.

After a long layoff...

Sorry to any readers out there...PTA work, the death of my father-in-law, and general upkeep of my family prompted a long hiatus from the blog. The PTA.org relaunch has taken place and we're still migrating content and making updates. But it is a sharp-looking site, organized in a much better fashion than before--Parent-focused; not focused so much with PTA leaders; organized so key information (that drives PTA's strategic objectives) for parents can be found quickly so their questiosn get answered. As an example, check out the parent involvement section.

Speaking of organization, I'm anxious now to see the Chicago Tribune redesign. I viewed this video which provides a peek at the new look of the paper.

They said all the right things such as making it for the readers, alternative story forms, etc. But we shall see. Once again, radical changes need to be made if newspapers--even the venerable Tribune--are going to survive. More than a design tweak anyway.