We’re nine months into Newsroom Reinvention, and it’s hard not to be impressed by the incredible local journalism we’re seeing in the 30 newsrooms that make up @McClatchy.
More people than ever before are reading and relying on @McClatchy journalism. Unique visitors are up about 20 percent this year -- even more if you include @AppleNews and @GooglePlay. That’s impressive, even more so considering the financial pressures our industry faces.
With Newsroom Reinvention, we set out to ensure that we’re using our most precious resource -- the time and talents of our journalists -- to produce work that’s essential to the communities we serve.
To do that, we came up with two sets of questions. The first focuses on our readers: Who cares about this story -- or who should?
The second focuses on our mission. And just as the framers put freedom of the press in the First Amendment, we made our most important mission No. 1 on our list: Will this story break news that holds leaders or institutions accountable?
And all across @McClatchy, our journalists are producing stories that do exactly that.
The @KCStar is in the midst of an extraordinary series exposing Kansas as “one of the most secretive state governments in the nation.” #SecretKansas kansascity.com/news/politics-…
The @FresnoBee is examining why so many local teenagers are having babies and whether their schools share the blame -- all while enduring relentless “fake news” attacks from a local official. fresnobee.com/opinion/opn-co…
The Wichita Eagle (@kansasdotcom) is fighting for transparency and accountability from the local police department amid allegations that officers covered up for a drunk-driving cop. kansas.com/opinion/editor…
Our Washington bureau (@mcclatchydc) revealed that a Democratic senator who rails against nursing home abuses is simultaneously cozying up to a nursing home executive with a record of safety problems. mcclatchydc.com/news/politics-…
In Charlotte, @TheObserver has gone to court four times in the last year to force police to release body-cam videos from officer-involved shootings -- and won each time. charlotteobserver.com/opinion/editor…
The secretary of state in Idaho says he “wasn’t even aware” of security concerns and other problems surrounding the state’s voter data until the @IdahoStatesman reported on them. idahostatesman.com/news/politics-…
In California, @sacbeenews is breaking news about claims that a state lawmaker behaved inappropriately toward young women -- and fired staffers who knew about it. sacbee.com/news/politics-…
The @miamiherald is also bringing down wayward politicians -- and exposing violence that’s not just tolerated but encouraged by employees in Florida’s juvenile justice system. #FightClub miamiherald.com/news/special-r…
Accountability isn’t our only mission, of course. We write stories that make a concrete difference in our communities, like this @star-telegram project in Fort Worth. star-telegram.com/article1800066…
We give readers information they need to navigate their lives — and sometimes even save them. #HurricaneIrma miamiherald.com/news/weather/h…
We use revelatory storytelling story to shed light on worlds we thought we understood but don’t. star-telegram.com/news/local/com…
And Newsroom Reinvention’s emphasis on real-time news means we’re reaching more readers more often -- and increasing the digital metabolism across all of our newsrooms. newsobserver.com/news/local/art…
All while reaching new audiences and telling stories in new ways through video, social media. . . facebook.com/titletownTX/
. . . and podcasts. mcclatchydc.com/podcasts/major…
There’s more work and more change ahead. There always will be. That’s what we signed up for.
But as we enter this season of Thanksgiving, let’s take a moment to give thanks to @McClatchy journalists -- the ones who came before us, and the one who are working so hard to make a difference in our communities today.
If you value the local journalism they produce, please consider subscribing. It’s the single best way to support this work. Thank you, and thank you for coming along on this journey with us. #readlocal #realnews
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