No longer ALLOWED to jump

[Wonderlic]

So there's a bit on the APSE site about how various sports sections are dealing with shrinking news hole:

http://apse.dallasnews.com/news/2009/jan/012609spaceseries1.html

This quote caught my eye:

"We are no longer allowed to jump stories during the week. We are trying to coach writers to consider alternative story forms and a charticle approach that highlights information. This has been a difficult adjustment for writers and editors alike."

— Kim Pendery, Tampa Tribune

Seriously? No longer ALLOWED to jump? What the eff is going on here anymore!?!

This heavy-handed, poorly thought out policy leads to atrocious front page designs, little to no depth in reporting and ultimately an increase in canceled subscriptions. I know because my paper, unfortunately, also attempted this "experiment."

If only we could force the corporate suits to stop jumping...

 

[Johnny Dangerously]

And yet, I'll bet their Web site features stories that "jump" from Page 1 to Page 2 (and beyond, at times) to increase the number of page views/clicks.

 

[Mark2010]

Hahaha!! This isn't all that new. About six years ago, I had an SE (came in after I was already there) who tried a no-jump rule, along with a few other radical ideas.

The effect was we cut about every story to about 10-12 inches. I pretty much gave up coming up with feature ideas.

Now, there have been plenty of times when I didn't have any jumps off the cover simply because I had virtually no inside jump space. But I fight against having hard and fast rules like that.

 

[GlenQuagmire]

Newspaper executives: pissing on their readers in a regular basis.

"See we gave you what you wanted. Fewer and shorter stories. Thinner sections. Less overall coverage- national and local. And higher prices! Yes, we listened to what you wanted and delivered."

Heard of a shop back in the day that never allowed any stories longer than 12 inches. Ever. Only two jumps allowed in each section.

Features had three "bullet" subheads. No subsection longer than three graphs. Mostly one-source stories.

Idea lasted about two weeks until readers demanded a change. Somehow they got the section to go back to normal.

 

[DanOregon]

Sorry, I don't read the print product much anymore. And when I do, I find it thoroughly lacking. Lead, Quote, Context, End quote just isn't a story. Right now I see all newspapers print product a strange and uncomfortable hybrid of Web writing and old school news writing. They'd be better off just putting a nice pretty picture on the front, with linescores of games followed with a nuggetoid(When it was over, What it means, What's Next and a quote).

 

[Fenian_Bastard]

Alternative story forms?
"Charticles"?
Is that even a ****ing word?
Jesus wept.

 

[Rhody31]

We tried to write short, boring stories for our paper's Web site (we're a weekly) immediately, teasing full coverage for the paper that week.
Are we at the point where dailies are going to do the opposite?

'for an in-depth look at this game log on to www.ournewspapersucks.com?

 

[I Digress]

The paper I string for is pretty much a 10-12 inch shop....No matter how much I re-read the things I write and rework sentences, when I see it in the paper it's always reads so choppy. Freaking hate it, but c'est la vie.

 

[SixToe]

We had an editor who tried the "no jump" idea. Everyone pretty much ignored him.

Six pages, eight-paragraph stories and increasing the cost of the paper is not the way to attract or keep readers.

 

[Simon_Cowbell]

So there's a bit on the APSE site about how various sports sections are dealing with shrinking news hole:

http://apse.dallasnews.com/news/2009/jan/012609spaceseries1.html

This quote caught my eye:

"We are no longer allowed to jump stories during the week. We are trying to coach writers to consider alternative story forms and a charticle approach that highlights information. This has been a difficult adjustment for writers and editors alike."

— Kim Pendery, Tampa Tribune

Seriously? No longer ALLOWED to jump? What the eff is going on here anymore!?!

This heavy-handed, poorly thought out policy leads to atrocious front page designs, little to no depth in reporting and ultimately an increase in canceled subscriptions. I know because my paper, unfortunately, also attempted this "experiment."

If only we could force the corporate suits to stop jumping...

Blanket rules are stupid rules. And, it really screams to your writers... YOU BLOW CHUNKS.

Never any takeout pieces out front. NEVER.

Our ****'s ****ed up.

 

[Some Guy]

Alternative story forms?
"Charticles"?
Is that even a ****ing word?
Jesus wept.

We've been big on charticles for several years now. It's all the rage!

 

[ServeItUp]

My last editor, loved working for him but damn, if he wouldn't get wood when we had two or more stories (on a four- or five-story front) that didn't jump. He wanted at least one non-jumping story a day out front.

Fenian, I'm told Van McKenzie pioneered the "charticle" when he was at the Orlando Sentinel. Just another word for "really big breakout." Some things work well that way, like game advances, game stories and some trend pieces. Features, takeouts -- leave those alone and give me something to read. Please.

 

[93Devil]

Wasn't the USA Today the first paper that stopped jumping? Well limiting jumping to one story.

This was at least 20 years ago.

 

[Fenian_Bastard]

The newspaper execs who demand "charticles" clearly need some neuticles.
http://www.neuticles.com/

 

[Some Guy]

The newspaper execs who demand "charticles" clearly need some neuticles.
http://www.neuticles.com/

Here's the deal: Sometimes, there are "stories" that are better told graphically. I get that. Usually, these stories are number intensive.

When we first started this charticle kick, we would sit down in the planning stages of the story and ask the question: "What is the best way to tell this story? Is it graphically? Some other alternative story form? Is the best way to tell this story just a conventional 18-inch feature?"

Usually, the answer would be "conventional." Occasionally, the answer would be "alternative."

It seems now, however, we've gotten away from that. Instead of telling the stories that need to be told, we're trying to force charticles. The new question has become, "Uh ... you got any ideas for a charticle?"

And I hate that. Because the people who are still buying newspapers, God bless 'em, are buying because they WANT something to read. Not some stupid chart.

If the point is to attract new, younger, hipper readers ... well, I just don't see it. Like the kids hanging out in front of the 7-11 are saying, "Man, did you see that charticle on the front of the Gazette? It was bitchin'. Can't wait to see tomorrow's charticle."

 

[The Good Doctor]

It's almost as though Media General is actively TRYING to kill the Tampa Trib.

 

[SixToe]

Kids hanging out at the 7-11 are texting each other. They don't know the newspaper exists and never will until 7th grade when they are required to do a "current events" homework assignment.

Charticle sounds like a venereal disease.

 

[playthrough]

I'm OK with charticle, I hear my wife using that word with her magazine. When they're well-done, they're fine. Once a month. But to do that every day in newspapers...why not just print flash cards and deliver the thing in a shoebox?

 

[Magic In The Night]

OK, first of all, having looked at that neuticle site FB, I'm wondering: Dogs have self esteem? Anyway, we don't call them charticles here in Gannettland but "chunky bits." I think that's somehow appropriate if you take that term to its extreme. Also, new Gannett rules have 1A and maybe other section fronts only allowed two stories or so to jump. We'll see how that goes.

 

[SF_Express]

Alternative story forms?
"Charticles"?
Is that even a ****ing word?
Jesus wept.

Many, many charticles in my local paper, a Tribune-ite. And FB, it might not be a dictionary word, but it has been around for a while. Unfortunately, probably.