Chicago Tribune editor discusses evolution in a new era
By Holly Hays
In a time when newspapers around the world are struggling to make the transition into the digital realm, the Chicago Tribune added pages to its print edition.
Yes, added pages.
During a recent media visit to the Tribune’s newsroom, Ernie Pyle Scholars and Journalism Ambassadors met with Gerry Kern, BA’71, the paper’s editor.
The key to the print edition’s success, he said, was creating a product that was aimed at the most engaged demographic, not the other way around. This transition included raising the price of the daily paper to accommodate for the addition of pages.
For the first time in 50 years, subscription revenue is growing, he said.
That doesn’t mean the company isn’t focusing on its online product.
“In many ways, it’s old school with a new school twist to it,” Kern said.
While a majority of the organization’s readership is online, the new challenge is conquering mobile, which accounts for more than 30 percent of the paper’s daily traffic, said Mark LeBien, digital coordinator for news.
“Audience behavior has become more nuanced and more complicated,” he said, adding that the paper is seeing increasingly more traffic on weekends and evenings, with readers multitasking and diving into long form pieces.
LeBien and his team use programs such as Chartbeat to track page views, clicks and other metrics for each story in an attempt to measure what works for online readers and what doesn’t.
“There’s a lot more to think about for your online content,” LeBien said.
George Papajohn, BAJ’82, assistant managing editor of investigations, added that creating a quality paper isn’t what it was in the old days.
“We all have to be much more nimble than we used to be,” Papajohn said.
Visiting with alumni at the Chicago Tribune was inspiring and informational for freshman Ernie Pyle Scholar Jamie Zega.
“I think it was really inspiring to see that an IU alumnus is the editor of the Trib,” she said. “We went to the same school, not necessarily getting the exact same education, but still have similar roots and can possibly end up in the same place.”
Seeing plates of Page 1 designs from recent years also reminded Zega of her experience with the Tribune growing up in Northwest Indiana.
“I also really enjoyed seeing their Page 1’s because, growing up in their circulation area, I remember a lot of the events they covered and a lot of the stories they told,” she said.
Even though the organization is trying to fine-tune the online experience, including implementing premium content for paid subscribers to increase online revenues, it was refreshing to see them moving forward instead of wallowing in the transition.
“It is an incredibly exciting profession,” LeBien said.
Here are some takeaways from the visit.
- Transitioning to online doesn’t mean the death of journalism. It’s metamorphosis.
- The transition, however, is a process. Like most organizations, even the Chicago Tribune is trying to figure it all out. Don’t let that intimidate you.
- As long as there is news, people will want to read it. It was really interesting to me that instead of focusing on the least engaged demographic, like most newspapers, the Tribune focuses on the most engaged group in print and caters to additional readers online.
- Diversify your skill set. It’s not enough just to write anymore—dabble in print, online, audio and video to ensure you’re ready for whatever an editor throws at you. It also means you’ll create the best content for your readers, which is good for everyone.