Five Questions with Jim Medina

By Jonathan Higuera

Jim Medina, business editor of the Ventura County Star in California, speaks with BusinessJournalism.org about his paper’s initiative to create a “Web shell” for business news and what it means for readers and staff.

1. How will the recent initiative to create a “Web shell” for business news affect you and your staff?

I think it’s a great tool for the staff and readers. Reporters are assigned to update stories and multimedia that fall in their coverage areas. The key is to keep it fresh every day. Our New Media team has set up a system where we can input stories, write headlines and insert URL links. It might sound time-consuming, but we’ve honed the process to where it requires each reporter about 5 to 10 minutes in the morning. The system allows us to post breaking stories to the Web as soon as possible without having to find someone in New Media to do it for us. We are also building user-friendly tools that can reduce staff time, such as letting readers post little announcements. One of the more popular items among the staff is the Water Cooler, a collection of quirky news items
designed to get people talking. (View the Ventura County Star online business section here)

2. What is the impact on the printed business section?

We don’t think in terms of just the print section anymore. There is a constant awareness about possible online elements or refers. All of my staff has been trained to shoot video, record audio and produce multimedia presentations – which is a time-consuming process. However, the reporters assist each other when anyone runs into problems with sound, image or transition. My role is to make sure the storytelling is compelling and complements the print story. There have been times where we’ve delayed running a news feature in print because the multimedia wasn’t ready to post. Of course, breaking news waits for no one.

3. How big is your staff and how do you make the best use of your resources to provide quality coverage?

In the system at The Star, I oversee five staff reporters and several stringers. Two reporters work on the news side, three reporters are assigned to the business team. To get the best of both worlds – print and web – I space out the print stories that include multimedia presentations. I discuss with reporters which stories might present the best visuals and narrative. A lot depends on if sources are comfortable being filmed. Much of our time these days is devoted to breaking news, with Amgen and Countrywide based in our region. With so much on our plate, planning and juggling is essential. I have had to adjust my own thinking to be more flexible when I’m told there’s a technical glitch.

4. What is unique to your area in terms of covering business and what types of stories seem to resonate most with your readers?

The region is a big geographic area with varying income levels in ten cities. Some cities are rooted in agriculture, while others serve as executive bedroom communities to neighboring Los Angeles. The good thing is that there are endless story possibilities. We routinely delve into issues to the south in Los Angeles and north to Santa Barbara. An estimated 100,000 Ventura County residents commute to jobs in both directions. So, our playing field is pretty wide open as opposed to a city hall reporter focusing on one community.

The stories that draw the most attention are human interest yarns and consumer issues, including housing, gas prices, grocery bills, tech gadgets, retail outlets, car trends and jobs – most importantly layoffs and buyouts at Amgen and Countrywide, the county’s two top private employers.

5. Any advice for other business editors?

Listen. Reporters are dying for attention and constructive feedback, especially in an era when everything in the newspaper industry is about cutbacks. And embracing multimedia opens the door to a new creative outlet for reporters, who by nature are curious about what’s next.

Copyright © 2008 Donald W. Reynolds National Center for Business Journalism