Readers come first as we map our future

Beyond standing room, the crowd overflowed into the foyer of The Seattle Times' auditorium, where staff members strained to hear the new executive editor's vision for the newspaper.

When David Boardman assumed that role in August, he told the staff he would take some time to map a path for the near-term future. Thursday, he fulfilled that promise, announcing a restructuring of newsroom leadership and new priorities for journalistic and business success.

I asked several staffers to tell me the "nut graph" of the meeting. That's a paragraph summarizing the central idea of a story, which can be helpful to the writer, as well as the reader. In this case it represents the essence of what you would have heard had you been in the auditorium.

Here is some of what I got back:

"A strategy that embraces change at a pivotal point in the history of a paper trying to survive in trying times. We're not getting rid of the paper product, but enhancing both print and the Web for customers — trying to find ways to leverage both."

"The Times is making a big push to get readers the news they need, when they need it. We'll publish on the Web as stories are breaking, and we'll follow that speedy reporting with depth and perspective in print and online."

"Reorganizing to better embrace continuous coverage both in print and online — a goal the staff seems eager to figure out."

"A better integration of Web and print, a cultural shift. Two distinct products; trying to make each fit reader/user needs."

My favorite response was the most succinct: "More, Better, Faster. For our very survival."

I like that because it captures the urgency in Boardman's message. He called it the "path to transformation," but I felt that a good pair of running shoes and a strong heart might help.

Boardman's central directive was to better integrate print and online efforts "in a way that will maximize the effectiveness of both platforms and give readers reasons to use both. This is both a journalistic imperative for us to serve the broadest number of citizens, and a business imperative for our long-term survival," he said.

"Unlike some newspapers, we're not advocating a shift from the newspaper to the Web. Rather, we're aiming to provide our journalism in two venues with two distinct and uniquely valuable formats — one focused on updates, interactivity, multimedia and finding information in a hurry; the other, on depth, perspective, and arresting writing and presentation."

He told the staff: "Despite the enormous challenges we and every metropolitan newspaper face, we start from a foundation of strength in circulation, credibility and talent."

We have the right people and we're building a new structure to manage the complex task ahead. Boardman announced the creation of three managing-editor positions, "each with a different focus but sharing, with me, the charge of running the News Department." They are:

Kathy Best , managing editor / digital news and innovation, with specific responsibility for Seattletimes.com. She is newly hired from The Baltimore Sun and "will be our liaison with the New Media Division and will focus on innovation and creativity throughout the newsroom."

Suki Dardarian , managing editor / news coverage and enterprise. "She will oversee all of the reporting functions except sports. Local news, business, features and investigations will report to her. She will retain primary responsibility for enterprise and Sunday planning."

Mike Stanton , managing editor / news editing and presentation. "The news desk (including national/foreign), the photo department, news design and graphics, news IT [information technology] and sports will report to him. Mike will also be our point person on standards and accuracy."

I'll write more about these and other people with new roles in future columns. For now, let me address what all of this means to you readers.

One clear message was that readers come first. What we do, we do for you. Our survival depends on getting reader connection right "in the paper, on the Web, on the phone, in the community."

Readers can trust that we will be guided by the right values: integrity, credibility, independence, quality, relevance, service, leadership, innovation, humanity and Northwest connection. While everything else is changing, those are constants.

We will provide better and more visible coverage of local communities and will upgrade guides, in print and online, to help readers decide how to spend their time and money. And we will provide "even more watchdog and public-service journalism that makes a difference — changing laws, saving lives."

I think Boardman's most important message to the staff was that he doesn't have all of the answers. As one staff member said in her nut graph, "We need everyone's full attention and participation."

That goes for readers, too. There has never been a better opportunity for you to help create the future of The Seattle Times.

Inside The Times appears in the Sunday Seattle Times. If you have a comment on news coverage, write to Michael R. Fancher, P.O. Box 70, Seattle, WA 98111, call 206-464-3310, or e-mail mfancher@seattletimes.com.