This Week:Jim Brady, new executive editor of washingtonpost.com, was online Wednesday, Feb. 2, at Noon ET to take your questions and comments about washingtonpost.com -- from recent coverage to special features to navigating the site.
Brady was named executive editor of washingtonpost.com in November 2004. Prior to his appointment, Brady served as a consultant for washingtonpost.com, focusing primarily on product development and strategy. This is Brady's second stint at washingtonpost.com. He served as sports editor and assistant managing editor for news from 1995 to 1999, and was on staff for the site's official launch in June 1996. During his time in news, Brady helped coordinate the site's coverage of the Clinton impeachment. After leaving washingtonpost.com in 1999, Brady spent more than four years at America Online, serving as group programming director, News and Sports; executive director, Editorial Operations; and vice president, Production & Operations. During his time at AOL, Brady was in charge of the service's coverage of the 9/11 terrorist attacks and the 2000 presidential election. Before originally moving to washingtonpost.com, Brady was a sportswriter at The Washington Post from 1987 to 1995.
Editor's Note: Washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Live Online discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions.
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Jim Brady: Good afternoon. Thanks to those of you who have already posted questions; I will try to get to as many as possible.
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Tallahassee, Fla.:
Will The Washington Post online version be available
at no charge indefinitely to peoplee or will there be
a charge similar to print media?
Jim Brady: Yes, the site will remain free for the foreseeable future.
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Washington, D.C.:
Hi Jim.. I'm a Washington print journalist, in my mid-20s, and I wonder what you think of print reporters' futures. I've been general assignment for several years and have decided to hunt down an expertise on the Pentagon, with the hope that would put me in demand. Realizing you're not a job-advice expert, do you see a large decrease in print jobs, over say the next 10 years, and a small increase in online jobs? And if so, how might we print reporters prepare for that?
Jim Brady: Well, while it's clear web consumption of news is increasing, I'm not one who sees an end to the newspaper. Media history does not support the claim that new media make older media extinct. There are certainly examples of that, but TV did not put an end to radio and I don't see the Web putting an end to newspaper. They just will have to find a way to share the same playing field. As for the future of journalism, the crafts of reporting, writing and editing will always have a place.
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Washington, D.C.:
Thanks for coming online to answer questions. I am sorry to begin with a complaint but I am very unhappy over the decisions to end the online chats by Tim Page and Marty Gallagher. You might not think that one person would read chats on classical music and serious fitness, but I do. (And I am also a subscriber to the print edition.) I am not sure what demographic you are going after with the online Post but I question the wisdom of eliminating chats with hardcore followings. People who are loyal in one behavior are often loyal in other ways. Once that relationship is broken, it can be hard to get it back. (As WETA FM may find out to its sorrow, but that's another story...)
Until recently, I would have said that The Post had the best online site of any paper. There just was no comparison. I am no longer so certain of that.
Jim Brady: Thanks for the comment. Believe me, we understand that any time we cancel any of our live events, there will be an outcry. Same applies to any changes made to the comics.
Jim Brady: However, while the Web itself has no space limitation, we do have staffing limitations. The folks who produce our live events are among the hardest working peoplee in the building, and we needed to take a look at our full slate and cut back some. Tim and Marty both did a wonderful job, and we hope to have both back on when events warrant, but this really came down to a resource issue.
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Naples, Fla.:
Why are there suddenly links to Slate on washingtonpost.com? Was there a concern that The Post wasn't perceived as left-leaning enough?
Jim Brady: The Washington Post Company acquired Slate a few weeks back, and because they have such wonderful content, we're looking at ways to work together. Thus, the Slate links you see on the site. I must, however, ignore the loaded second question you posed. :-)
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Detroit, Mich.:
When Nicholas Berg was beheaded by his captors in Iraq, the gruesome footage was played out in an unrestricted format over the Internet. What does this say about the Internet as a global communications medium? And as a follow up, how has the Internet changed the media's influence on foreign policy.
Jim Brady: The Berg video is a perfect example of how the Internet has changed communication. What makes the Web so interesting -- and, to me, explains a lot about the rise of blogs -- is that, for the first time, everyone has access to a printing press. It used to be that the media would decide whether to show something or not, and that pretty much determined whether that content would get any distribution. Those days are over because of the secondary distro channel of the Web.
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Washington, TV:
What happened to Lisa de Moraes' Friday chats? They seem to be on the schedule every week but then they get canceled at the last minute. My friends and I really look forward to these.
Thanks.
washingtonpost.com:
Apologies, Lisa's been very busy lately -- but should be back this Friday.
Jim Brady: Yes, there are obviously a few peoplee who miss this chat. As you can see, Lisa should be back Friday.
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Washington, D.C.:
What do you think about blogging, especially in the wake of the 2004 election? Many have come to question the ethical standards for bloggers. Who can really be considered a journalist? For example, the young man from thinksecret.org who outted Apple secrets for years.
Jim Brady: I think the rise blogging has been fascinating. I think there's a lot still to be sorted out. First and foremost, the word "blog" is a bit of a loaded term. People define blogs a million different ways. In my view, a blog is a format for presenting information in digestible pieces for Web suers, involves readers its development and is a living, breathing thing that does not follow a strict publishing schedule. We launched a blog with Joel Achenbach a few weeks back, and Howard Kurtz and Dan Froomkin write columns for us that share some characteristics with blogs. Post.com will continue to look for good opportunities for blogs.
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St. Petersburg, Fla.:
So why did you want this job anyway?
Jim Brady: Only for about a thousand reasons. First off, I started working at The Post newspaper when I was 20 and in college at American University. Other than my time at AOL, I pretty much have worked for The Post my entire adult life, and this was a great opportunity to come back and run a site that's always been near and dear to my heart. In 1977, I was the only kid in my school who thought "All The President's Men" was a better flick than "Star Wars."
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Silver Spring, Md.:
Where can I find past Sunday Source article?
washingtonpost.com: Print Edition archives
Jim Brady: Thanks Liz.
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Alexandria, Va.:
Is the new Examiner paper more of a concern for the print edition or is the Web site also concerned about losing a chunk of audience? I looked at the Examiner Web site (dcexaminer.com), but there doesn't seem to be much there. Do they have plans to grow their Web site to compete with you?
Jim Brady: I can't speak to what their Web plans are, and I'm reasonably sure they would not tell me if I asked, but we're certainly keeping an eye on what they're doing on the web and in print. We're always concerned about anyone who could cut into our audience.
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washingtonpost.com: Achenblog
Howard Kurtz
Dan Froomkin
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New York:
If the Jets made it to the Super Bowl would you give up Pepsi for a week?
Jim Brady: Obviously, this is someone well aware of the fact I still have not recovered from the Steelers loss. Thank for you reminding me.
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Washington, D.C.:
Mr. Brady, thank you for taking our questions. I'm interested in what your plans are for the Web site now that you're running the show. Any obvious things that readers will notice immediately?
If I were you, I'd get rid of the annoying pop-up ads. I would gladly pay a subscription fee for online use if I could be spared the ads -- much like what Salon.com has done.
Jim Brady: Well, as I mentioned, we'd like to experiment smartly with blogs. We also have an incredible multimedia team, and as connection speeds continue to increase, we'd like to find ways to better surface the fantastic work they do. Right now, you can find it in Camera Works. We also want to keep finding ways to work with the newspaper on new methods of storytelling that involve text, photos, video, audio, etc.
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washingtonpost.com: Camera Works
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Bethesda, Md.:
I truly enjoy your online columnists like Mr. Froomkin. Are there plans for other Web site columnists who aren't from the newspaper? I think this is something that really enhances the Internet site and makes me log in, even though I'm an avid print edition reader.
I'd like to see more special online coverage.
Jim Brady: Good question. Obviously, we are always looking for content ideas that would appear on the web site only, and whether it's from an outside source or from a Post staffer doing something freelance for the Web site matters less to me. Good content is good content.
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Iowa:
Not a comment but a hearty kudo. Thank you very much for providing all the content and the online chats that appear on The Post's Web site. I don't have a chance to read the hard copy Post very often, so I am extremely appreciative of the opportunity to read all The Post has to offer each day. (BTW, why is it I can get a New York Times subscription quite easily here in the hinterlands, but not a Post subscription?)
Jim Brady: Thanks for the kudos, and glad you enjoy the site so much. The reason you can get the Times in Iowa is it is distributed nationally. The Post is not.
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Dayton, Ohio:
Jim, I'm a longtime Washingtonian, and now that I'm 800 miles away I'm pining for some of the good stuff from the Sunday Post. Any chance of re-instating individual subscriptions to Book World? How about a Sunday combo of Book World, Outlook and the Magazine? It's just not the same reading those sections online!
Thanks!
Jim Brady: Thanks for the suggestion... I have received a lot of suggestions and questions, and while I won't be able to hit them all in an hour, I welcome any e-mails with comments or complaints at executive.editor@washingtonpost.com.
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Pittsburgh, Pa.:
Do you think blogs will eventually die, meaning there will be so many that they will no longer be interesting, for example like what happened to news group? Where do you see blogs going?
Jim Brady: I think blogs are here to stay, though whether the name sticks forever is another question. As I said, what falls inside the definition of blog is an open question. There was once a lot of resistance to blogs among the mainstream media (or MSM, as the blogs like to say), but Jim Romenesko's media news site -- visited by just about everyone in the media biz -- is basically a blog. But as the media starts to get comfortable with what a blog is and isn't, I think the term may fade away, though the ideas that led to them will not.
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Washington, D.C.:
Not that long ago, washingtonpost.com began requiring users to register with the Web site before being allowed to access some content. There was no fee required to register. What is my registration data used for and why did the Web site begin requiring peoplee to register?
Jim Brady: We're always looking at ways to use registration data to enhance users' experience on the site. For example, having the zip code of users could allow us to deliver content specific to your community. It would not replace the top news stories you see today, but it could allow us to make sure that anything in the paper that impacts where you live can be put in front of you. In these days, where peoplee's time is cut into smaller and smaller chunks, anything we can do to surface relevant content is something we need to do look at.
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Washington, D.C.:
What's the best method (or the options) to download and view The Post offline?
(To view on say a laptop on the train.)
Jim Brady: You can download the paper to your laptop with our Electronic Edition, a link to which is located at the bottom of our home page.
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Washington, D.C.:
Is there any way to get a little more diversity in the site's weekly discussion lineup? I can't help but think that some topics (like employment issues, which has three weekly chats devoted to it) get more attention than necessary, while others are either underrepresented, or completely left out of the lineup.
Jim Brady: We're always open to hearing what additional topics you're interested in... Feel free to drop an email to me at executive.editor@washingtonpost.com...
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Williamsburg, Va.:
Is it the goal of The Post to have readers pick up the print version and then follow-up online, or get an overview online and then pick up the print version?
The context for my question is this: I'm a college student graduating in May, in the process of looking for journalism jobs. Ideally, I'd like to continue doing some of everything -- writing, designing, editing, working with photos. Most of my background is in print, although I have been getting some experience working online this year. I feel like there's a shift toward online news presentation and away from the more conventional print form. Do you think this is accurate? Should I concentrate on learning more online skills? Thanks in advance for your response.
Jim Brady: The goal is for you to be able to access the great journalism of The Washington Post in whatever form you'd like. We have no preferred order for how you consume it. There's no doubt that many folks have moved online to consume news and information, but there are many factors that impact that. Here's an example: There's no doubt that the launch of washingtonpost.com has led to some people moving away from the newspaper, but it also has allowed the entire world to consume Washington Post journalism on a 24-7 basis, something not possible with a paper only distributed in the Washington region. In the end, we're all in this together, with the goal being surfacing the journalism.
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Jim Brady: by the way, many of you have asked questions very specific to the newspaper. I'm not avoiding them, but I'm not in a position to discuss the policies of the newspaper, but keep an eye on the Ask the Post series for the next guest from the newspaper.
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Washington, D.C:
How will The Post compete with local sites such as Craigslist and the new A9?
Jim Brady: Obviously, sites like Craigs List pose a challenge to us as well, not on the news side, but on the classifieds side. As I said before, any site that is chasing our audience is someone we need to keep an eye on, but I'd leave the specifics on the Craigslist question to someone on the business side at washingtonpost.com.
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Washington, D.C.:
Just a brief word to complement you and the staff of washingtonpost.com on the best news site on the Internet. You really are head and shoulders above the rest. This is the first time I've lived in the U.S. in seven years, but I could always count on your site to keep me abreast of the news (local, national, and international) from the American perspective. Congratulations, and please keep up the excellent work!
Jim Brady: Thanks mom.
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Toronto, Ontario, Canada:
Why do the Web sites of American newspapers insist on using serif fonts? While they are faithful to the print editions, they are very hard to read on the screen. Serif fonts were developed for printing presses. San Serif fonts were developed for computer screens? Would you consider changing this style?
Jim Brady: An interesting point, one I had not considered. Can't make any promises, but I will pass on the thoughts to our design team.
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Washington, D.C.:
About how many peoplee are assigned to work on washingtonpost.com exclusively (i.e., independent of the regular newspaper)? Is there a separate editorial board for the Web site? Separate reporters?
Jim Brady: We do not have a separate editorial board at washingtonpost.com. We do have some of our own reporters in the tech area, and we work closely with The Post's Continuous News Desk, which works incredibly hard to get reporters from the paper to file stories early for the Web site. So we do have many articles appearing on the site before they appear in the paper, and it's something that has made the site so much better. It's something we never could have done without the support of the newspaper, and a sign that we all know we're in this together.
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Orange, Va.:
When a Post employee like Howard Kurtz participates in an online chat, do their comments and choice of questions still fall under the range of the critiquing responsibilities of the ombudsman for The Post, or is there less pressure on the employee to be fair and balanced in such online appearances?
Jim Brady: Our policy is simple: What you can write in the newspaper, you can say in a live discussion. If you're a columnist in the paper and thus can express an opinion, the same should apply online. If you're a reporter and cannot express an opinion, you cannot in the discussion. The craft of journalism cannot justify straying from that clear rule.
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Forest, Va.:
Congratulations on your new assignment.
I get my news mostly from the Internet; not tv, newspaper, radio or magazines. Since my computer opens on msn.com, I scan their headlines, such as they are, first. Then I turn to yahoo.com to read my e-mail and I scan Yahoo's headlines. Later I open reuters.com, (before opening washingtonpost.com). My reason for doing that is that while I see Reuters by lines in The Washington Post, I rarely see Post bylines at Reuters.
My question is whether this is because Reuters has a larger overseas news gathering operation, (in comparison to The Post's news staff)? I'm assumning that Rueter's is larger; maybe it isn't.
I also open AljazeeraNet English because their take on the international news is definitedly different than the Post's. Their financial news, surprisingly, is also noteworthy.
Finally, by way of background, I graduated from Wilson High in '57, and lived off and on in D.C. since 1945. That's to say, I used to go to the Translux theater, Garfinkel, Woodies, on street cars, to Hot Shoppes, and was stationed at Walter Reed from '61-'63.
Jim Brady: Simple answer. Reuters is a wire service that newspapers subscribe to in order to enhance their own coverage. The wire services -- which also include AP, AFP and others -- do not run content from newspapers on their sites, they run their straight feeds.
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New York:
Pastrami or corned beef? Please weigh in.
Jim Brady: Well, that's a well-timed question since it's time to run off and get something to eat. Corned beef.
Anyway, thanks for all the questions, I really appreciate the opportunity to come on and answer questions. Again, for those whose questions I did not answer, feel free to follow up with an email to executive.editor@washingtonpost.com.
Take care.
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