PARTICULARLY noteworthy in last week's editions of The Cavalier Daily was the Thursday coverage on the risks of meningitis. What is striking about the nearly full-page coverage is that it didn't occur after an outbreak of meningitis ravaged the University community, but instead seems intended to help prevent such an occurrence. It is, essentially, pro-active, preventative journalism, in service to the perceived needs and well-being of the readership.
In this era of sensationalistic journalism, where is seems that "if it bleeds, it leads" may be the only rule, often overlooked is the vital role that newspapers play in small communities. Historically, newspapers not only brought word of tragedy, and more occasionally, triumph, but also served to provide information which was not technically "news" but was thought to be responsive to the needs of the community. Many small community papers still do this, and pleasingly, The Cavalier Daily is one of them.
The meningitis coverage compelled me to examine the paper with an eye towards "service to the community." As Ombudsman, I am pleased to report that The Cavalier Daily seems to be making a concerted effort to serve the University community by providing information that goes beyond simply the "news." The best example of this service is the information provided on The Cavalier Daily's Web site.
As part of the duties of Ombudsman, I read The Cavalier Daily Web site with regularity. For those who read and love newspapers, the last several years have been distressing. Nationally, newspaper readership is in significant decline, typically attributed to people preferring television news coverage to newspaper. Newspapers have been trying desperately to attract new readers, as well as keep their current audience, with limited success. Small independent papers are being bought up by larger papers, and by publishing chains, both of which often have less concern about local issues and coverage.
The Internet has been viewed as both a blessing and a curse. The fear has been that free online papers will sound the death knell for print editions, which has not happened so far. The hope has been that the Internet, still largely text and photo-based, can serve as a breeding ground for opportunities in journalism that would revolutionize the newspaper world.
Some newspapers have been able to develop a significant online presence and readership, particularly the "national" papers like The New York Times and The Washington Post. The Internet allows for rapid publication of news with no printing costs and plenty of advertising opportunities. The online version can be provided for free, though not all are - The Wall Street Journal, for example. Most importantly, perhaps, of all the changes the Internet has brought, has been the liberation from the physical limitations of the newspaper.
Newspaper stories no longer need to be limited by space concerns, follow-up stories and updates can be linked to the original reportage, and newspapers, more than ever before, can utilize this freedom to bring in-depth, context-setting reporting. The ability to expand and supplement reportage has allowed newspapers to compete with weekly and monthly magazines, which have traditionally offered more in-depth analysis, since the magazines have longer time-frames in which to do research and gather opinion and information.
From the results of my own, highly-unscientific sample of online newspapers, typically the Web site content seems to include and supplement the print edition. The print editions remain primarily the same, and this magazine-like analysis is available later on the Web site, along with other information which may be useful to readers but is not typically information provided by a newspaper.
The Cavalier Daily seems to be utilizing their online edition in a way similar to the larger commercial newspapers, and with a particular emphasis on the type of pro-active service-oriented reportage for which they deserve praise. While there are examples of daily news reporting that are deserving of praise, like the meningitis coverage, it is primarily the "Special Reports" on the Web site which are exemplary of The Cavalier Daily's approach. For those of you who have never read the online edition, I urge you to try it, and to give particular attention to the special reports on the honor system, the 2000 Election, and a section for those new to the University, "UVA 101."
Each of these brings an in-depth approach to matters that are useful, and in some cases essential, to the University community as a whole. They are designed, it appears, to serve as a resource, or a reference tool. They are not strictly "news", though there are links to relevant news stories. They are a great example of how a newspaper can serve its readership in a lasting way. Each of these special reports required significant reporting and research, though surely without the reward of a daily by-line. They required planning and forethought as to the potential information needs of members of the community. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, they required the vision to see the opportunities afforded by the Internet, and the roles that journalists can play outside of the expected ones. Many newspapers, with more money, more staff, and more experience, haven't been able to serve their readers as well. The Cavalier Daily staff should be proud.
Brent Garland can be reached at ombudsman@ cavalierdaily.com.
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