Poynter Summer Fellows

Hey guys,

OK just wanted to check in with everyone about plans for July. We are going with the second weekend, so that's the 14-16. So here's the deal. I checked on some hotel rates for us, cause I'm sure whoever is going might want to split rooms to save money. Here is what I found. These are just suggestions to help get us started. They are both downtown.

Hampton Inn -- $159/night for a King or two queen beds
Holiday Inn -- $129/night for a King or two double beds.

Now that we are getting closer, could everyone let me know who is thinking of coming? Then, I can just send these e-mails to the group instead of bugging everyone.

He's a finalist for the Livingston Award for Young Journalists. PS'03 represent!

Hey everybody, just wanted to give an update on my whereabouts. After almost 3 years at the Gaston Gazette and Gastonia, NC, I'm off to the Greensboro News & Record. Yippee! It's quite a transition going from a 3-bed house to a rent-a-room situation, but I'm excited nonetheless. Hope everyone is doing well!

Morgan

Hey, guys. It's Michaela.
This is going to sound crazy -- but I finally got e-mail hooked up in my apartment. I got tired of the coffee house down the block because it seemed always to be closing when I got home from work. So... now the possibilities are endless :) I really appreciate this new format. Matt, you're terrific!

Just to catch everone up a bit -- since I have been horribly inactive on the listserve for quite some time: I'm working as an education reporter at the Omaha World-Herald. I've switched districts since coming here but mostly the job is the same. I started out covering two suburban districts and the Catholic/Lutheran/private schools, added another suburban district and then switched to covering the Omaha Public Schools and one of the tiny suburban districts. I still feel like I'm learning a lot and there's controversay now between the OPS and four suburban districts that have schools within city limits, so I'm doing meaningful work now. I haven't got as much to report on the personal front, sadly. But all things come in time.

My paper is planning to bring an eastern county tab back from the dead and i get to be the lead reporter on it. i'm really not sure what the point of it will be yet except to make money. ironically, i have not yet been invited to a meeting about it but i heard it's coming out in april and will target the 18-45 age group. anything wrong with this picture? to top it off we are shortstaffed to the point that two managing editors are learning quark so they can join copy desk in laying out pages (a couple positions have been frozen). i have nothing against a supplement but i just don't feel the timing is right.

Hi everyone.

I was recently forwarded info about this blog. What a great idea!!

I'm a 2004 Poynter Fellow now living and working in Missouri as a health and medical reporter for a small daily.

Any other bloggers from 2004 involved? Who all is online?

Betsy Lee

I know you are all sick of me by now.

OK, for whoever is interested, I talked to Kelly McBride and we can reserve a group of rooms at the Hampton for the reunion under Poynter's discounted rate. The only thing is we have to do it soon because we can cancel the rooms up until two months before we get there.

So if you're thinking you might be in for the reunion and you want a space at the hotel (we can double up too to save money) just let me know, so I can get a general idea of how many rooms to reserve.

I'm going to go ahead and count in Rebekah, Matt and I cause I think we are for sure a "yes."

well, despite my complete aversion to all things technical, you are all witness to my virgin blog. consider yourselves very lucky, as this may never, ever happen again. kelly... the section i work for is all community news and comes out once a week as a "supplement" to the "big paper," though i have some pretty strong feelings about the section being more than just a supplement. anyway, i would be happy to answer any questions you have about it... if i correctly interpret that's what you were asking about. like i said, virgin blogger.

Hey Matt,

I don't know anything about setting up a site -- so don't make fun of me.

I'm wondering if we could have a list somewhere on the site to show everyone who has signed in, they year they were fellows and where they are working? I just think that would be kind of cool to click on and check out. That way, we can kind of know everyone who is here and find out the fellows we have to still lure here. Plus, it will help us learn who everyone is, since we are from different years.

This is probably already on here and I'll look like an idiot. I’m willing to roll the dice.

I can't believe it's getting closer to the end of this week. I seriously can't wait. I finally get to go home (I'm from PA) for a week. Oh, such a needed break.

I wrote about a million stories for when I'm gone on vacation. Well, okay, like eight, but doesn't that seem kind of crazy? I wonder why some papers don't concentrate on quality instead of quantity? I really don't get it.

On that note, I'm wondering if anyone else is experiencing the tab newspaper world, you know as a supplement to the main paper.

Not that this is a new concept. I know it's not and i do not disagree with community journalism at all, I actually am its biggest supporter. (Narrow the focus) I'm just wondering if anyone has experienced the formulas that go along with these publications, such as not having a story over 12" ect. Formulas add a whole new dimension.