Change Rocks Media World

Published: Sep 30, 2007

These are anxious times in the news industry because the Internet and digital technology have transformed the way people access news and information. Young people, especially, tell us they reach for their laptops first thing in the morning, not the printed page.

Look at how the presidential candidates announced their campaigns this year. Online. And what do these campaigns fear most? YouTube. Absent that "macaca" video clip, former Virginia Sen. George Allen would be in the top tier of Republican presidential candidates.

Sure, newspapers continue to attract a lot of readers and advertisers, despite slowly eroding circulation. In this region, The Tribune and its media partners reach more people every day than any other company, bar none.

But our business model is changing and, sadly, online revenues don't support the workforce that print once did. So you see the headlines: Media companies everywhere, including in Tampa, are downsizing.

For their last assignment, we asked members of the 2007 Board of Community Columnist to describe their media usage. And we're especially pleased today to present the perspective of Tribune Executive Editor Janet Coats, who is leading the transformation at the News Center.

Coats makes one thing clear. How we deliver the news may vary, but the values that have made the Tribune a community treasure for 112 years will never, ever, change.

- Rosemary Goudreau, Tribune Editorial Page Editor