*The Integrated Newsroom - Straits Times Findings*

4.2.1 Online Journalists' Professional Practice

The professional practice of the online journalist at STI is changing just as rapidly as new media. Jansen (pers comm, 27 July 1999) describes the seven levels any print news story undergoes at the Straits Times and how this practice has changed in the online news environment. The seven levels, in this case begins after the journalist returns from the field and is show here:

Level 1 - Supervisor assists the journalist in shaping the story based on the outcome of the interview/coverage
Level 2 - Supervisor looks at the first draft and decides if it is satisfactory
Level 3 - Copy editor subs the story
Level 4 - Backbencher (Sub-Editor) decides story placement (eg lead story)
Level 5 - Team leader checks information, house style guidelines and lays it on the pages
Level 6 - It is sent back to teeline for approval.
Level 7 - Night editor does a final check before the pages goes to print.

Jansen explains that before any news story is seen by a reader it progresses through these layers primarily due to the nature of the print medium. In this instance, the journalist is protected by seven layers of "checkers" or set of eyes. However, on the WWW the layers are drastically removed and a story can be published online with or without a sub-editor or editor's approval and a round of sub-editing. Goh (pers comm, 22 July 1999) explains further:

The gatekeeper role has changed and you [online journalist] feel more powerful on the Net. Online news can be uploaded in an instant, it is immediate and can be accessed by anyone. Initially I was paranoid about uploading stories as it is such a powerful medium and all it requires is a drag and drop.Journalists need to understand this and should work with cautious.

Besides this sense of power, Goh and Koh Su Haw, Head of Business Times Online feel

that there are new pressures facing journalists in this new medium. Goh said that today's online journalists need to be multi-skilled:

The online journalist needs to practice multi-skilling. In this new environment, the journalist has to be au fait with multimedia applications and be technologically inclined. I picked up HTML, photo manipulation and other skills on the job. It does help to have a working knowledge of the [print] newsroom and to be sensitive to cultural and news sensitivities.

By news sensitivities, Goh means STI journalists need to be aware of Singapore's geographical location and position. There was a slight controversy during the study period. A new causeway linking Malaysia and Singapore was just built and there was a dispute about toll charges and STI journalists avoided playing up the issue. Koh reinforced multi-skilling when he said:

I see myself as an Internet evangelist, try to spot technological trends and debunk urban myths and the fear most have of new technology. I never feel secure in my job for more than six months at a time. This medium is changing very quickly and it is difficult to define my work. I do different things at different times of the day, being able to flip flop and flip again is an important characteristic of my job.

The role of the online journalist is slowly being understood and Straits Times journalists are gaining awareness of the medium and the possibilities it holds. Jansen, however says that this wasn't always the case:

There was a fear that stories would be stolen and put online before they were printed. We assured section editors exclusive stories wouldn't be stolen and until they were printed. We focussed on updates which everyone had access to anyway. Print journalists did initially wonder how we could upload new stories immediately. Our aim was actually to provide the basics, the major difference is that reporters analyse and interpret information for the print edition, whereas online, we could simply upload new information and announcements in tune with the nature of the WWW.

There is a sense of eagerness amongst some print journalists who approach STI journalists for help with the WWW and Goh said it does take time for greater awareness of the role of the online journalist to be understood.

We are viewed differently by journalists - sometimes as techies or even geeks but they do approach us for help and are willing to learn. We have taught some how to access e-mail, download speeches from the net and use real audio/video functions. Though it will take time, others are comign to understand what exactly we do especially when we work on specials with certain sections, for eg a Budget special with the Money Desk.

Although the WWW is slowly gaining acceptance and being understood, Ivan Fernandez (pers comm, 30 July 1999), Deputy Editor of The New Paper warns that journalists need to be cautious of various issues.

Though I am enthusiastic about the WWW, I think that there is a mass of information available and until it access does not become quicker and useful information easier to locate, it does pose challenges. The journalist has to spend extra time researching, deciding if a source is genuine. There are ethical concerns too when deciding what information you can use. I feel the journalist role is not very much different and the impact of the WWW is minimal.