Tom Chester's Page - The Next Newsroom Project

Building the ideal newsroom for the next 50 years

Tom Chester's Friends

About Me: I was an information specialist in the U.S. Air Force for four years and began working for daily newspapers in 1974 (part-time) as a sportswriter in Montgomery, Ala. I've worked on the copy desk, features desk, city and metro desks and now focus about three-fourths of my time creating content for our Web site and other electronic platforms. Additionally, I coordinate our convergence projects with our television partner and write two 90-second news breaks for our daily sports radio show. We are currently attempting to establish a news network among 10 regional radio stations with the goal of sharing news on all of our platforms.

Share your thoughts about how the newsroom of the future should be different . (And if you do, please post a copy of your answer in the forums).: It should be more adaptable, nimbler and flexible. Skills sets should be taught across all departments, while not denying that specialties still exist and levels of expertise do and should vary. We should operate with a renewed sense of urgency and survival, while not abandoning our basic tenets.