The Kalb Report - Behind the Scenes at The New York Times
The New York Times, operating at the pinnacle of the media landscape for decades as one of the most widely read and respected media properties, now faces new pressures to compete, stay financially solvent, and retain its aura of excellence while operating in an ecosystem of decomposition and regrowth.
Marvin Kalb, the storied broadcast journalist who's been holding his forum on journalism - The Kalb Report - for 17 years, interviewed New York Times executive editor Bill Keller and Washington Bureau Chief Dean Baquet to reveal these changin' times at the Times.
Below are my excerpted notes from that interview at the National Press Club on Monday evening, January 31st (airing live on CSPAN).
Kalb asked Keller to expound on the NYT staff and their process:
The NYT has 1,100 employees in editorial, 400 are reporters. The DC bureau is their largest, with with 29 reporters and 49 total people.
How they choose the news:
10:00 am meeting to discuss tomorrow’s paper and website, which includes a dozen news heads.
Another 4:00 pm meeting takes place to flesh out the next day’s front page, with each desk pitching its best stories to compete for front page space. Keller explained it as a mix of real and ‘faux’ news stories.