Indy weathering the economic downturn, adds to newsroom

Throughout the travails of the local mainstream media, the Indy has been on top of the story, from the tale of Paxton Media's bloody takeover of the Herald-Sun to cutbacks at the N&O.

So here at BCR, our eyebrows went up a couple of weeks ago when the Indy noted that writer Mosi Secret would be leaving the paper, and that the paper would evolve into a full-color publication that would "focus more on narrative stories, graphics and photography that rely more heavily on analysis and context rather than on the urgency of the news cycle," and that the stories in the Indy would increasingly be designed "to be portable across county lines."

Did this change portend financial challenges for the Triangle's celebrated alt-weekly, itself celebrating a quarter century of journalism in the community? A way, perhaps, of the paper positioning itself to a broader -- as in, not Durham/Raleigh/Chapel Hill/Carrboro-centric community, in order to gain more readers?

Not so, Indy editor Lisa Sorg noted in a recent interview, who noted that the Indy's changes are instead a way of recognizing the increased focus of the weekly throughout the state, given the publication's work last year in covering topics like labor issues in Smithfield factories and the controversial bio-lab proposed for Granville County.

"We're still doing the same in-depth stuff in the Triangle," Sorg said, "but we're not limiting ourselves to that." Instead, Sorg noted, the paper planned to "bring the stories so that anyone, anywhere can relate to them."

The Indy's editor offered this week's cover story on a Raleigh mobile home park facing a rezoning -- and the eviction of all the mobile home owners, who bought their houses but lease their lots monthly, with little protection for their rights. True to Sorg's word, the article by Indy Raleigh stalwart Geary features the City of Oaks story as an example of a larger state-wide (and national) issue, namely the lack of legal instruments to give mobile home owners control over their destiny.

"[Long form narrative] is what we do best, frankly," Sorg said, calling the format "the baliwick of the alternative press." She noted that the Indy would also have the freedom to view bigger stories, such as immigration and the death penalty, via a longer-term lens more fitting a publication focused on analysis and context.

At the same time, the Indy will be providing intra-issue updates of breaking news and issues more frequently on its web site (www.indyweek.com).

Sorg dismissed any speculation that the publication's newsroom was suffering in any way from the national print advertising malaise, saying the Indy was doing "remarkably well" in the business and advertising category, with web site advertising "well above" where it was last year.

The editor noted that despite Secret's departure -- to Pro Publica, an independent non-profit news organization focused on investigative journalism -- the Indy would not only be refilling his newsroom seat but expanding to a fourth full-time writer, with Vernal Coleman joining the publication later this year from Virginia's Port Folio Weekly.

Coleman joins Matt Saldana, who'd filled in for Fiona Morgan during her parental leave, to round out the Indy's newsroom.

Comments

[TSQ75]

Isnt it funny, how the smallest detail changes in a publication like the Indy could make such an impression on readers and follwers. It was a big enough change when command shifted, but i was nearly floored recently when i opened up an Indy to find not only full color (which I only noticed on second glance) but staples! Staples holding the Indy together!

It's like it suddenly moved into some whole other league with those little binders.

[SAM]

We'll see if the changes improve accuracy at the Independent. I appreciate their coverage on many topics, but in my dealings with them I've encountered the poorest example of journalistic ethics. When a 'journalist' quotes a source who isn't even present ... on the phone or in-person ... something is amiss. And the Independent seems to get a free pass in this market with rolled eyes and the notion that 'oh, that's the Indy at it again'.

Whatever, I enjoyed their post-Helms coverage.

[Michael Bacon]

Glad to hear that they're expanding their staff. I have to say, Mosi Secret isn't much of a loss. Getting Fiona back will be the biggest help.