The Bee last week named Melanie Sill as the paper’s editor. She was introduced to the newsroom by the publisher, Janis Heaphy.
Sill, who was the executive editor of the News & Observer in Raleigh, N.C. a McClatchy Co. sister paper succeeds long-time executive editor Rick Rodriguez.
In a surprise, Rodriguez resigned Oct. 18 over what Heaphy described as a disagreement between the two about the long-term direction of the newspaper.
Sill, 48, is new to the paper, to Sacramento and to California. In the interest of introducing her to readers beyond the confines of the news story describing her selection, I sat down in her bare-walled office for a question-and-answer session.
Q: What’s your general impression of Sacramento?
A: I’ve only visited very briefly. My impression lines up with what I’ve heard and read about it; a lively place, a place that is a really good place to live, that has a strong sense of community; a place amidst change and growth with a lot of newcomers. That’s one of the factors that makes it attractive.
Q: What’s your plan for getting to know the community?
A: Living here will be a good first step. Through the paper, I will write a regular column, probably weekly. That’s a way for me to talk to people in the community about things we’re doing and our journalism, but it’s also a way for me to hear back from them. I also expect to get out in the community quite a lot.
Q: In a few words, how would you describe yourself as a person and as an editor?
A: Passionate, hardworking, passionate about journalism, about my friendships. I have a sense of community. I’m really interested in the world around me. I love to learn. I (like) music a lot and the outdoors … I value experience a lot more than possessions, per se. I really enjoy people and ideas. As a journalist, a lot of those traits come through. As an editor, you’re responsible for managing people. That’s one of your top responsibilities. It’s a job that allows me to work a lot with people and ideas, so it’s ideal.
Q: What similarities and differences do you see between Sacramento and Raleigh?
A: This will be fairly superficial. There’s a lot of similarities in that we’re both state capital cities. Both are cities that people come to because they are good places to live and work and raise families. Sacramento and Raleigh both have proximity to the mountains and the coast. I think you usually find people who really value that. California and North Carolina, I mean North Carolina was an original colony and California was part of the West. So I think (between) the West and the East you see those differences.
Q: What do you know about The Bee?
A: I’m reasonably familiar with its founding and the McClatchy history. I know some of its best work over the past 10 years. I’ve admired some of the project work. Some of what’s been in (the paper) lately. I’ve had great respect for The Bee’s editors I’ve met like (Gregory) Favre, Rick (Rodriguez) and Joyce (Terhaar).
Q: What do you see as The Bee’s strengths?
A: The investigative reporting. The watchdog culture which I think shows up not just in the big work, but you see it in the coverage of local government and holding local institutions accountable. It’s a paper with a strong connection to its community … (that has) strong fundamentals. The photography is wonderful. There’s a lot of talented people at the paper. That’s one of the reasons I was attracted to come here.
Q: What are The Bee’s weaknesses?
A: You know I haven’t talked to the staff about anything (like that) and what I have are a collection of observations. But pretty much I guess what I see more are opportunities for The Bee and all newspapers to engage people more with different kinds of storytelling. Magazines have been way ahead of newspapers in doing this. I think it’s less in terms of weaknesses and more in terms of opportunities to improve the impact of the work. The challenges are clear that we’re in a growth region and there’s more to cover all the time. Your staff is not growing and you’re working in two mediums, electronic and print, (so) having a really strong sense of what your biggest value to readers is is really important. So setting priorities is a challenge.
Q: You are coming from a paper that has roughly two-thirds the circulation of The Bee but which has a staff nearly the same size. How do you think that will affect your job and what you do?
A: Well, it’s 215 compared to 250. I wouldn’t say that’s the same size. But, OK, the circulation is different, but if you look at the fundamental newspaper, the sections we’re putting out, the line effort, there’s not really a substantial difference in what the (News & Observer) has to do every day. I think the circulation-sized measurement is really the wrong way to measure how big a staff should be. It’s all over the map at different papers.
I mean it feels like there are more resources here actually because there are more people putting out substantially the same product every day. Now there are some differences, but I think my attitude about staff size is that that I’m going to work to get as many people as we can, and I hope to be leading the discussion about those choices. With the number of people we have, we just have to do the best we can. (But) we’re not going to let that be the driving force in the thinking about coverage.
Staffs grew a lot in the ’80s and leveled off in the ’90s. It’s hard for most of us who have been in this business in an era when staffs were pretty big to avoid that sense of being diminished. What I really hope to focus the discussion on is what do we have and what can we do. I’m not naive. If we had 50 more people, we could do a lot more. But this is still the largest newsroom of any in the region. The question is what can we do and how will we use our resources.
Q: You’ve spent your career at the News & Observer. What do you consider your greatest accomplishments there?
A: I worked for UPI before that and for a small newspaper before that. So I had about two years’ experience before I went to the N & O, but for all practical purposes (my career) was at the N & O. Well, my work as projects editor was some of the most satisfying work I did. But also we were developing a new standard for excellence at our newspaper, (the belief) that we could do absolutely quality work. Raising that standard of excellence at the paper is totally the thing I’m proudest of. Raising the standard of excellence so it doesn’t depend on one person; it’s really something the staff feels. When I leave that culture it’s not going away.
I’m proud as part of that also that it’s not just my accomplishment … it’s people together working to create an innovation culture, (figuring) out a way to do what we want to do, and if we need to invent it, we will.
Q: In reallocating resources, you’ve mentioned some of the tough decisions made in Raleigh about what to do without in the paper, such as some education coverage. Many similar cuts already have been made here. What kind of process will you go through to determine what more to do without?
A: A very inclusive process that will be asking every person on the news staff, (that) will be a conversation we’ll have. And then followed by how we serve readers and how we serve this community. Sometimes the thing I would like to let go of is the thing I really don’t like doing. … I think it will be a really good conversation, not just about what we should let go of, but what we might do in a different way. So you’re serving the reader even better in a way that takes up less newsprint. Our sense of history is short. If you look back at the history of newspapers, you know, some of them started by publishing the news about the ships that were in port; what was on the ships. Newspapers used to carry livestock prices and so on; tobacco prices, the markets. So there was information that was really important for people at the time (and that changed).
We have to look at what we do and say, do people need this information now. What kind of new information do they need? We’ve already had some conversations that people on the staff had (about their ideas). It’s now the impetus of someone new coming in and looking at it. It’s not that someone was suppressing these ideas or anything, it’s just that because of the change it becomes (relevant).
Q: What kind of changes can readers expect to see under your leadership and how soon?
A: I’ll be in transition between now and the end of the year. We’re going to try and start the conversation right away. And I’ll say there is already a lot in the works here, so one of the things I’m doing now is catching up. … What I can say is the changes they will see will be motivated by how (we) figure out how to best serve our readers. I have very strong sense of service to readers and (adherence) to very traditional values and a desire to use modern methods to carry out those traditions. I’ve really enjoyed a good dialogue with people in (Raleigh) about our news coverage. I’ve already started to get some e-mail (from Sacramento readers). I really enjoy that give and take. But you can’t satisfy every request, obviously.
Here’s an example. We have a major drought going on in North Carolina and (people are being asked to use half of the water they were using before). So our readers started saying we want you to publish updates on how much water we have left. Why don’t you collect tips on how to conserve water? So we said, OK, we’ll start doing that. (We’re) now using a number of tips and suggestions, and I think that’s what the Internet can do is open up that space and we create that space for the community to come together and talk about (a community issue and solutions). Newspapers historically are good at pointing out problems. I think a newspaper in service to its community as The Bee is, needs to also have a strong focus on solutions and most of all on engaging people in the community in the discussion. Providing information so they can take action if they want to. They can do something … whether it’s collect water or whatever. So not only will we point out problems but we can also be part of the conversation about what to do about the problems.
Q: You’ve said that investigative reporting is where your heart lies. What kind of investigative reporting should Bee readers expect to see in the future? Do you have a credo or formula you think editors and reporters should follow?
A: No, I do love investigative reporting. But I also love great writing, storytelling. … I think people appreciate a watchdog, but they don’t appreciate a constantly barking dog. That’s not a reflection or judgment on The Bee’s investigative work at all. I think the Kevin Johnson piece (“Neglect Taints a Star’s Legacy,” Oct. 14) clearly is responding to a concern in the community and that’s very important. … Unfortunately, (Johnson) has chosen not to respond. In the community, he’s a prominent person. That’s the kind of investigation (the paper should tackle). My philosophy is that it should matter, that it should really be interesting, should be compelling.
Q: You mentioned that you will be writing a column. Will you also be writing a blog?
A: I think so, but I don’t want to promise that yet, because of what I learned about blogging at the N & O, and I started out just me doing the blog. Later it turned into a senior editors’ blog. So because of time, people just expect that you will update it. They go back to find fresh things or they will respond to it. In our format, there were comments, so it is a dialogue. I didn’t have the time to do that. I want to talk with the leadership here in the newsroom (and decide what we want to do).
Q: You said the Internet is not a platform for newspapers. What do you mean by that?
A: It’s not just a platform. It’s not as simplistic as all that. People use it in different ways. It’s an interactive medium, so the best use of it is … (providing) content that (people) can control in some way, so they can do something or they can find something. … So it’s more than just giving people a way to read full versions (of what’s in the paper), but that’s part of it. It’s a way to link information and connect people with information that gives them power, control and a voice. So what I think we’re learning about more is how that interactively works.
In my generation, we might have read a textbook showing how the pyramids were built, describing it. The next generation they might have gone with a good graphic or drawing that showed how they were built. Then the next generation might even gotten an online graphic of that. Well, this generation wants to build the pyramid. They are the video-game generation and so on. So understanding how to make use of the Internet and what it can do (is vitally important).
(There was the recent pet food crisis) where pets were dying. Concerned people on their own created this (pet food) database where they were punching in pertinent information. So that’s the kind of space that a newspaper could be in. If there were a crisis in this area, we could create a space where people could come and share information. That would be a supplement to what the paper was doing. That’s the kind of thing we’re starting to learn more about. How we use the Internet journalistically toward that goal of public service. And entertainment and some of (those other things).
Q: What’s your plan to specifically improve sacbee.com?
A: The company is already at work on that. I have a lot of questions to ask; (I’ll) work very hard (with others) on Sacbee to understand what to do. … The design people feel, and I would agree, could be a lot more effective. There’s a user survey done, so I’m eager to see what people had to say. Every newspaper wants its Web site to be better. So I think we can tap into other knowledge within our company. It’s design and also how it works. This word functionality, which (is a term) I really hate … it’s like with Apple computers. It’s easy, I don’t have to think about it. It’s intuitive. If I have to think hard or search too hard for information, I’ll just go away. So I think we want our site to really be useful and approachable and intuitive.
Q: Does anyone in the industry have the right formula for success on the Internet?
A: I really admire what the New York Times has done and is continuing to do with its Web site. They’re just making it deeper and deeper and deeper. The technology is improving so much that small papers are able to move much quicker on overhauling their sites because they don’t have as much to offer, but they come up with very clear, usable sites. The Washington Post site, obviously, and the New York Times are the two (best). How the home page is laid out, really the usefulness factor. So, I’m here, and then I see, oh, there’s video and it happens to be my favorite cookbook author. They draw you in and get you to really (explore) for a while and have a satisfying experience.
Q: You’ve been described as a risk taker. What does that mean?
A: It’s funny at the N & O often people think that there’s not enough risk taking, and so the conversation is always how can we take more risk. I think to me the premium is not on risk. The premium is on (action). What I’m not afraid to do is do it a different way, so that never seems risky to me. You’re doing it because you want to tell the story in the most effective way. I wouldn’t be afraid to put a light-hearted story on Page One. You know you get letters from people saying, How can you put such trivial stories (on Page One)? If it’s a really interesting story, really well-written and it makes it (on the front page), then I don’t have a problem with that. If you’re going to reinvent sections or drop things, if it’s for the right reasons that this is really going to be better in the long run, then that’s fine.
Q: The previous editor resigned over what readers were told was a disagreement with the publisher over the paper’s long-term direction. What is your long-term direction for the paper?
A: I want this newsroom, because really we’re not just a newspaper, to really be of the most service to Sacramento. I think if (we’re providing) information and news and storytelling that (readers) can’t find elsewhere, then we’re doing the right thing. That said, I think that’s what The Bee was to Sacramento’s past. There was some period of time when newspapers like ours became monopoly operations, and perhaps forgot that for most of the history of newspapers they’ve been in battle. They’ve been in combat to beat the competition. So we’re in combat to beat the competition, and the way we’re going to do that is by being the best, providing the best report, the best information.
Funny (thing) is that it’s recognized by readers, which is not always the way journalists see it, though often readers and journalists see quality in the same way. (Some readers) will come to us because we work for them and we’re the best and we satisfy what their needs are. I think some people come to us out of loyalty, but I don’t think we should keep counting on that … because in the long-term people may turn away because (they’re not getting) what they want or need from us.
Q: Unlike your predecessor, you will also oversee the editorial page, which is a significant change. Is that something you wanted and why is it important?
A: That’s different from Raleigh. I think when you talk about the long-term vision … it really gets at what our newsroom does in using every tool we have. The Internet, mobile phones, the printed newspaper to carry out our goals of serving the community and connecting people. So it made a lot of sense to look at all the content we’re producing out of our journalistic staff. So my interest is in bringing that under the strategic umbrella of news and information. I have a motivation and interest in the part of things that I’ll be very involved in. … So I’ll be having a conversation about what we’re doing online, what we’re doing in print, what we’re doing to engage the community in a conversation. That’s how I see it. I think that’s how Janis (Heaphy, the publisher) sees it.
Q: You don’t look at it as maybe we should change editorial positions or be involved in the endorsement process necessarily?
A: Yeah, and I have a strong concern and belief that we’ve got to keep the editorial page separate from news. You know you don’t write news stories to prove an editorial position.
Q: We have a segment of readers who believe the newspaper is already biased and that our editorial page opinions bleed into the news stories. So for years the explanation has been that we have this wall, a separation of church and state. How will you address those concerns?
A: Well, they still are separated but they’re just separated at a different level, but that was my concern. I thought about it and we talked about it. I’ve spent 10 years in senior leadership at the N & O trying to convince people of that. You never can really convince (some of) them. So I think it will prove itself … you prove yourself through your news coverage being independent and being fair, and taking a lot of pains to be fair; to truly listen to criticism and consider it to make sure bleeding over doesn’t happen.
That’s not to say that it’s never happened in newspapers. Of course, opinion gets into news stories. What (some) people outside don’t understand is what a strong value in newsrooms there is and how we are more aware than we were 20 years ago of the need (to keep the two sides separate). Readers will keep us on guard for that.
Q: The paper’s policy on racial identification of crime suspects was under review to allow for easier identification. I noticed that the News & Observer did something similar. Will you be doing that at The Bee?
A: I want to catch up to where they are, if there is a consensus. We couldn’t get one (at the N & O). My view is the fact that the police departments on their Web sites and through the crime stoppers and so on, have this information and so it put us in the position of making a judgment that that information wasn’t relevant. And it’s really a touchy issue … people are really bad at getting race right, both what race it is and knowing when it’s relevant. When the newspaper is in the position of withholding information that’s being made public otherwise, it puts us in a bad setting. I think we really need to push … to get (more detailed information).
Interesting enough the divisions on our staff were not all along racial lines.
Q: A decision was made to stop posting of anonymous reader comments on stories appearing on sacbee.com because of the nastiness of many comments. The change would require those who post to be identified. What’s your thinking on this?
A: I just heard about that today. I think it is one of the really hard issues because the Web is different. People don’t always use their names but it’s just the tone of it is different. I’d be interested in finding some newspapers sites where they (removed the nastiness) and figure out how they did it. Because you can make up a name and town. You want to encourage debate and dialogue that is going to capture people who live on the Web. You want them to be engaged … but there are voices and nasty comments that drive everybody else away. … I want to hear more about what people here think.
