Some observations about the new Monday format

By GRAHAM OSTEEN
Item Editor-At-Large
graham@theitem.com

There were some angry people in Sumter Monday morning.

We had an estimated 150 phone calls and dozens of e-mails from readers upset about the new format of the Monday edition, and I talked at length to at least 15 people before noon. A woman in her late 70s even used the word "sucks," which was weird.

We spread the calls around the building as a way to share the experience.

The good news is that people are passionate about their local paper, which has been independently owned and operated since 1894. The bad news is that we can't satisfy everyone's desires when it comes to balancing economic realities with a changing media landscape.

Here are some conclusions that emerged from our collective conversations this week:

  The new Monday format is only for Mondays. The other six days of the week are broadsheet pages.

  The new Monday format will only get better as we add more content. Please trust us on this. We have a very good staff, and they are listening to readers. This coming week's Monday edition will be better than the last, and so on.

  Breaking news and sports that occur from Sunday morning until Monday night will be reported on the Web site. This was a tough but necessary condition to changing our production schedule and doing away with Sunday night printing. Think of www.theitem.com as a 24-hour local television station that you can tune in at any time. Soon we'll be offering local video reporting, which will enhance the experience even more.

  If you die on a Sunday, your obit will be online as soon as the funeral home sends it in to the newspaper. It will first appear in print in the Tuesday morning edition. Before we started the Sunday edition in 1987, the obit for a Saturday death didn't appear until Monday afternoon's edition. So in other words, the change is not the end of the world on all levels, just a matter of timing.

  If you don't have access to a computer, you can call Sandra Holbert at (803) 774-1226 on Monday morning. She'll politely tell you who died on Sunday. We'll also be setting up an "Obituary Information Hotline," and you will be able to "listen" to obits beginning Sunday night and all day Monday. If you live in an assisted living center, ask a staff member to simply print the obits from The Item Web site on Sunday night or Monday morning.

  All of these changes will allow The Item to add local news and advertising staff, which will mean more and better local coverage in print and online. This is the way of the future for local newspapers, and we won't ignore reality. This company has survived many storms in 114 years, and we plan to emerge from this period of change better positioned than ever to meet the needs of our readers and advertisers.

Graham Osteen is co-president of Osteen Publishing Co. and Editor-At-Large of The Item. Contact him at The Item, 20 N. Magnolia St., Sumter, S.C., 29150; graham@theitem.com or call (803) 774-1352.