Memo on coverage of assault on Pilot reporters

The following is from a memo sent by Editor Denis Finley to Virginian-Pilot news staff today regarding a recent attack on off-work Pilot reporters Dave Forster and Marjon Rostami at Church Street and Brambleton Avenue after a concert at the Attucks Theatre. The attack was the subject of a column by editorial writer Michelle Washington that was widely read online.

Staff,

Here is what happened with Dave and Marjon. They were victims of what police described as a simple assault and, initially, they did not want to be named in a story. If these were the circumstances with any other people in the community, we would not have done a story.

The truth is, we have no idea what motivated the attack. Was it a gang or a gathering? Did it just happen or was something planned? Was it racially motivated or random? We just don't know.

The Twitter comment about Trayvon Martin could have come from anywhere from anybody. Right now, it means nothing other than racial animosity continues to exist in our culture.

Many, including news organizations around the country, are assuming and making judgments based on information they do not have. That's a shame, it makes us look bad.

We did not cover up anything. We bend over backwards to treat ourselves the same way we would treat any other member of the community. In fact, we go overboard at times to make sure there is no perception that we have treated ourselves favorably because of our position.

Did we go too far here in holding to this standard? I don't know, I will always ask myself that question. But we made our decision based on the facts we had. That's all we can do. As journalists, we report facts, not assumptions.

We have done our due diligence with the story. We have checked the police report. I have read it. On its face, it would not merit a story. We have checked that neighborhood to see if there is an inordinate amount of crime there. There is not.

We will continue to monitor the investigation, just as we would with any story that has lingering questions. If the crime is reclassified, we will make a decision about further coverage then.

Thanks, Denis

Pulitzer memo to Virginian-Pilot staff

The following memo was sent to Virginian-Pilot news staff by Editor Denis Finley on Tuesday, April 17, the day after writer Corinne Reilly was named a finalist for a Pulitzer Prize for her "A Chance in Hell" series. The prize in her category went to a writer in Seattle.

So yesterday as I was leaving work and bemoaning the fact that we got robbed, Mike Gruss stopped me and said, "No, it's a good thing. How many other mid-size papers in the country can say they've been a Pulitzer finalist twice in the past five years?" Man, I love that, what an optimist that Mike is. And he is right.

Since 2007, The Pilot has had two Pulitzer finalists, Corinne this year and Joanne Kimberlin and Bill Sizemore in 2007. (!!!) Both were exquisite pieces of work, deserving of a Pulitzer.

Ever the intrepid reporter, Mike didn't stop there. He did some research and reported:

- Think about these papers: The San Jose Mercury News, New York Post, San Francisco Chronicle, Kansas City Star, St. Paul Pioneer Press, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the Orange County Register, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Indianapolis Star, Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel, Cincinnati Enquirer, Bergen Record and Buffalo News. They have a combined ZERO finalists in the same time period. Also, every one of those papers has a larger circulation, according to 2011 ABC figures.

- Now think about these papers: The Baltimore Sun, Sacramento Bee, Orlando Sentinel, Charlotte Observer, San Diego Union-Tribune, Philadelphia Daily News, Chicago Sun-Times, USA Today and Tampa Bay Tribune. Those papers each only had ONE finalist or winner. Also, they all have a larger circulation, according to 2011 ABC figures.

- Only 23 news agencies have had three or more Pulitzer finalists/winners since 2007. Eighteen of those 23 have larger circulations than The Pilot. The five outliers? Politico, ProPublica, Sarasota, AP and Bloomberg.

The lesson for me? We have a LOT to be proud of. Sure, I'm biased, but show me a better mid-size news organization in the country, I dare you. And not just because of our two Pulitzer finalists. No. Day after day, week after week, year after year, you produce great, compelling work that impacts our community. Last week's jet crash coverage alone is proof that we have never lost our "A" game.

Mike, thanks for the reminder and thanks, everybody, for the great job you do every day.

- DF

Outraged. Blindsided. Abandoned.

Coming Sunday/Monday: As reality sinks in and tolls return to Hampton Roads, we'll explain how we got into this mess, what this is going to mean to those in Portsmouth and Western Tidewater and what the future looks like for area drivers if tolling becomes the way to fund needed transportation projects. Look for the stories in print and online. -- Maria Carrillo, managing editor

A few words about our new look online ...

From David Mele, General Manager, Pilot Interactive

We’ve given our websites a bit of a facelift — and I wanted to explain what’s different and what hasn’t changed. The biggest change is that we’ve modified the navigation at the top of our sites, hoping to help our users find what they’re looking for more easily and present our sites in a brighter, more updated style.

As with any change, we imagine the reactions might range from “You changed? I hadn’t even noticed,” to “The sites look awesome! You just made the best sites in Hampton Roads even better,” to “This is horrible and now I can’t find anything I’m looking for.”

So let’s start with what’s different:

The navigation has changed. For our users who visit our homepages as a portal to The Virginian-Pilot electronic edition, known as ePilot, the links have moved to a convenient position at the top left corner of the page. This is also where users can subscribe to our print edition and manage their subscriptions. We’ve also placed a link at the top for the Pilot Store, where users can purchase photos, reprints, books, special editions, merchandise and more.

The site search box and login links have moved to the top right corner of the page. This has become a standard position across many websites and we figured it was time we adopted the convention.

The sites are brighter, with more white space and cleaner presentation of the site identity. In our previous design, we had the identities of PilotOnline.com and HamptonRoads.com side by side. Now each site gets a clearer identity, and the navigation links are specific to the site. So PilotOnline.com has our most popular news channels - News, Opinion, Business, Military, Sports, Weather, Traffic and Obits; while HamptonRoads.com has our most popular entertainment channels - Entertainment, Movies, Music, Dining, Events, Life, Community and Guides.

We’ve also added a new feature to the drop-down menus for most of these channel links which will present the Top Story on each channel.

Users looking for Jobs, Autos, Homes and Rentals will now find those sites in the top right section of the page under the Classifieds tab. And we’ve added quick links to our Deals, Search Local business directory, Shopping and Coupons next to the Classifieds section under the Marketplace tab.

We’ve also cleaned up the footer at the bottom of our pages. In our previous design we had a five-inch deep collection of links. We’ve now simplified that into a single line of links.

And now, what hasn’t changed. We will continue to post more breaking news and information online than any sites in Hampton Roads — looking to increase our lead as the largest, most visited sites in the region. In 2011 we generated 155,000,000 total pageviews for the year and averaged more than 3.6 million visits per month. If each pageview had been a mile, our views would have circled the globe 6,225 times. If each pageview had been a music fan, our views would have filled the Virginia Beach amphitheater 7,750 times. If each pageview had been a sports fan, our views would have filled ODU’s Foreman Field 7,820 times ....

Ok, I’ll stop. But I do want to assure you that we will continue to deliver more and more digital content to you, ranging from breaking news, crime/public safety, government, weather, traffic and investigative reports to the area’s most extensive events calendar, entertainment options, food and dining guides, movie listings and reviews, and great deals to save money on the best places to go and things to do in Hampton Roads. And we’ll be expanding the ways that you can connect with us, with new mobile offerings and increased social media connections.

We’d like to hear from you about how we’re doing. If you have any questions, ideas, recommendations or other feedback, please email me at david.mele@pilotonline.com or post a comment below.

-- David Mele

Coming in the Sunday Pilot

FIND THE 'BOOM BOX': One million containers come through the port of Hampton Roads each year, and customs officers are on the lookout for any that might be trouble.

Also on Sunday:

Get ready for the Super Bowl with Game Day information about both teams in Sports.

And in The Daily Break, games of a different sort for those who aren't interested in football.

-- Maria Carrillo, managing editor

From the newsroom

Starting Sunday, The Pilot looks at the day care dilemma and how for parents, that often means a leap of faith. Over three days, we’ll explore day care choices, the limited regulation over providers and how severe the consequences can be when mistakes are made. Also, we’ll have a guide to help parents make the best decision. -- Maria Carrillo, managing editor

Starting Sunday

The Pilot begins a four-day series with portraits and stories of survivors of the attack on Pearl Harbor. The series will run through Wednesday, Dec. 7th, the 70th anniversary. Go online as well for videos of the men recounting the events of that day. -- Maria Carrillo, managing editor

From the newsroom

Coming Sunday, we'll have a poster inside the print edition commemorating the 50th anniversary of the aircraft carrier Enterprise. Also, in our city tabs and online, we'll focus on the salaries of area school employees. And we'll have extensive coverage of the big game between NSU and ODU. -- Maria Carrillo, managing editor

Coming Sunday: Operation Blessing in Haiti

We traveled to Haiti with Operation Blessing to give you a close look at what has become the country's sixth-largest international charity. Check online for a video presentation as well.

-- Maria Carrillo, managing editor

Voter guide coming

From the newsroom: In Sunday's paper, we'll have a voter guide for Tuesday's election. If you want to be prepared, pick up a copy. -- Maria Carrillo, managing editor