The Two Posts and Froomkin

Jay Rosen weighs in on this whole idea of “Two Washington Posts” (as sparked by the “controversy” over whether the title of Dan Froomkin’s column–”White House Briefing”–should be changed) and sees a lot of benefits to this set-up:

They’re not equals (780 in one newsroom vs. 65 in the other; fewer than one million subscribers vs. eight million users), but Washington and Arlington have their own spheres. Over the newspaper and reporting beats Len Downie is king. Over the website Jim Brady is sovereign. Over the user’s experience no one has total control. There’s tension because there’s supposed to be tension. It makes for a more dynamic site.

What the brief struggle over White House Briefing showed me is the hidden advantages of a divided house. For if you have two newsrooms, with two bosses, and two staffs, then you can double your pressthink, and expand signficantly the range of ideas considered acceptable at the Washington Post. This is exactly what newspaper journalism needs in the age of the Web. More range. More than one ruling doctine in charge. More than one sensibility in place.

Rosen’s point is a good one, but carries a downside (that may disappear as those raised during the Internet Age get older): With two beasts–print and online–comes two resevoirs of unique material. The struggle here, from a newspaper’s perspective, ultimately comes down to the following: How do you satisfy Web readers who want to read everything for free (and make money doing so) while simultaneously satisfying print subscribers who don’t want to feel like they’re missing out on online-only material?

Speaking of Froomkin, he recently explained his own political ideology, largely sidestepping the whole “White House Briefing” branding issue.

I think one reason some people see the column as having a political bias may be a misreading of my enthusiasm. The fact is that, like most good reporters, I am delighted when I get wind of what I consider a great story – and I am outraged when I see the public’s right to know being stymied. Reporters have traditionally been encouraged to suppress that sort of passion or outrage in their work product. But I have long felt that the Internet audience demands voice. Nobody wants to read a bored blogger. So I wear my passion on my sleeve.

Our money’s on this being a dead issue by now and that “White House Briefing” will (and should) remain the title of Froomkin’s column.

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