A Group-wide Virtual newsroom

Digital Technology International’s Unified Data Model brings all of a newspaper’s publishable data together and manages it in a relational database. These databases are architected to store the actual data, not just pointers to it. In addition, the databases are designed so that even when they are physically in different locations, the data appears local to the user. This decreases errors, speeds up production, and offers workflow efficiency and levels of security not available in other systems.

But this is not all. Logically unified, distributed databases can also be used to securely share information between newspapers in a group or with remote offices.

Cox Newspapers, for example, has standardized on DTI systems to fully take advantage of this capability. The results can be seen in the success of the CoxNet project, including their award winning implementation of AdShare.

At an IFRA technical conference in Cork, John Reetz, director of the Atlanta-based group that manages Cox Newspaper’s Wide Area Network, gave a presentation on the CoxNet Virtual Newsroom. CoxNet includes the Cox News Service, and the in-house Cox wire service that is the original partner with the New York Times News service. Following are extracts from his presentation:

CoxNet

At about the same time the decision was made to award the 1996 Summer Olympic Games to Atlanta, Cox Newspapers, too, was looking to the future. Quietly and without much fanfare, Cox started the process in motion in the early 1990’s to build a Wide Area Network linking all 16 Cox papers across the United States. The result is what Cox Newspapers President Jay Smith refers to as the Virtual Newsroom, a linking of all 1,500 Cox journalists across the U.S.

Sitting at my desk in Atlanta, I can be in the database of the Grand Junction, Colorado, paper as quickly as I can be in the database of the Atlanta paper. It’s all secure, and it’s read-only, copy-over, so every paper’s database integrity is assured. Because of the company’s long-term view, when the Olympics reached Atlanta, Cox was ready, using it WAN (Wide Area Network) to provide on-deadline, ready-to-use Olympics sections for each Cox paper.

Quick and Easy Database Access is the Key

Cox’s Virtual Newsroom is built around Frame Relay/T1 connections between all Cox papers. Each paper uses the same production software, provided by Digital Technology International. DTI’s software includes a locations database feature, which allows easy Virtual Newsroom sharing by pulling of documents from each paper’s home database, via the WAN. The DTI database is the piece that revolutionizes it for us, enabling us to do some things that would have been very difficult in earlier days.

Database access is read-only, and CoxNet works closely with all Cox papers to see that strict security measures are followed and virus protection is in place. CoxNet also provides Internet service to all Cox papers via the WAN, eliminating multiple Internet connections, which boosts security and saves money.

After the Olympics, Cox began considering how to use the technology that had made sharing a success during the Games. What emerged was CoxNet, working out of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution newspaper building, but reporting to corporate and working for all Cox papers. Additional software from DTI such as the Budget Tool and AdShare product was added to further facilitate sharing and collaboration.

A Combination of Technology and Personal Contact

We see this technology as a wonderful tool for us in Cox, but we know that technology doesn’t do it alone. That’s why we spend lots of time building our relationships. The Virtual Newsroom effort has paid off for editors. Our Grand Junction managing editor Denny Herzog told me he’d wanted a books page for a long time, but didn’t feel like he had the staff to do it. Once he realized he could get one from CoxNet, he added the page. “It would have cost us another three to four hours a week to produce - three to four hours that we don’t have to spend on it now,” he said. There are lots of similar examples of how our group-wide sharing of information has improved our newspapers and saved time and money.

Emergency Backup

The Virtual Newsroom has also turned into a solid system for emergency backup. It’s used to solve problems that in the past drove editors to frustration. The Virtual Newsroom saved our Dayton paper one night when the stock tables from AP didn’t arrive. The staff there called AP repeatedly, waiting, thinking they’d eventually be there. But they never showed up, and by late evening they were in a panic. In desperation, copy editor Mike Goheen called Atlanta and had theirs posted on the server. Dayton was saved. It turned out that it was the night the telephone area code changed. Nobody figured that out at the time, including AP, so their resends simply disappeared.

Papers routinely use the Virtual Newsroom for emergency backup, and also use it on a daily production basis for regular feeds. In several cases, Cox runs significant portions of production via CoxNet, saving thousands of dollars in hardware costs at some of the smaller papers.

What is the Secret for Making it Work?

One, we have the databases connected, and everything is in the databases. Two, we have a product that is a success. Three, we have communication. And four, and most important, we have clear and strong support for the principles of sharing and co-operation from the top leadership in the company, Cox Newspapers President Jay Smith, Senior Editor Ron Martin, and many others, from corporate to publishers, to editors and managers at the papers. This kind of support is critical.

Right after the Olympics we talked of turning this into the next generation of wire services. I think we are well on our way to that goal. And to reach that goal, we’re intent on using the technology to its fullest. We want a success story every day.

Cox, with its headquarters in Atlanta, publishes 16 daily newspapers with a combined daily circulation of 1.6 million.