Winds are shifting at the NYT: Business Section media staple Katharine Q. Seelye is moving to the politics beat, exclusively online, putting further muscle behind their planned expansion of online poltiical coverage announced a few weeks ago, headed up by recently-named Web political director Kate Philips. The memo (via Gawk) celebrates Seelye's experience as "one of our most experienced, versatile, energetic and battle-hardened reporters" and notes the following:
It is a new role not just for her, but for The Times. And in choosing Kit, we are sending a signal to anyone who had any lingering doubt that the Web is absolutely central to our coverage of the 2008 campaign.
(Read: "We're a little freaked out by Politico").
So - let no one misunderstand this: The NYT is serious about bringing the love online, especially in this dog-eat-dog-maybe-vote-for-dog world of poltiical journalism and the big race for scoops. They're letting the world know that yes, they see sites like Politico and other sites that shall remain nameless because they're in our URL, and they are no slow-moving dinosaur, nosiree. It actually is a pretty big move. Tough luck, Larry Ingrassia.
Full memo after the jump. And by the way, what kind of harbinger for the future is this? "For the last two years, Kit has been chronicling the changes in the newspaper industry, where she developed a keen appreciation for how the Web is changing journalism." Yikes. Newspaperpeople, continue to freak out.
p.s. The "Q" in "Katharine Q. Seelye" stands for "Quimby."
All The News That Can Fit Your Screen: Times Ups The Online Ante [ETP]
Via Gawk:
From in-house Times newsletter 'Ahead of the Times':
Everyone who knows politics knows Kit Seelye. She is one of our most experienced, versatile, energetic and battle-hardened reporters. Just ask Bob Dole, Newt Gingrich, Bill Clinton, Al Gore or any of the scores of other politicians she has covered.
For the last two years, Kit has been chronicling the changes in the newspaper industry, where she developed a keen appreciation for how the Web is changing journalism.
We're thrilled to announce that we are now weaving together those two strands of her career. Kit is becoming our Web political correspondent.
It is a new role not just for her, but for The Times. And in choosing Kit, we are sending a signal to anyone who had any lingering doubt that the Web is absolutely central to our coverage of the 2008 campaign.
As the first person to hold the job, Kit will help define it. But the basic idea is clear: To have a political correspondent whose first priority is the Web. She will do everything from original reporting -- to capture a moment, tease out a subtext, spotlight a person -- to writing analyses and political memos. She will help us keep on top of breaking stories and look for things we can do on the Web that we can't do in print, like real-time blogging during debates.
Working with Kate Phillips, our Web political editor, producers at the web and the rest of the political desk, Kit will bring all her skills and perspective to the task of making our online political report smart, rich and fast.
If you want to see her ideas and enthusiasm at work, keep refreshing nytimes.com/politics starting as soon as we can wrestle her away from BizDay, where Larry Ingrassia says they will miss the great insight she brought to her beat there and the great fun she brought to the staff.From in-house Times newsletter Ahead of the Times:
Everyone who knows politics knows Kit Seelye. She is one of our most experienced, versatile, energetic and battle-hardened reporters. Just ask Bob Dole, Newt Gingrich, Bill Clinton, Al Gore or any of the scores of other politicians she has covered.
For the last two years, Kit has been chronicling the changes in the newspaper industry, where she developed a keen appreciation for how the Web is changing journalism.
We're thrilled to announce that we are now weaving together those two strands of her career. Kit is becoming our Web political correspondent.
It is a new role not just for her, but for The Times. And in choosing Kit, we are sending a signal to anyone who had any lingering doubt that the Web is absolutely central to our coverage of the 2008 campaign.
As the first person to hold the job, Kit will help define it. But the basic idea is clear: To have a political correspondent whose first priority is the Web. She will do everything from original reporting -- to capture a moment, tease out a subtext, spotlight a person -- to writing analyses and political memos. She will help us keep on top of breaking stories and look for things we can do on the Web that we can't do in print, like real-time blogging during debates.
Working with Kate Phillips, our Web political editor, producers at the web and the rest of the political desk, Kit will bring all her skills and perspective to the task of making our online political report smart, rich and fast.
If you want to see her ideas and enthusiasm at work, keep refreshing nytimes.com/politics starting as soon as we can wrestle her away from BizDay, where Larry Ingrassia says they will miss the great insight she brought to her beat there and the great fun she brought to the staff.
