The McClatchy News Systems Group has named Herman Spencer as imaging administrator. In this role, Spencer will be responsible for the image management system Intellitune, which is allied to the NewsGate platform. He will also be responsible for graphic management processes and for expanding the use of Intellitune company-wide.
Spencer previously served as regional content and output systems analyst for the Southeast IT Group. He will continue to be based in Raleigh, N.C.
Spencer started in the newspaper business as an intern in 1998 at The Raleigh (N.C.) News & Observer, doing stints in the pressroom, post-press, classified advertising and newsroom. That kindled an interest in newspaper production processes, followed by a full-time role in 2000 as imaging specialist in the newsroom.
He was named imaging supervisor in 2002 and remained in this role until 2009 when he was named to the regional position, where he worked with output related systems ranging from Asura and Distiller to Intellitune and RIP-related software.
Over the past three years, Spencer led the effort to integrate Intellitune with the NewsGate editorial system to provide fully automated photo toning for news, advertising, special publications and commercial jobs. The keys to the success of this effort has been his skill at training news and production staff in end-to-end color management, calibrating and controlling variables that extend from the photographer’s camera to laptops and desktops, to newsroom page design and to the press.
He has also been successful in working with several McClatchy newspapers to provide print and output solutions to retain important commercial printing jobs.
Spencer is a graduate of Chowan University with a bachelors of science in printing production and imaging technologies. He is a member of NAA and the Newspaper Flexo Users Group for newspapers using Flexography processes.
The McClatchy News Systems Group supports the NewsGate Data Center providing the online and print publishing content management platform for eight of McClatchy’s newspapers and will eventually serve all sites.