Press pressed to cover own press in Virginia

By: Randy Dotinga The new $31.6-million printing press at The Roanoke (Va.) Times has hardly lived up to the hoopla of the glowing 40-page special section celebrating its debut that ran in the paper last fall. Immediately after the press went online on Oct. 26, a flurry of printing mishaps spawned late newspapers, moved-up deadlines, and plenty of annoyed readers. And that isn't all: some newsroom staffers contend the press mess exposed a publisher with an agenda.

Publisher Wendy Zomparelli revised one story and set strict standards about how the Times will cover future press problems. Facing pressure, Times Editor Mike Riley in late February acknowledged to reporters that the newspaper may adopt a more "pragmatic" policy about covering itself than current written guidelines, which say the paper will treat itself like "any other business."

"Every person involved in this has tried to figure out how to do the right thing," Riley told E&P. "As you can imagine at a newspaper, perspectives vary depending on what seat you're in." He believes the jury is still out over whether the press is a lemon.

Newsroom staffers have made their perspectives crystal clear, however. Although Riley said only a "handful" of employees are upset, nearly 30 reporters and copy editors signed a Nov. 17 letter complaining about delays in the publication of an article describing the press problems. They also ripped an "unfortunate precedent" set by Riley and Zomparelli's editing of the article, which included quotes by both the editor and publisher.

The story, which examined the paper's problems with the new Heidelberg Mainstream 80 press, finally appeared on the front page on Nov. 18. Zomparelli, who previously worked as a features writer and as editor of the Times, removed most of the material describing problems at a handful of foreign newspapers with the same printing press. "I didn't feel we had demonstrated in a fair and responsible way that there was something fundamentally wrong with all of these presses," she told E&P. She added that "anyone who looks at the story that was printed would say we didn't pull that many punches in talking about ourselves. In my point of view, we didn't pull any."

Indeed, the story carefully recounted the chaos created by the press troubles. But it didn't go far enough in reporting the snafus elsewhere, said business reporter Duncan Adams, who pulled his byline off the story and contends his information was properly documented. "We blew a great opportunity to establish credibility with our readers, a chance to demonstrate we can both dish it out and take it," Adams said.

It didn't help matters that the printing press flap came a few months after editors sought Zomparelli's opinion on an obituary's reference to a former publisher's policy against printing photographs of African-American brides. She ordered editors to not mention the policy in the obit because the detail lacked context and any indication of whether he'd changed his views. She later defended her decision in a newsroom meeting but failed to convince at least some of her critics.

Industry standards don't offer much guidance in these cases. "One of the paradoxes of journalism is that there are ethical codes for reporters and editors, but not for publishers. On the ethics of ownership and control there's just a great silence," said Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism professor James Carey.

Zomparelli acknowledged that she could remove herself from the editing process, but added, "I do have some expert knowledge about journalism and about this company. For me to step aside and say I can't make those decisions seems a little disingenuous."

For now, editor Riley said the Times will continue to report on the printing press and its problems. In fact, the paper ran a 1,100-word story on March 13 on the continuing press difficulties and the sale of the press's manufacturer. But as he'd told reporters in a recent meeting, the coverage won't make everybody happy: "We haven't gone as far as you wanted it to go, but that's the way it is. That's the real world."