The CA is a key part of a new statewide reporting network
The Commercial Appeal began a historic transformation Wednesday by joining forces with sister newsrooms in Nashville, Knoxville, Jackson, Clarksville and Murfreesboro to create a unique statewide reporting network.
This virtual alliance of 200 journalists spread across more than 400 miles – the USA Today NetworkTennessee – has a purposeful, dual mission: to maintain each newsroom’s intense local focus and identity while deepening reporting on issues that impact Tennesseans no matter their address – from the state’s changing demographics to challenges facing veterans.
These changes bring considerable pain and promise. They prompted layoffs yesterday in several newsrooms, including ours, but position each news organization, working collectively, to support a continued, aggressive expansion of digital content. The number of readers coming to commercialappeal.com has increased for 18 consecutive months and the virtual network gives us more expertise and horsepower to give that growing audience what it wants, where and when it wants it.
Virtual networks are common in myriad industries and take advantage of manpower, and specialized talent, regardless of geography. But, importantly, we remain your local newspaper. The Commercial Appeal, in its 176th year of publishing, retains the largest, Memphis-based, Memphis-focused staff of any media
outlet in the market. I’ve spent my 38-year career in Memphis, at this newspaper, so I understand and appreciate the unique qualities, and interests, of the market.
I see a lot of Tennessee orange on football Saturdays in Memphis, but I learned the hard way, years ago, that despite our divided loyalties this is predominately Tiger country. The network is fielding a new, statewide sports team, but we’ll continue our emphasis on University of Memphis football and basketball with what is, arguably, the best combination of Tiger beat reporters in decades, maybe ever, in Tom Schad and Mark Giannotto.
We’ll also continue to be focused on the Grizzlies as they head into the NBA playoffs. Ron Tillery will remain the only Memphis reporter devoted full time to covering the city’s only major league franchise. And we’ll still feature Columnist Geoff Calkins’ unique perspective on the Grizzlies, Tigers and all things Memphis.
We anticipate our improved digital capability will improve live in-game reporting and analysis while offering more video. In addition to giving digital subscribers more value, our print edition will be more focused on commentary, unique player and team features, and deeper looks at games ahead.
The CA has a long tradition of investigative and explanatory journalism and the work of reporter Marc Perrusquia will, as always, be Memphis centric. Perrusquia’s next reporting project, a sobering exploration of Memphis’ gun violence epidemic, will be published beginning next week.
Mark Russell, our former Managing Editor, assumes responsibility for our opinion pages. In just three years in Memphis, Mark has done a remarkable job connecting to our community and you can expect him to lead broadlybased conversations on issues that drive our community. Mark will also manage opinion and engagement for the state network, from Memphis to Knoxville, though editorial positions will continue to be the domain of local editorial boards headed by the Executive Editor of each newspaper.
We’ll also be realigning resources with changing reader interests. For the CA, that means renewed attention on suburban communities in Shelby and DeSoto Counties. We’ll be particularly focused on suburban land use and zoning – Germantown’s explosion of development, for example – while also closely covering the young, growing suburban school systems.
We’re introducing a new beat centered on issues of diversity, demographics, poverty and race. A new statewide team will focus on children’s issues – everything from education to nutrition.
The network allows us to join forces with The Tennessean and Knoxville News Sentinel to provide comprehensive coverage of health and medicine, a subject that touches every Tennessean. We’re teaming up, too, to report more comprehensively on faith and values with regular contributions from our David Waters, a five-time winner of the Wilbur Award, an annual, national award that recognizes excellence in reporting on issues of faith.
In Nashville, network reporters will focus on coverage of state government, that city's biggest industry, and one that impacts lives across the state. Our staff there will cover issues of statewide interest – from education funding to gun control – while reporting on topics that matter locally such as de-annexation legislation aimed at Memphis. We’ll team up, too, to provide comprehensive coverage of next year’s governor’s race.
In Knoxville, our shared focus will be on the University of Tennessee, especially UT football. But the network is realigning reporters, as well, to aggressively cover the aftermath of last year's historic wildfires in the Smokey Mountains and the comeback of Gatlinburg, a popular tourist destination for Memphians.
Digitally, we’ll be bringing all of this to you more quickly and comprehensively. Our goal is to be wherever you are, which, for so many of our visitors, is on multiple platforms throughout the day: print, your mobile device, our website, and social media.
Through all these changes I promise some constants: coverage decisions will be made locally, in our newsroom, and the CA will maintain its strong voice in Memphis, for Memphis.