New NINA president looks ahead

And here's a column from incoming NINA President Mike Cetera:


The weak economy has seen our industry shed jobs, news hole and paying readers, creating a difficult atmosphere for many newsrooms. Yet these losses may have given us something as well: a unique opportunity to re-examine our mission and reinvent ourselves.

We must ask, how best can we be relevant? One answer is to redouble our efforts to hold accountable the public officials who spend taxpayers’ money.

While trained journalists perhaps are best equipped to monitor whether politicians are upholding the public trust, our industry challenges have made this calling more difficult. But we also face obstacles put up by those we cover.

At the December meeting of the Northern Illinois Newspaper Association board, I proposed we look at public information and how we get it as a broad theme for 2010. The idea was born out of a concern there has been an erosion of access.

As an example, one long-standing tool of the trade – the police scanner – may become obsolete as some police and fire departments move to more secure networks and shut out journalists in the process. When we can no longer hear about that fire, accident or arrest, can we possibly do our jobs as well?

In 2010, NINA would like to offer training sessions that address problems with access. But we need your help. Have you noticed that government layoffs have made getting your questions answered more difficult? Are local governments following FOIA laws in getting you information the public is entitled to know? Are your local boards properly following the Open Meetings Act?

Please share your experiences in these and all areas of access to help NINA make 2010 the year of open government. You can e-mail me here .

Mike Cetera, NINA’s 2010 president, is the senior interactive editor for Sun-Times Media’s Suburban West Division in Aurora.