Changes coming at LATimes.com

Subject: Openings: Reporters and Editor -- latimes.com

To: The Staff

From: Joel Sappell, Assistant Managing Editor and Executive Editor/Interactive

In the weeks ahead, the look and direction of latimes.com will be evolving. We are a work in progress. A key component of our strategy is to more fully merge the newsroom with the website. We hope to build on the newspaper's sophisticated journalism by creating an equally unique experience for readers online. One way to do this is by expanding our interaction with them.

Already, we've substantially increased the use of message boards, reader polls, interactive graphics, videos and photo galleries. With new technologies constantly emerging, the possibilities for creating new kinds of web-only features seem unlimited. And that provides us with a
creative-and competitive-challenge.

During the past few years, the Extended News Desk crew has done a terrific job of swiftly getting a variety of stories from throughout the paper posted on the website. Many times, their work has run in newspapers across the country and beyond. In the process, the extended news desk has created a much higher awareness throughout the operation of the role and needs of latimes.com.

But because of the rapidly shifting nature and sophistication of newspaper websites, we now need to create a different kind of online news operation, one that recognizes the changing expectations of readers who consume news on the Internet.

Moving forward, the job of our web reporters will be not only to write and update stories but also to think creatively every day about the extras we can give online visitors so they stick around our site longer. These reporters will be on the front lines of our effort to create closer ties between the web and the paper. They'll be placed back in the newsroom, in specific sections-Metro, National, Foreign, Business and Features. During big stories or high-priority projects, they'll also be asked to dive into other areas.

Reporters for these jobs must have solid news and feature instincts, fast writing skills and a good sense of what attracts-and keeps-web readers. An ability to work collegially is essential because of the wide interaction these reporters will have with editors and reporters in the newsroom and at the website. These positions offer reporters a chance to continue writing while helping shape the future course and success of latimes.com.

We also want to reach out to editors who'd be interested in becoming the supervisor of our retooled web-news operation. This person, whose tastes should range from the serious to the silly, would help our web reporters balance their dual responsibilities of writing stories and creating additional online content. This editor would interact with reporters and editors across the breadth of the paper on daily coverage and long-range planning for the site. Candidates for this job must be highly creative, interested in all kinds of news and have an appreciation for the idiosyncrasies of Internet users. Applicants also should have management experience and excellent line editing skills. An edge goes to those who have a fascination with pop culture and a flair for headlines. This job would report to me.