Is This Thing Still Working?

Whoo boy. I've been thinking I should fire up this old blog again after ignoring it for so long. Lots has happened since I last was here. For starters, WaPo is undergoing an extensive reorganization and my job has changed. I'm no longer local business editor. I'm now what we call a topics editor for business, health, science, and the environment.

As local business editor I assigned stories, edited them when they came in and oversaw their publication in the newspaper and online. Under our new structure, we have split the traditional assignment editor job. I don't typically initiate coverage any more but, as topic editor, I oversee a team guiding that content onto our many platforms, whether it be the newspaper, online or on a Blackberry, iPhone or some other mobile device. I also work with our interactivity teams to figure out how to generate more reader participation.

This new job is a lot of fun because I get to play a larger role in thinking about our online content than I did before, when the print and online newsroom operated as separate entities.

Here's a few of the projects we've recently completed to give you an idea of some of the things we are trying:

The first is our new Climate Agenda package, where we plan to aim much of our coverage on global warming and the coming policy debates in Congress and around the world. As part of that package, we launched the Planet Panel, a discussion group where readers can debate climate-change issues with scientists, activists and industry leaders. Another element of our special report is a cool interactive graphic we've built showing the change in global emissions over time. This graphic also serves as an index of sorts for climate news from around the world, focusing first on the G-20 nations.

Speaking of the G-20, we recently built a special report page on the G-20 economic talks in Pittsburgh to put in one place all out stories about the recent G-20 and UN meetings. This is a kind of one-off thing to help readers better see all we are doing on an ongoing news event.

Similarly, we have been busy updating our Swine Flu page, adding news coverage as it happens and a Q and A addressing safety concerns about the vaccine.

We've also built a special report page for our series on the consequences of the current economic crisis.

These are just some examples of the things I've been personally involved in. The paper has also launched a new local news section that is experimenting with a number of changes to deliver news and engage readers.

Let me know what you think.