But it's so ... 1994

Writing for the American Journalism Review, Carl Sessions Stepp takes the pulse of American newspapers and declares:

"It is easy to imagine the time, coming soon, when the 24-hour Web cycle dominates the newsroom tempo, work flow and culture. ... As for tomorrow's journalists, they will more likely be identified by their function than by their medium."

Yes, but ... what about this wasn't utterly apparent 12 years ago?

I remember sitting down in 1994 with Kent Gardner at the Star Tribune and drawing up ground rules for breaking news. The conversation began with an assumption that the online medium is 24x7 and that our responsibility was to publish the news when it's new. Everything else discussed was about theshold -- clearly identifying what would be expected of the reporting process.

My recollection of the standards that emerged is that reporters would be expected and required to file for urgent and immediate online publication any story that met a few simple tests:

• Importance: The item is of a level of importance that it reasonably would be considered a candidate for a section front in the newspaper. In other words, we weren't into chasing car crashes and petty crime.
• Completeness: We know the basics, the five W's.
• Accuracy: We're confident we have it right. Sloppiness benefits no one.
• Public domain: We're not pushing to get enterprise pieces online the minute a reporter is finished.

So what's really different today? Do we need a lower test of importance? Push more enterprise work online first? I surely wouldn't tamper with the other two.