Shaken and Stirred

In the Sept. 16 edition of The Coloradoan in Fort Collins, Publisher Dorothy Bland wrote, "By Day 2, it was apparent the tragedy would transform our nation and world… As I walked through The Coloradoan and listened to employees sharing their stories, it was clear people in every department were impacted in some way.

Bland’s column, which also praised the amazing work done by her staff in those traumatic days, typifies the dual—and unique—responsibilities of newspapers. At the same time that they must care for employees, they must deliver to readers the best-informed and most timely product.

People & Product has surveyed the country’s papers to find best practices in terms of caring for employees and rebuilding morale during this hard time, and engaging the community with thoughtful, diverse coverage. So you will read about a paper that raised $1.35 million for a new fire truck for New York, a young reporter writing "bios" of the missing, a diversity expert with a warning, and papers in Lincoln, Neb., south Florida and Guam that continue to make diversity part of their every day.

In this uncharted aftermath, newspapers have provided many winning equations.

Shakila Ahmad, of Evandale, Ohio, speaks to emplyees at The Cincinnati Enquirer on "Understanding Islam." Ahmad, the coordinator of tours and talks for the Islamic Center of Greater Cincinnati, spoke as part of the Enquirer's Diversity Dialogues initiative, an ongoing series of presentations on increasing diversity awareness.

Inside Moves - Perhaps more than any other industry, newspapers must shield what goes on inside their walls from the product on the outside. So in this time of grief, suffering and constant questioning, papers of all sizes have responded with a landscape a bit more tilted to understanding diversity.

Learning to Cope - Ideas newspapers have applied to help employees cope and understand.

Guiding Lights - In the aftermath of Sept. 11, diversity issues have been pushed center stage as newspapers grapple with coverage. Resources such as Internet sites, guide books, staff experience and the community sit waiting to be tapped.

A Touching Tribute - At Newsday in Melville, N.Y., one of the most personal pieces of this entire trauma was written by sports columnist Shaun powell, whose brother was killed in the attack on the Pentagon.

This package originally appeared in People & Product, a publication of the Newspaper Assocation of America. Photo by Tony Jones, of The Cincinnati Enquirer.