SevenQuestions: Grant Tait, live from the world's coolest Texas town

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Seven Questions

Grant Tait and his wife, Marla, live and work in Austin, Texas, he as a news producer with Cox Interactive's Austin360 site and she as a tech reporter for the city''s business journal. 25 Åugust 1998

1 What's an occupational hazard of having a journalist for a wife? Back to the 7Q index

Opposing shifts. I work graveyard, Marla works days. "Ships that pass in the night" is an apt description. And if you're working for publications which are in competition in certain areas, there are large portions of your life you can't discuss with your better half.

2 Austin is supposed to be live music capital of the planet. Does is it live up to its billing?

I've only covered a teeny part of the planet in my travels, and an even teenier portion of the live music scene. However, it never ceases to amaze me the number and diversity of bands playing every night at clubs across town. A lack of musical choice there definitely is not.

3 What attracted you to Cox Interactive's Web initiative?

The large emphasis on news, especially breaking and in-depth coverage. They don't just pay lip service to it. Austin 360's ties with the American-Statesman also are a great pull, especially when I learned how open to the Web the paper is.

Many sites partnered with papers live in a rather volatile world. Not so here. The relationship between the print and online products is very good, and keeps improving. That, to me, is how you build a successful Web site, and make a great paper even better.

4 A lot of people still insist content-based Web sites can't make any money. What's wrong with that assumption?

I'm not an expert, but I do have strong opinions based on what I know.

The Web still is in its infancy, especially regarding news content. Sure, a bunch of papers have Web sites, but most are rehashes of the print product.

To me, you have to give the reader a reason to read the paper AND visit the Web site. Get the reader and the advertisers will follow (usually a little slowly at first) Interactive, interactive, interactive, and in-depth, in-depth, in-depth.

Put the paper's stories up, but enhance the coverage, AND put up enough day-to-day information people can use. Weather (HUGE draw), TV, films, where to eat, what's on, who's in, what's showing, etc.

The Web should merge the immediacy and dynamics of TV, with the in-depth, thorough reporting and information base of newspapers.

5 What do you see at people's homepages that you wish they'd stop doing?

Not using height, width and alt tags for their images, especially for image maps. Really screws up page loading and navigation.

Not offering alternative navigation to imagemaps.

Using frames for no apparent reason.

6 Share a story of something you've seen or experienced that could only happen in Texas.

Sorry to be boring, but the sunsets are incredible. Haven't seen anything to rival them.

7 What would you advise a print journalist thinking of making the switch to online?

Don't forget your print training.

The Web essentially is a print product with important reader-friendly extras (and tree-friendly delivery). It's more immediate, and that means you have to be even more careful what you publish.

It's also more fluid than a newspaper, so you have to be willing to live in a state of semi-flux. You'll also need to learn as much as you can about programs usually reserved for photographers and graphics artists.

Just don't ever forget your print training. Spelling, editing, and writing basics are practically the same online as off.

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Copyright 1998, Thomas L. Mangan >Back to SevenQuestions

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Grant Tait and his wife, Marla, live and work in Austin, Texas, he as a news producer with Cox Interactive's Austin360 site and she as a tech reporter for the city''s business journal.		25 Åugust 1998
1	What's an occupational hazard of having a journalist for a wife?	Back to the 7Q index
	Opposing shifts. I work graveyard, Marla works days. "Ships that pass in the night" is an apt description. And if you're working for publications which are in competition in certain areas, there are large portions of your life you can't discuss with your better half.
2	Austin is supposed to be live music capital of the planet. Does is it live up to its billing?
	I've only covered a teeny part of the planet in my travels, and an even teenier portion of the live music scene. However, it never ceases to amaze me the number and diversity of bands playing every night at clubs across town. A lack of musical choice there definitely is not.
3	What attracted you to Cox Interactive's Web initiative?
	The large emphasis on news, especially breaking and in-depth coverage. They don't just pay lip service to it. Austin 360's ties with the American-Statesman also are a great pull, especially when I learned how open to the Web the paper is. Many sites partnered with papers live in a rather volatile world. Not so here. The relationship between the print and online products is very good, and keeps improving. That, to me, is how you build a successful Web site, and make a great paper even better.
4	A lot of people still insist content-based Web sites can't make any money. What's wrong with that assumption?
	I'm not an expert, but I do have strong opinions based on what I know. The Web still is in its infancy, especially regarding news content. Sure, a bunch of papers have Web sites, but most are rehashes of the print product. To me, you have to give the reader a reason to read the paper AND visit the Web site. Get the reader and the advertisers will follow (usually a little slowly at first) Interactive, interactive, interactive, and in-depth, in-depth, in-depth. Put the paper's stories up, but enhance the coverage, AND put up enough day-to-day information people can use. Weather (HUGE draw), TV, films, where to eat, what's on, who's in, what's showing, etc. The Web should merge the immediacy and dynamics of TV, with the in-depth, thorough reporting and information base of newspapers.
5	What do you see at people's homepages that you wish they'd stop doing?
	Not using height, width and alt tags for their images, especially for image maps. Really screws up page loading and navigation. Not offering alternative navigation to imagemaps. Using frames for no apparent reason.
6	Share a story of something you've seen or experienced that could only happen in Texas.
	Sorry to be boring, but the sunsets are incredible. Haven't seen anything to rival them.
7	What would you advise a print journalist thinking of making the switch to online?
	Don't forget your print training. The Web essentially is a print product with important reader-friendly extras (and tree-friendly delivery). It's more immediate, and that means you have to be even more careful what you publish. It's also more fluid than a newspaper, so you have to be willing to live in a state of semi-flux. You'll also need to learn as much as you can about programs usually reserved for photographers and graphics artists. Just don't ever forget your print training. Spelling, editing, and writing basics are practically the same online as off.
Back to SQ index Copyright 1998, Thomas L. Mangan		>Back to SevenQuestions