SevenQuestions: Jody Brannon: pitcher, scholar, online editor

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Seven Questions

Jody Brannon's title is managing editor for breaking news at Washingtonpost.com. She's also a major sports fan who pitches for a women's hardball team. 10 September 1998

1 Why hardball vs. soft? Back to the 7Q index

It's a continuing theme in my life; I tend to do things the hard way.

2 What's your stratagem for striking out a really good hitter?

Hope that they're so surprised the ball is coming in so slow that they'll miss it.

3 Tell us about a guilty pleasure -- book, movie, tv show, etc. -- that you get a kick out of even though you know you shouldn't.

I thumb through floorplans of homes, looking for features to incorporate into my dream house that I'd have built someday before retirement.

During basketball season, it's watching Michael Jordan in the quiet of my own home. I saw a Bulls-Pacers playoff game in the Atlanta airport, and I was surprised at how annoyed I was that not everyone deifies him.

I was even going to splurge on DirecTV this fall to follow all the games, but it appears we've seen the last of Michael the Great. And, alas, no more distractions from treatises like "The Chaos Frontier" or "History and Electronic Artefacts" or the scintillating bibliography in "Media Economics: Theory and Practice."

Hmmm. Come to think of it, does anybody have Mike's number? I need to change his mind.

4 What do you consider the key to your success in the news biz?

Being in the right cyberplace at the right time and relying on common sense, from the moment I slide behind the mouse to the time, often 15 hours later, when I log off.

5 You've taken reams of college courses -- is there any one that sticks out in your mind as having truly changed your outlook on anything in particular?

As a doctoral student, the first, because it demystified the Ph.D. hoopla; as an undergrad, those in which I respected and appreciated my profs who brought a real-world perspective to the classroom.

6 Give us a quick synopsis of your doctoral thesis topic.

My dissertation proposal has not yet been approved by my esteemed (and hard to convene) committee, so much can morph.

However, I plan to explore what online newsworkers perceive to be the biggest challenges to presenting journalism with more sophistication.

In comparing three Web news operations, representing radio, TV and newspaper traditions, I will apply the theories of technological determinism and media logic. In the end, the concept of diffusion of innovation might be reinterpreted, but I first must crunch my data and contrast my perspectives with non-Post newsroom cultures.

7 What should newsies know before they even think of applying for a job at the Post?

I can't speak at all for our print comrades across the Potomac. In the online newsroom in Rosslyn, we have more sneakers and less starch.

We've raised the bar as far as cyber-savviness (still gotta know HTML) and journalism experience. Potential applicants ought to know the mores of a news team that considers itself the best on the Web: We work hard; we try to work smart; we like to have fun; we love chocolate; and we collect cool toys.

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Copyright 1998, Thomas L. Mangan >Back to SevenQuestions

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Jody Brannon's title is managing editor for breaking news at Washingtonpost.com. She's also a major sports fan who pitches for a women's hardball team.		10 September 1998
1	Why hardball vs. soft?	Back to the 7Q index
	It's a continuing theme in my life; I tend to do things the hard way.
2	What's your stratagem for striking out a really good hitter?
	Hope that they're so surprised the ball is coming in so slow that they'll miss it.
3	Tell us about a guilty pleasure -- book, movie, tv show, etc. -- that you get a kick out of even though you know you shouldn't.
	I thumb through floorplans of homes, looking for features to incorporate into my dream house that I'd have built someday before retirement. During basketball season, it's watching Michael Jordan in the quiet of my own home. I saw a Bulls-Pacers playoff game in the Atlanta airport, and I was surprised at how annoyed I was that not everyone deifies him. I was even going to splurge on DirecTV this fall to follow all the games, but it appears we've seen the last of Michael the Great. And, alas, no more distractions from treatises like "The Chaos Frontier" or "History and Electronic Artefacts" or the scintillating bibliography in "Media Economics: Theory and Practice." Hmmm. Come to think of it, does anybody have Mike's number? I need to change his mind.
4	What do you consider the key to your success in the news biz?
	Being in the right cyberplace at the right time and relying on common sense, from the moment I slide behind the mouse to the time, often 15 hours later, when I log off.
5	You've taken reams of college courses -- is there any one that sticks out in your mind as having truly changed your outlook on anything in particular?
	As a doctoral student, the first, because it demystified the Ph.D. hoopla; as an undergrad, those in which I respected and appreciated my profs who brought a real-world perspective to the classroom.
6	Give us a quick synopsis of your doctoral thesis topic.
	My dissertation proposal has not yet been approved by my esteemed (and hard to convene) committee, so much can morph. However, I plan to explore what online newsworkers perceive to be the biggest challenges to presenting journalism with more sophistication. In comparing three Web news operations, representing radio, TV and newspaper traditions, I will apply the theories of technological determinism and media logic. In the end, the concept of diffusion of innovation might be reinterpreted, but I first must crunch my data and contrast my perspectives with non-Post newsroom cultures.
7	What should newsies know before they even think of applying for a job at the Post?
	I can't speak at all for our print comrades across the Potomac. In the online newsroom in Rosslyn, we have more sneakers and less starch. We've raised the bar as far as cyber-savviness (still gotta know HTML) and journalism experience. Potential applicants ought to know the mores of a news team that considers itself the best on the Web: We work hard; we try to work smart; we like to have fun; we love chocolate; and we collect cool toys.
Back to SQ index Copyright 1998, Thomas L. Mangan		>Back to SevenQuestions