As part of the changes, Interactive Editor Rebecca Nappi will begin writing a twice-weekly column on Nov. 23, and Assistant News Editor Gary Crooks will devote full time to writing and editing on the opinion sections. Readers probably won't notice a significant difference in the editorial stance of the newspaper, Smith said.
"The editorials will reflect the institutional voice of the newspaper, shaped in large part by its owner," he said.
Publisher Stacey Cowles agreed the changes do not represent a shift in philosophy, although readers might notice more focus on important policy issues.
"We will continue to have a diversity of viewpoints," he said.
Webster will be in charge of an estimated $2 million, 18-month project to give the newsroom and its bureaus the first major update in computer hardware and software in more than 10 years. Smith said the project will shape how the newspaper is produced for the next decade.
"Technology is the backbone of everything we do to deliver news to our readers," Smith said. "By technology standards, ours is Stone Age."
Floyd, who is a former editorial page editor, will head up an ongoing review of that section's selection of columnists, community voices and letters policy. He was named ombudsman a year ago as a "watchdog" on the paper's standards of accountability, fairness and accuracy. That position will not be refilled, but Cowles, Smith and Floyd all stressed the newspaper's commitment to those standards will not change.
"The pledge stays the same; the question is how best do we accomplish it," Cowles said.
Smith is holding regular meetings with readers to discuss coverage, is opening morning news meetings to the public, will revise the corrections policy and take other steps to bring greater awareness and accountability to news operations, Cowles said.
"I think Doug's role as editorial page editor brings immediate credibility in the community and does more to answer our harshest critics' concerns than he could as ombudsman," Smith said.
Floyd said he plans to be more aggressive about seeking out and providing space for more points of view.
"There are things I can do on that page that are responsive to what I've heard in the last year," he said. "All I could do as ombudsman was write a column."
The promotion of Sands, a 20-year veteran writer and editor, gives the newspaper's Web site a senior editor in the newsroom, and comes with a doubling of the online staff, Smith said. The Web site is being redesigned, and will add more live, daily content.
"What we're about is news, and paper is a diminishing part," Cowles said. "We will develop the Web site as a medium in its own right."
