COLUMN: In an age of instant access, papers must try harder

From Kent Malmros's, "Everything Old is New Again," Fall '99 From Kent Malmros's, "Everything Old is New Again," Fall '99Technology was supposed to make life easier. The advent of cellular phones, fax machines, computers and the narcotic we know as e-mail have put us all an electronic pulse away from one another. And that was supposed to facilitate work and allow for more recreational time. It is paradoxical at best. And no profession has been more affected by this puzzle than journalism. Twenty-four hour news channels like CNN and MSNBC -- and constant internet updates -- have created a world where news and sports coverage is available almost instantaneously. The result is that the public has the ability to find stories with the click of a button. Newspapers and other media outlets have been forced to make news available more quickly and more efficiently. Yet, the process of producing relevant and accurate news has not -- and cannot -- be accelerated. There are no shortcuts to quality reporting. Reporters cannot be content with cyber-reporting -- journalism remains the business of telling stories about people, and that can only be done by talking to people. The 115th Board of Managers and Editors of The Daily Pennsylvanian is about to assume operational control of the paper, and we will ask ourselves the same questions. Now that we have this technology in place, what do we do with it? Where can we take it from here? Past incoming editors of the DP have used this space to speak of the "crossroads" this publication was coming to in their time -- issues like printing the DP in color and putting it on-line. As with the rest of the world, the job description here has changed because of technological ability. Or has it? The goals for journalistic excellence need to remain the same. In times to come it is imperative that we continue to find ways to add the human element to a world of expanding depersonalization. · This year, we will continue to fine-tune our writing and reporting. We will aim to make the paper more reader friendly and constantly try to find the human element in the story. What is more important than the construction of a building is how it will impact the lives of the multitudes of communities in West Philadelphia. The University continues to undergo a face-lift of monumental proportions. Sansom Common is on the verge of completion. Meanwhile, construction on Sundance Cinemas and the 40th Street complex are on the verge of commencing. Dorm and dining overhauls may make this campus unrecognizable to us when we return as alumni in a few short years. Our pages will continue to be filled with stories of buildings and meetings -- and administrative jargon that may not be easily comprehended -- because it is important that somebody keeps the student body informed. The Daily Pennsylvanian Interactive is now entering its fourth year of life. It has brought the DP into the Internet age. However, it is still in its infant stages -- the best is yet to come. This year, DPI will be more user friendly. "Today's Special" will bring you "Top 15" lists, advice columns, an Ivy roundup and more; the site will also include daily trivia questions. To bring the news to our readers as quickly as possible, we will begin to provide a preview of our paper on-line the night before it comes out. Ultimately, we will have all content in the next day's paper on dailypennsylvanian.com by the time the paper is available in hard copy. Just as importantly, DPI will have original content this year: Profiles of campus organizations and other University groups and exclusive documents and photos -- all bringing more people under the umbrella of our news coverage. This page will continue to seek columnists who voice the perspectives of Penn's diverse communities. 34th Street magazine will implement an interview section -- unearthing people that you never knew were interesting. And our sports section will find the stories behind the stars -- and more importantly, stories about those that aren't stars. At a time when coverage of highly visible people is at a premium, journalism has a responsibility to uncover the stories of those behind the news. Such a product can only enhance the public's understanding of the issues at hand. We find ourselves in a situation familiar to all media outlets. We are no longer at the crossroads of expansion into the world of the World Wide Web or color printing. But those innovations have come at a price -- and now we need to find a way to cover the news with technology instead of letting technology cover the news. Our consciousness as journalists in a technological age should focus not on how to bring the news to the people, but rather how to bring the people back into the news.