September 18, 2003
FEATURES ATTRACTION
So one of the reasons for a lack of posts this week (You couldn't tell? Neither could I.) is that I'm attending the American Association of Sunday and Feature Editors convention at the lovely and luxurious Don CeSar Beach Resort and Spa.
What happens at a convention like this?
Mostly a lot of clucking - lots of seeing of old friends, catching up on the year during wine-soaked, hors d'ouvres-heavy parties and soirees. Author Scott Turow stopped by to speak during the awards luncheon about the death penalty. It was an odd topic for that kind of gathering - it was almost a 100 percent recital of his story in The New Yorker about his vascilation on the issue and his very personal association with prosecution of and representing of death row cases. It's a great read, if you have the time and interest.
In and around those kind of shenanigans at this hoity-toidy pink palace by the sea, we talk about what makes for good journalism, how we can better touch and serve readers with the stories we provide, and we look at dozens of examples of fine work from around the country in a variety of categories.
Each paper is allowed to submit eight story packages from the year that match their best work in those categories. Not all eight pages are displayed during the subsequent collective slide shows, since hundreds of features sections submit eight pages each.
This year, the Tribune's features department, BayLife, had seven of it's eight submissions displayed. Which is unheard of, really, for this paper.
It's been a good year with lots of creative energy. A couple pages I worked on last year were showcased during the show-and-tell sessions. But perhaps the most striking package was our Sept. 11 anniversary package last year titled "No Life Untouched.''
The provocative cover - in which we posed a pregnant woman's abdomen painted with an American flag to represent how the future of the country would be dealing with this legacy - still shocks to this day. I saw many heads shaking today among editors who obviously were bothered by the symbolism and execution.
But what they didn't see was the follow-through inside the section, with lots and lots of warm, deep, poignant stories.
It's one of the most daring and innovative projects I've ever been associated with (even as a casual observer this time). Made me damn proud that we were that bold.
Makes you want to go out and do it again. Real bad.