Otterblog

I am sorry for the haphazard posting the past week. I was in Greensboro at the Center for Creative Leadership, which was an incredible and eye-opening experience. I learned a lot about myself and how what we intend to do and what others perceive us as doing don’t always jibe. And, as with a lot of these group endeavors, you become quick friends with people whose best asset is their willingness to unflinchingly help you be a better leader/manager/person

Now, onto the news.

First, the redesign of JournalNow, the host of OTTERBLOG and the Winston-Salem Journal’s online face. A long time coming. The goal was to create a more graceful site, with a better rotation of news and pictures that is easier to navigate. We’re interested in your thoughts, so please let me know the good, bad and the ugly.

Second, the primaries. Our story this morning on small-town North Carolina highlights the battle for blue-collar votes. We’ve got two weeks before the May 6 primary. It is a scramble out there, particularly if Sen. Clinton wins Pennsylvania tomorrow. What I’ve been pleased with regarding our coverage is that we have worked hard to get into issues, not just the personalities of the candidates. I’m not so naive to think that personality doesn’t matter, but at the end of the day we’re electing a president, not a first friend.

How’d we get that shot: Our photo on Saturday morning that showed Sen. Clinton in Washington Park filming a commercial was the result of luck and hard work. Luck, in that one of our journalists lives on the street where the ad was filmed. Hard work, in that our photo editor Walt Unks is pretty darned good with a long lens.