Reader metrics: We never have to wonder if readers cared about the 3-part series we wrote or whether Topic X is worth our time. With detailed site metrics, we can easily discover what our audience is craving, and balance that with the kind of journalism critical to a community.

Interactivity: We are fortunate to be alive during this extraordinary revolution in communication. Our readers have never had the opportunity to be this active in the direction of their local news operation. Through comments, community blogs and even plain old e-mail, we can be closer to the people that empower us than ever before.

Computer-assisted reporting: All reporting is computer-assisted nowadays, but the ability to add public information in easily accessible web formats can help cement newspapers' roles as community watchdogs and developers of enterprise coverage.

Finding real people: Although it sounds silly, getting ordinary people into stories as sources has come a long way since the "man on the street" rails newspapers would run. With Twitter and Facebook, entire communities of experts are a few mouse clicks away from being part of a good story.

The big project: Core site overhaul

We took half a year and completely overhauled our online operation — everything from workflow to hardware and a new site. Launched in June 2010, the new site is faster, more flexible and more responsive to breaking news.

Niche sites I've had a part in developing:

Tribpreps.com » This was our first real niche venture. We promoted it excessively, and allowed teams to get in the act by posting blogs and updates. We most recently launched liveblogging on the site for playoff games. Page views have doubled what they were before we launched the site.	Utahsright.com » This site uses public databases to give Utahns access to salaries, crime, divorce rates, restaurant inspections and more. It's been a breakout hit — the site does close to a million page views a year and fills a niche we didn't previously own.	Inthisweek.com » This is a site we developed to go with our weekly alternative entertainment magazine. It's been a wonderful study in user-submitted content and creating a community. The print product only comes out once a week, but the 4-person staff constantly updates the site with rolling stories and blog entries.

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