San Francisco Chronicle editor Phil Bronstein announced last week that he had promoted former blogger Eve Batey to online editor. It is yet another sign of the increasing connection between newspapers and their online development.

Last year The Daily Californian introduced The Daily Clog and podcasting, and earlier this month we launched the Editor’s Blog. The toughest task for our online team is tackling larger online projects while addressing daily demands. Improving our online capabilities and increasing user interactivity will be major areas of focus this upcoming year.

“It’s difficult to keep up with new media and new ideas, with the limited resources we have,” online manager Jeff Bowman said. “And we have to do things right—our work may still be around years from now, and millions of eyes around the world will see it.”

As the Daily Cal continues to expand its web presence, it’s interesting to track technological developments from other news organizations. A noteworthy item that was mentioned on the Editor’s Weblog last week was the Sacramento Bee’s plans to launch a video letters to the editor feature.

“Who knows how it will turn out. It could be a big hit or a big flop. Maybe it will drift somewhere in between.

“But, in my opinion, it’s worth the effort. I like the freshness of the idea and trying something new, particularly when it comes to tinkering with something as venerable as letters to the editor, which have always served as the vehicle for readers to interact with their paper and each other.”

- The Public Editor, Sacramento Bee

No matter whether the idea flourishes or not, I think the organization deserves credit for beginning a project that is filled with uncertainty.

Popularity: 11%