Staff Q&As: Meet sports editor Chris Otto
To help you get to know our newsroom staff a bit better, a series of question-and-answer posts with each journalist will run on Mondays. This morning, meet sports editor Chris Otto. You’ve seen the fantastic coverage he headed up for the Sandusky scandal and the passing of Joe Paterno. You might also have read his blog, Papergreat, which focuses on ephemera, books and history.
Name: Chris Otto
Lives in: West Manchester Township
Hometown: Montoursville, Pa. (Lycoming County)
Position at the YDR: Sports editor
Years with the YDR: 11
Graduated from: Penn State University
With a degree in: Journalism
Twitter: @YDRChrisOtto
Email: cotto@ydr.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/christopherotto
1. What made you want to become a journalist? Got hooked on journalism as a junior in high school, working on school newspaper.
2. How do you see journalism changing? Journalism itself isn’t changing. The tenets of solid journalism are still rock-solid. One thing that has changed is the public’s desire for instant news — and our attempts to give it to them, sometimes at a greater cost of accuracy and clarity. So we’re still adapting to that. Another thing that has changed is that there are now no barriers to entry into being a “journalist,” thanks to the Internet and social media.
3. What do you like most about your job? When I have the ability to put staff members in the position to do their very best work. The least? The hours.
4. It’s 9:30 a.m. on a day off. What are you doing? Hopefully making breakfast for my wife [that’s online editor Joan Concilio, for those who don’t know] and daughter, if they’re up. Mornings are also the best time for writing. My head gets too foggy by the end of the day.
5. What’s been your favorite project or story recently? Editing and publishing Frank Bodani’s story on Wayne Wolfkeil.
6. The drink that’s on your desk right now is: Water.
7. Your favorite journalism-related blog you read or Twitter feed you follow: Some of the very best Twitter accounts I follow are: @brainpicker @AtlanticCities @TheAtlantic @darrenrovell @bydanielvictor @ProPublica @SarahW … and, for a smile or two per day, @TweetsOfOld
8. What’s your favorite movie? Anything by Paul Thomas Anderson. Book? Anything by Ruth Manning-Sanders.
9. What’s your favorite place in York County? Any of the parks or trails
10. What’s one piece of newsroom jargon that had to be explained to you? Good question. Can’t really remember. I’ve been an explainer, not an explainee, for years.
Last week, we ran a Q&A with night news editor Tom Barstow. To read all of the staff Q&A interviews we’ve done so far, click on the “Staff Q&As” under “About us” at the top of the homepage.