EDITOR’S NOTEBOOK: Coastline evolves online

We’re excited about a new project that’s been under way here at the Coastline Pilot for about two weeks.

Maybe you haven’t noticed — and we haven’t taken steps to publicize it until this week — but we are now posting stories and updates every day on our website, www.coastlinepilot.com.

Now you can check the latest news in Laguna Beach any time, every day.

We have for some time posted breaking news that couldn’t wait for the Friday publishing of our paper. But now we’re also giving you stories that normally we would not be able to, such as hot issues on the City Council and School Board agenda for that day or the following day.

Because we’re a weekly in print, the agendas for most of the city’s boards, commissions and panels have not been available for publication in our pages.

Now you’ll find out ahead of time if an issue that will have a big impact on Laguna Beach is going to be discussed before the City Council. Our reporters, with their expertise and background in the city, will make sure you do.

Now, instead of waiting until Friday for your favorite columnist, you might find him or her on the website.

We can truly say that we’re “weekly in print” and “daily online.”

Actually, the term “daily” is a misnomer. We are, in fact, posting news as it comes in to us and updates as they happen, several times a day.

We’ve noticed our readers seem to check the website in the late morning and in the afternoon, so that’s when we’re trying to post the latest that comes in to the newsroom.

It’s really “instant news.”

We think this is the future for news-gathering; it combines the best parts of print journalism — well-crafted stories and columns — with the immediacy of television and radio.

We also have been posting video stories filmed at local events by our print reporters as well as our photographers, who have expanded their skills to include video.

With the Internet, we also have the added dimension of interactivity. You, the reader, can submit comments, calendar items and soon, local news, directly to the website.

We’ll still appear on your doorstep or driveway every Friday, and you can still pick up the paper at newsstands on the street, but from now on you can find the latest local news online whenever you are at your computer.

This is an evolving process, so please let us know what you like and don’t like about the website.