Owles had been at the Times only a week when Princess Diana was involved in a car crash. He created a package with a link to a story about her wedding, including a video clip, her divorce, and the chronology of her life. When news of her death came in, the newspaper had already gone to press. Working from the Associated Press story and the Times story, Owles and others created a new lead and a new package of information that would not be available in the newspaper for nearly 24 hours. Despite the advantages of online news, Owles said he does not think the medium will displace print.
People like to have a newspaper to read, fold and carry around.
Whatever direction the industry takes, he said, students who are aspiring journalists need to focus on the basics. Take advanced reporting classes, learn copy editing and the Associated Press style. Make sure you have the basics down. Owles said he particularly values the writing and editing skills he learned at UConn. I've used those skills in every job I've had since then.