Expanding coverage of an important topic for readers

Danny Schreiber of Silicon Prairie News profiles Marco Santana, the new technology reporter at the Des Moines Register.

Schreiber writes, “Whether or not Santana used that line in his interview wasn’t confirmed, but it matches up with the answer we received when we asked Lynn Hicks, the Register’s executive business editor and columnist on ‘Iowa Innovation,’ about the company’s decision to hire a technology and startup reporter.

“‘Simply put, the topic deserves more attention and scrutiny,’ Hicks said in an email interview on Saturday.

“In his view, Iowa and Des Moines have reached critical mass with tech firms, which he kindly gave credit to Silicon Prairie News for documenting. On top of that, state officials are focusing economic development efforts on innovation. There’s also social media, smartphones and other technologies that he said are changing how Iowans live, work, shop and play.

“‘Every reporter on our business staff has been reporting on these topics, and they still will,’ Hicks said, later noting that entertainment reporter Sarah Day Owen recently launched a blog with a tech influence. ‘But creating the beat allows us to more consistently report on technology and startups. You’ll see a lot of Marco in the community as well as in the paper and online.’

“Hicks said that he’s wanted to create the technology and startup beat for a while, but as the newspaper industry has changed the Register has had to be strategic about how it used its resources. ‘The leadership at the Register recognizes that this is an important topic for readers,’ he said.”

Read more here.