Jon Chattman is working on the edge, bridging the expanse between journalism as it was practiced in the second half of the previous century and as it will be practiced in the new millennium. Having been educated at Pace University in the skills, practices and professional ethics of traditional journalism, he now leads the way in the media revolution.

Always a man of independence and innovation, Chattman, who won the New York Press Association Rookie of the Year award in 2000, says the best opportunities for the kind of writing he wants to do is no longer in the print media—it’s online.

Chattman is not alone in his assessment of the changing role of traditional media. American Press Institute, in its 2006 Newspaper Next: Blueprint for Innovation report, claims massive changes are already taking place “…driven by a fundamental transformation in the connection between humans and information.”

The report predicts that services and approaches that do not even exist yet will evolve to meet consumer needs. “The Internet is alive with experimentation as innovators try to guess at these new solutions. But these have only scratched the surface of the possibilities, and the pace of change will only quicken.”

Chattman says he has always been interested in being an experimenter, even when he won the top rookie award as a reporter for the Rivertowns Enterprise in Westchester. When he left that job, he made the transition from print writing to print editing.  “While I was editing, I missed writing but didn’t want to go back to the kind of stories I had been covering, That’s where thecheappop.com came about,” he says of the New York City-based pop culture Web site he created in 2005.

“I've always been a tongue-in-cheek writer and have always been obsessed with pop culture. I'm a fountain of useless information, so the writing just comes a lot easier when I write about what I know. I think readers are turning away from print because it's so easy to pop on their computers and read the paper before going to work or school,” Chattman says. He describes his own day: I wake up, make breakfast, eat it and drink my coffee in front of my computer. It's cheaper, and it's easier. In a world of short attention spans, the Internet is king.

Chattman says right now he’s working two full-time jobs—one that has him busy during the day, and his nighttime and weekend endeavor, thecheapop.com. Check it out to see Gwyneth Paltrow walking, Keanu Reeves carrying a garment bag, or a lot of people wearing moustaches. The release of “The Book of Bert,” a pop-culture humor book co-written by Chattman that profiles great stars with great mustaches, was another prominent feature of the site in April.

Thriving on the creative energy generated at Cheapop, Chattman says, “It’s nice to be my own boss in terms of the content on thecheappop. I seek out talent, set up the interviews, and either assign the stories or do them myself. Someday, I hope to be able to make a profit on my own Web site.”

Chattman also works as the editorial director for iTVX , where he is listed as the “driving force overseeing all content and breaking product placement news at iTVX.net” and as a “contributor of original creative content.”

In this time of evolution and revolution, Chattman is one of the people in the lead as journalism and technology intersect online. He’s taking chances, having a good time, and learning as he goes. But he’s certain of one thing: The Internet is already the source of choice for people who want instant information, and online readership is increasing every day.

“Internet—info at your fingertips,” he declares.

By Linda Loomis

lloomis@oswego.edu