Spokesman-Review publisher W. Stacey Cowles this afternoon announced the promotion of Gary Graham to editor-in-chief and both took questions from newsroom staff.

"I'm looking forward to regrouping and rebuilding our room," Graham said. Both Graham and Cowles emphasized their faith in and commitment to good journalism.

The S-R's mission is still the same, Mr. Cowles said, to deliver news and information to area readers when and how they want it. He also spoke about former editor Steve Smith and former assistant managing editor Carla Savalli's efforts in innovation, newspaper credibility, community conversations (and mention of Our Kids: Our Business, though not by name), Jim West coverage. Some of the key words Mr. Cowles used were information, connect, engage and distribution.

Other questions that newsroommates asked:

» Will there still be Spokesman Radio? Yes - "We may have to make some changes to that but we have a contract [with Mapleton Communications] That's an ongoing commitment," Mr. Cowles said.

» Will S-R still use news wire content from the Associated Press? We don't know yet. There will be a better answer to that question near the end of the year, Mr. Cowles said, but S-R is planning for the possibility of not having AP.

» Will Spokane7 exist, will it change? Would you consider combining the A and B sections of the newspaper? Not sure - "Everything's on the table."

» Is there a common vision for upcoming news operation? New editor Gary Graham said the goal is to put out the best local report with the resources that we have. Mr. Cowles adds that this vision includes a fair amount of online presence. In answering a separate question, Graham also said that newsroom structure and reorganization is going to be redone after we see how things shake out, because there was a reorg plan ready to go - but then layoffs hit.

» On cost-cutting: Mr. Cowles said some of the company's cost-cutting measures include paper size reduction (next June), dropping some circulation routes in outlying areas, reconfiguring press runs, and office space consolidation in the next 6-8 months. There will be an Idaho office as far as he knows, but the Spokane Valley bureau "is the most in question. We'll have to see what the timing is," and it will "probably be the place we'll get out of."

» What's being done to increase revenue? one staffer asked. "We're throwing a lot of things on the wall to see what sticks," Mr. Cowles said - Some of the efforts include niche marketing projects that will help S-R reach out for new revenue.

» What about the relationship with the newsroom union, renegotiation of union contract, possible changes in that? The company would like more flexibility in compensation of newsroom employees, more flexibility to change compensation to reflect market rates. "Contracts are rigid and we've got one that doesn't fit our future very well."

» Have you made any attempts to sell the newspaper? No, Mr. Cowles said. He also said his shareholders believe in this business and that "it is very important that Spokane have a newspaper that is independent."

» How do you respond to people who ask what's going on at the paper? "We have value in this community," Graham said, we still release a good product that people buy day after day, "The very best newspaper that we can."