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Technology Evolution and its Impact on NewsRichard
[email protected] 793 0093
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Beware!Do not presume the old journalistic model will be saved
by new technologyIt wont!
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Technology Progression: Simplified
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What wont changeWe had better hope so!Openness of networksAccess
to distributionFree speechWhat killed newspapers was not Google but
the openness of the InternetOpenness broke distribution control and
busted newspaper business models
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Implications of the Web on News Product DesignRichard
[email protected] 793 0093
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On an optimistic noteJournalisms future will be stronger and
more valued than journalisms past or presentNewspapers are dying
because we have put a press into everyones hands can that be
bad?Journalisms future will be molded by many new creative
endeavors, not by the painful transmogrification of existing
entities
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Accept new economicsPresume no economic savior, there is
noneNewspaper economics were based on controlled distribution thats
now anachronisticMicro-payments are not a macro solution$40 print
ad CPMs are historySubscription fees are self-defeating unless
content has extraordinary valueRevenue: assume an RPM of
$10Expense: drive to a PV CPM of $6
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Traffic flowsInbound traffic: Cover Page versus
Rest-of-Site50%50%
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Traffic flowsSource of rest-of-site trafficSearch, aggregators,
email, blogs, news-ranking sites (e.g. Digg, NewsTrust)Behaviors:
query-driven as well as browsing83% use search to access news; 53%
frequently15-25% of news site traffic comes from
search/aggregationIts not only a good traffic but its a great
source of new uniques and an opportunity to drive product
discovery
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Ephemeral anthrax attack articlePersistent anthrax attack
resourceRethink content architecture
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Create living resources
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Leverage the trusted crowdMore writers publishing today than
ever beforeThe blogosphere, WikipediaMore chaff, yes, but also more
wheatHow can one optimally:Harvest high-quality, self-determined
workLead work into areas of interest/needProvide guidance on ethics
and styleDevelop appropriate compensation modelsThere is a huge
benefit to those who develop the skills and processes to do this
well
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Building trust via transparencyPeople trust people, not
institutions and the institutions are shrinkingThe sites value and
values should be clearEthic policiesEditorial processesAuthor bios
and history of work
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Rethink the outputEvery new medium begins as a container for the
old The long-form article is not the end product of the reporting
effortThe end product is organic:Articles, posts, facts, related
docs, reader contributions, discussion, databases, etc. etc.And,
yes, the long-form should be reconsideredAudience is low,
abandonment is highHow might one better achieve the objective to
inform?
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4100%44%30%29%3100%43%33%2100%41%59%67%71%Abandonment by
Length
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Database journalismHow can technology allow more effective use
of the fruit of a reporters efforts?Can more reporting generate
persistent informational resources?Yes, but only if the thought
process changes
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Rethink the rolesWhat is the day-to-day role of a reporter when
creation and publication can be in the reporters hands?What is the
day-to-day role of an editor in an edition-less environment with a
crowd of participants to lead, guide, and harvest?
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FinisRichard [email protected] 793 0093
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