Print v digital?

Or ‘How we learned to love the internet and made our newspapers continue to

matter’

Background to Newsroom 3.1

• Culmination of seven years of editorial restructuring

• Multimedia has been built into the ‘day job’ for several years

• Now we cross the Rubicon, to become digitally-LED

• Creates an ‘Audience First’ newsroom• Give audiences what they want, when

they want it, on the platforms they use• It’s not the end...

Learning from around the worldDigital First Media, USA:Became digital first but didn’t focus on print at the same time. Impressive digital ideas

Shaw Media, IllinoisStreamlined print production to focus on digital

Helsingin Sanomat, FinlandQuality content online, reversed into strong print product

Bild, Germany Empowered content creators to own digital process

Regionalmedie, AustriaPut UGC at heart of operation

All of the above support, but don’t alone create, an audience-first content approach in the

newsroom

Audience First (Newsroom 3.1)

The journey so far … and the challenges faced

• As newsroom has evolved, we have introduced more digital elements

• Our regional newsrooms far more advanced than others in the market

• But until now the newsroom has continued to operate to a ‘print beat’ with digital overlaid

• This means we miss opportunities to capitalise on digital audience opportunities

Built around the principles of providing the content people want, when they want it, in the format they want

Newsroom 3.0 Much greater emphasis on digital audience, but within a print working day (eg digital

takes back seat as print deadline nears)

Digital aspects introduced to the newsroom, eg video, breaking news online

Digital produced in a print environment

Where we began and where we stayed for a long time. Focus on preserving print performance

Print First

Multimedia Newsroom

Newsroom 3.1: The Brief• Create a newsroom which is focused on digital content and driven by digital audience data• Newsroom must be staffed by people who believe in the digital future and have the skills to deliver great digital content• Continue to produce strong newspapers which contain content produced for digital platforms.• Revamp print to ensure digital opportunities are met

Newsroom 3.1: Principles• All content creators focus on delivering content for digital platforms• Newsroom day is built around key audience spikes• Newsroom produces content based on digital audience data• Newsroom is led by people who can convincingly advocate digital excellence• Strong print unit created to deliver stronger newspapers

Newsroom 3.1: EnablersContent desk don’t have sight of print dummy. They fill content into audience spikes throughout the day

Mini meetings before each audience spike to review what’s working, and what needs more focus

Main planning meeting - plans for next day, next week

and reviews one month out: Forward planning locked in

Print placement is a discrete discussion between editor in chief and print unit, who finesse content created for digital

The result is a newsroom which delivers content the audience is showing it wants

Newsroom 3.1: Structure Key new roles

• Our future revolves around producing great content• We need to focus as much resource as possible here• Content managers need to commission as well as share• Newsroom leaders lead by example

Content Directors: Small team of senior digital content experts

Content Developers: Reporters, photographers, curators and print production specialists who deliver

great content

Content Managers: Skilled content experts driven by data to commission great content

Newsroom 3.1: Pyramid

Planning Analyst:Delivers useable audience data into day to day

decisions

Football Editor:Ensures fan-first focus on content around the

sport which matters

Social Media Editor:Owns audience interaction across social media

platforms

Advance content writer:Focuses on 30-day plans which ensure we build

content plans in advance

Content Editor:Digital-focused content commissioner who uses

data to drive decisions

Print Publishing Editor:Owner of print in the newsroom. Ensures print is

great

Agenda Writer:Super specialist role which owns entire brief,

sets brand agenda

New ways…Old ways….Newsroom content would be decided

based on gut instinct and ‘this makes a good story’

Content decisions based on audience data and popularity – if users like it, we

do more

Newsroom structures were based around subject matter: eg news, sport

Structures clustered around the different ways people use content – eg for info or

passion

Content desk place stories on pages and build content generation around

pages to be filled

Content desk doesn’t see print dummy –works towards audience spikes and filling

those with timely, relevant content

Newsroom was built around print deadlines – less intensity in evenings

and weekends

Day built around digital audience spikes, with greater emphasis on busier times

such as weekends and evenings

Forward planning was hit and miss, often missing big opportunities

Forward planning critical to our success due to search behaviour. A daily feature

6am 8am 10am 12noon 2pm 4pm 6pm 8pm 10pm Midnight

6.30am 8am 10am 12noon 2pm 4pm 6pm 8pm 10pm 11pm

Work Day Intensity

Traditional Newsroom

Newsroom 3.1

The darker the colour, the more members of staff in the newsroomArrows represent when content is releasedIn a traditional newsroom, the bulk of content would be released online at 11amPrint deadline would occur between 10pm and 11pmNewsroom 3.0 introduced the concept of releasing more content for key spikes in digital audiencesNewsroom 3.1 enshrines this principle, with content prepared for spikes at 8.30, noon, 4.30pm and 8pm. Print is then created for 10pmWorking day extended slightly, with production of print smoothed across the day

How will we measure success?MEASURE REASON

Number of monthly unique users visiting (WW) Standard measure aimed at focusing attention on max reach

Number of Page views per month (WW) Standard measure aimed at ensuring we associate audience with ad impressions

Pages per user, per month This focuses attention on turning casual reader into an engaged one

% of unique users visiting more than 10 times a month

New measure to ensure attention paid to creating loyalty

% and number of visitors arriving to homepage, channel fronts via bookmarks or launching app

A good measure of loyalty – focuses attention on behaviour of most loyal readers and making more readers loyal

Number of visitors to digital platforms and page views from within regional footprint

Most valuable audience to us. Ensures we deliver sustainable content (ie no UFOs!)

% of local population who visit our websites each month

Key commercial sales message which advertisers understand –our local reach

Number of video streams generated per month Potentially most valuable revenue stream available if we generate enough streams

Newsroom 3.1: Flexibility● Newsroom 3.1 is built around the principle of flexibility,

particularly when it comes to content priorities● This doesn’t just mean content themes (eg a greater

focus on NUFC and advance events) but also on content formats

● Our content desk is challenged to ask ‘What is the best way to tell this story?’ about every story they commission

● We anticipate new forms of storytelling emerging, and a changing focus on ways to tell stories, eg renewed focus on liveblogs, which Trinity Mirror has led the way with since 2008

● Our new ‘content innovations unit’ headed by Alison Gow will lead on this, working with all our local newsrooms

● Newsroom 3.1 has been built with video in mind - a prime example of a type of content which has become increasingly important due to the high levels of audience engagement it can create, audience demand and revenue opportunities

‘Expected, not requested’ approach for MMJs -

expected to shoot at scenePoint and shoot

Football shows, business shows, vodcasts, content we

provide depth inAppointment to View

Football shows, business shows, vodcasts, content we

provide depth inUGC

Regional video strategy

Mirror content, other centres content, PA feeds

Shared video

How times change

CASE 1: big breaking news

500,000 page views 3,500 extra copy sales

CASE 2: setting the agenda

CASE 3: publish, engage, re-package

500,000 page views and 40,000+ social shares

CASE 4: planning analysis

1.4m page views

CASE 5: new creative tools

More than 20,000 votes cast (so far…)

200,000 page views & 45,000 social shares

Two key principles

- First, Fast, Accurate

- A great story is still a great story – we just need to

make the most of it online

Visit the CharityComms website to view

slides from past events, see what events

we have coming up and to check out what

else we do.

www.charitycomms.org.uk

North West Regional Group14 May 2015Manchester

#ccnorthwest

North West Regional Group

Print v digital