Tuesday, June 21, 2005
lawrence.com print version: 3-person staff up to 40 pages. Maintain personality, edge--same ad reps for all outlets--same restaurants...
threshold for listing band--should be able to hear at least every other month. If they can't get their act together to send us a press kit...
Checkers grocery store feature--got in trouble with HyVee-- big advertiser
"96 feet of meat"
"game" coverage--parents grateful, goodwill extends to LJ World (250 extra copies on Wednesdays)
now up to 3 people (60 pages)--weekly multimedia feature. Staff blogs a little too serious for kids to respond to--they look at photos--thinking about student blog to get more interaction.
75-80 teams. Parks & Recs teams don't keep score...
How it feels for reporters:
Dave Toplikar, online editor
Joel--convergence reporter
Eric- courts, cop reporter
Mindy-- arts
Joel: How do we get reporters to buy in. We were told...until we moved into the same building, we were competing! Also disconcerting to learn new things, technology...a lot of skepticism about how "this convergence thing" is going to last? Don't hear that any more. Pretty organic: some newspaper reporters uncomfortable on TV, etc.--each converges in his or her own way.
Mark: reporting is reporting, no matter where it goes. We all do a bit of everything now. Pay raises for those who jumped into it.
Q: How did it happen?
A. Bolted camera to wall, made everyone do promos.
then convergence teams--learned everything. "Seeded" the newsroom.
virtual playing cards: parents said, "that's the coolest thing I've ever seen in my life." A thrill to work on--scouting the kids.
Mindy: arts print/online convergence a no brainer--ASK artists if they have extra images, audio, video. Juror says why they picked each piece--audio over slideshow. Poets, novelists read...
Eric-trial--law students told him they loved to check out site. It's more work--two, three stories a day, no way around it. Tried to write more colorfully for the print edition. Ultimate sin to have competitor beat us with story we had, but had held...
Managers better make sure they recognize and support my convergence work! At beginning, editors said, "I don't care about that extra stuff." At the very least in the review!
What makes me feel like I'm lucky, is people that you work for appreciate it!
Key: know how everyone else does their job, makes it easier!
Trial: took scanner and laptop to court room, scanned while court recorder watched. Judge only allowed only after trial ended.
threshold for listing band--should be able to hear at least every other month. If they can't get their act together to send us a press kit...
Checkers grocery store feature--got in trouble with HyVee-- big advertiser
"96 feet of meat"
"game" coverage--parents grateful, goodwill extends to LJ World (250 extra copies on Wednesdays)
now up to 3 people (60 pages)--weekly multimedia feature. Staff blogs a little too serious for kids to respond to--they look at photos--thinking about student blog to get more interaction.
75-80 teams. Parks & Recs teams don't keep score...
How it feels for reporters:
Dave Toplikar, online editor
Joel--convergence reporter
Eric- courts, cop reporter
Mindy-- arts
Joel: How do we get reporters to buy in. We were told...until we moved into the same building, we were competing! Also disconcerting to learn new things, technology...a lot of skepticism about how "this convergence thing" is going to last? Don't hear that any more. Pretty organic: some newspaper reporters uncomfortable on TV, etc.--each converges in his or her own way.
Mark: reporting is reporting, no matter where it goes. We all do a bit of everything now. Pay raises for those who jumped into it.
Q: How did it happen?
A. Bolted camera to wall, made everyone do promos.
then convergence teams--learned everything. "Seeded" the newsroom.
virtual playing cards: parents said, "that's the coolest thing I've ever seen in my life." A thrill to work on--scouting the kids.
Mindy: arts print/online convergence a no brainer--ASK artists if they have extra images, audio, video. Juror says why they picked each piece--audio over slideshow. Poets, novelists read...
Eric-trial--law students told him they loved to check out site. It's more work--two, three stories a day, no way around it. Tried to write more colorfully for the print edition. Ultimate sin to have competitor beat us with story we had, but had held...
Managers better make sure they recognize and support my convergence work! At beginning, editors said, "I don't care about that extra stuff." At the very least in the review!
What makes me feel like I'm lucky, is people that you work for appreciate it!
Key: know how everyone else does their job, makes it easier!
Trial: took scanner and laptop to court room, scanned while court recorder watched. Judge only allowed only after trial ended.
KUSports.com 13 million accesses in a single month--best sports site in world (E&P)
every stat for every player updated after every game.
Call every kid's parent (with disclaimer)
automated scorebook NCAA football
wanted weather to say what we wanted to say:
picked 36 student-recognized landmarks around stadium (6 mph from burrito factory)
KU skyline different weather conditions cartoon
flags on landmark building tied to wind direction
trees lose leaves in winter
dark sky
diagram plays, animated with sound effects
video highlights of each player
pre-game fun: what do you think will happen in the game?
if readers win against sports editor: T-shirt "I whacked Woodley"
on game day we're the only paper to send an online-only reporter to every game--updated every five minutes
three people to update basketball after every basket
satellite datafeed for every game
Levi works with reporters after game to webify--give tapes to Web
photos most visited--get 50 (print only 5)
web-only video highlights package
What do our readers think, after the game: grade every facet of game
All quotes in print story came from online
Did 2 minute video MTV-style of new weight room
You make the call, tape-delay Lawrence High games incident
write game story of X-box version of game, photos of game screen.
post complete box score of virtual game to real game box score.
did highlights package of virtual season--exactly what happened in real game
old game programs scanned in
results and schedules for every game ever played
Phog Allen letters from WWII scanned and typed in
Old highlight clips from 1950
email, palm, SMS, 6,000 people called every half hour during game
Crimson & Blue revenue
promo for KUSports.com( intern)
Best online strategy: to be master of the obvious (for your online readers)
Mark Twain in Hannibal
State capital in Athens Georgia
High school sports site for one person team
photo galleries--photo from reader, every day!
local legend or event
schedule that links to game stories and box scores 20 teams
photo galleries of high school games--Pictopia.com
post-game audio--20 minutes to upload
rosters, team photos
print off and type in from archives
partner with TV--get rights to high school football video
promote twice a week "featuring video from TV-13"
every stat for every player updated after every game.
Call every kid's parent (with disclaimer)
automated scorebook NCAA football
wanted weather to say what we wanted to say:
picked 36 student-recognized landmarks around stadium (6 mph from burrito factory)
KU skyline different weather conditions cartoon
flags on landmark building tied to wind direction
trees lose leaves in winter
dark sky
diagram plays, animated with sound effects
video highlights of each player
pre-game fun: what do you think will happen in the game?
if readers win against sports editor: T-shirt "I whacked Woodley"
on game day we're the only paper to send an online-only reporter to every game--updated every five minutes
three people to update basketball after every basket
satellite datafeed for every game
Levi works with reporters after game to webify--give tapes to Web
photos most visited--get 50 (print only 5)
web-only video highlights package
What do our readers think, after the game: grade every facet of game
All quotes in print story came from online
Did 2 minute video MTV-style of new weight room
You make the call, tape-delay Lawrence High games incident
write game story of X-box version of game, photos of game screen.
post complete box score of virtual game to real game box score.
did highlights package of virtual season--exactly what happened in real game
old game programs scanned in
results and schedules for every game ever played
Phog Allen letters from WWII scanned and typed in
Old highlight clips from 1950
email, palm, SMS, 6,000 people called every half hour during game
Crimson & Blue revenue
promo for KUSports.com( intern)
Best online strategy: to be master of the obvious (for your online readers)
Mark Twain in Hannibal
State capital in Athens Georgia
High school sports site for one person team
photo galleries--photo from reader, every day!
local legend or event
schedule that links to game stories and box scores 20 teams
photo galleries of high school games--Pictopia.com
post-game audio--20 minutes to upload
rosters, team photos
print off and type in from archives
partner with TV--get rights to high school football video
promote twice a week "featuring video from TV-13"
Lawrence.com: 1,000 MP3s, downloaded between 10-20,000 times a week!
Reminders of concerts via cellphone or email
Flash intro to cable TV show "Turnpike" (also on site) built by intern
built 22 "radio stations" of our own--find every song in category, play in random order in our player
Blogs: initially wanted community members only, but Joel's blog is the most popular by far.
read every single first entry for libel, then all subsequent entries are "message board" not suable for libel.
"do you have what it takes to be a lawrence.com blogger?" at the bottom of every page. You have to write three--have to write one entry per week.
Plan to treat readers as farm club, elevate some to lawrence.com based on quality.
close to 50% of content generated by readers. Blogger parties!
We pay for broadband connection, after a few weeks--if they continue. ($30/month value).
About 15 bloggers on lawrence.com
About 40 in town...found technorati.com
drink specials--most visited page on lawrence.com
upsell: menu in menu magazine, VTs
Pick up your party pix at lawrence.com/pix
Ink on dead wood:
inserts in print version, doorhangers
All Web content goes to print edition
entertainment listings exported
Easter eggs
'cause babies ain't free Lawrence.com
deadwood edition: all ads are sold as fiber/cyber (print/online)
$3-up to $8,000
costs $2000 a week
Editors choose best ad, best value proposition at top of page, with link to all other ads this week
Right rail ads integrated as graphic (longer contract, free) or text.
To get graphic in story, must spend a minimum
Every ad entry point links to list of ads (text links)--go either to ad, or to your Web site.
automatically embeds ad in restaurant/venue listing
Flash ad--Bud, Verizon on home page
restaurant guide--annual--if you buy full page, you get VT, menu on listing
domestic beer in database--could promote
webcams plug into cable modems (bars could have partycam)
Top Ads renamed: get a frickin' job
inline ads: ads work right in newspapers, so do the same online
Dayparting: daypart ads grocery ad:--6 am to 10 am: dollar off donuts, then lunch discount, then afternoon snack...
Reminders of concerts via cellphone or email
Flash intro to cable TV show "Turnpike" (also on site) built by intern
built 22 "radio stations" of our own--find every song in category, play in random order in our player
Blogs: initially wanted community members only, but Joel's blog is the most popular by far.
read every single first entry for libel, then all subsequent entries are "message board" not suable for libel.
"do you have what it takes to be a lawrence.com blogger?" at the bottom of every page. You have to write three--have to write one entry per week.
Plan to treat readers as farm club, elevate some to lawrence.com based on quality.
close to 50% of content generated by readers. Blogger parties!
We pay for broadband connection, after a few weeks--if they continue. ($30/month value).
About 15 bloggers on lawrence.com
About 40 in town...found technorati.com
drink specials--most visited page on lawrence.com
upsell: menu in menu magazine, VTs
Pick up your party pix at lawrence.com/pix
Ink on dead wood:
inserts in print version, doorhangers
All Web content goes to print edition
entertainment listings exported
Easter eggs
'cause babies ain't free Lawrence.com
deadwood edition: all ads are sold as fiber/cyber (print/online)
$3-up to $8,000
costs $2000 a week
Editors choose best ad, best value proposition at top of page, with link to all other ads this week
Right rail ads integrated as graphic (longer contract, free) or text.
To get graphic in story, must spend a minimum
Every ad entry point links to list of ads (text links)--go either to ad, or to your Web site.
automatically embeds ad in restaurant/venue listing
Flash ad--Bud, Verizon on home page
restaurant guide--annual--if you buy full page, you get VT, menu on listing
domestic beer in database--could promote
webcams plug into cable modems (bars could have partycam)
Top Ads renamed: get a frickin' job
inline ads: ads work right in newspapers, so do the same online
Dayparting: daypart ads grocery ad:--6 am to 10 am: dollar off donuts, then lunch discount, then afternoon snack...
Monday, June 20, 2005
We don't know how people want to use the data, so we provide tools, everything fielded, users can use the way they want to. Automatically upload enormous volume of NCAA data. Have extra stuff on KU games.
Particular cool thing we did with this data: can compare any team or set of players with KU...or any other team. Can compare any number of teams...
Use Postgres SQL, written in Python. Apache, can run on any open source: Debian. Stopped trusting MySQL...invalid dates.
Mostly Dell servers.
Underlying framework took half a year, but can do web apps on top it swiftly. In hours.
Drifted away from PHP: incredibly beautiful woman...with VD. Last 10% is impossible...proper separation of data from presentation from application logic--they shouldn't come together. Database shouldn't have stored procedures in it...
At some point HTML will be gone. At some point, database will change. Any big changes will only happen in one place...
in PHP, easier to do it wrong than to do it right.
Media server: 80 gigs, growing 5 gigs a month.
Database really smaller: 1.5 gigs.
Database server, application server, media server (really stripped down light htttp, RedHat--up to 200x faster than Apache.)
3 sites over 2 servers.
50-60 images, special server excels in sub50k image files.
Back up: opensource back up. Onsite...
Content management/admin
objects: stories, photos, output for Quark; select thing you want to change, search field, list of fields, list of filters--single line of code. Once define for a single kind of object, works for every one.
Data description:
prename: (the)
Name:
Slug: religious about pretty URLs
Nickname:
address
longitude
latitude
is outdoors
phone #1
type
defunct (don't display same way, don't delete)
accessibility
smoking porch
heated smoking area
has wifi
wifi price:
(very easy to add fields)
dateline:
Tease:
Story:
Toggle preview: gathers template for stories
Inlines: add photo, internet enhanced boxes. Placement matters. Ad on left after first paragraph, photo on right.
Dropdown shows types. Can drag it around.
Could have restaurant time "inline"--so when you're reading comments...
Particular cool thing we did with this data: can compare any team or set of players with KU...or any other team. Can compare any number of teams...
Use Postgres SQL, written in Python. Apache, can run on any open source: Debian. Stopped trusting MySQL...invalid dates.
Mostly Dell servers.
Underlying framework took half a year, but can do web apps on top it swiftly. In hours.
Drifted away from PHP: incredibly beautiful woman...with VD. Last 10% is impossible...proper separation of data from presentation from application logic--they shouldn't come together. Database shouldn't have stored procedures in it...
At some point HTML will be gone. At some point, database will change. Any big changes will only happen in one place...
in PHP, easier to do it wrong than to do it right.
Media server: 80 gigs, growing 5 gigs a month.
Database really smaller: 1.5 gigs.
Database server, application server, media server (really stripped down light htttp, RedHat--up to 200x faster than Apache.)
3 sites over 2 servers.
50-60 images, special server excels in sub50k image files.
Back up: opensource back up. Onsite...
Content management/admin
objects: stories, photos, output for Quark; select thing you want to change, search field, list of fields, list of filters--single line of code. Once define for a single kind of object, works for every one.
Data description:
prename: (the)
Name:
Slug: religious about pretty URLs
Nickname:
address
longitude
latitude
is outdoors
phone #1
type
defunct (don't display same way, don't delete)
accessibility
smoking porch
heated smoking area
has wifi
wifi price:
(very easy to add fields)
dateline:
Tease:
Story:
Toggle preview: gathers template for stories
Inlines: add photo, internet enhanced boxes. Placement matters. Ad on left after first paragraph, photo on right.
Dropdown shows types. Can drag it around.
Could have restaurant time "inline"--so when you're reading comments...
Lawrence.com/LJWorld.com software/programming
Adrian Holovaty (profiled in Chicago Tribune yesterday--man who hacked Google (or something like that);
Lawrence.com--entertainment site: one gigantic database, everything talks to/knows about everything else. Humans enter basic, core info, computers combine it. Finding line between what humans can/should do and what should be automated.
Started as entertainment calendar: Category, keyword, When, where, age (college town), cost...other fields. Based on that info, site can (for "free"), Gaslight Tavern flagged as venue AND as bar. Let's check our drink specials, any on this event date? yes, automated.
local bands database...association with event page...links to band page, then relate to soundclip database...
Also, pages shouldn't expire, exists forever, but after date, will say "If you had gone, you might have heard" (before: "if you go, you might hear...")
Outdoor event: pulls in weather forecast. (6News)--this is REALLY convergence, automated.
Associate events with places, bands, soundclips...everything has a detail page: example The Get Up Kids--ties to events database. (We build all pages for quality control--they transfer info to us via, say, interns.)
Keep as much metadata as possible. Genres... For music, they have a database of venues, and events, and bars. If click on band, get calendar...if click on event, get band, MP3s; if outdoors, get weather link! All automated. Everything that should be a link, is a link....Database of musicians, linked to database of bands, and which instruments he plays in each band.
Super super sticky. Can click on instrument to see everyone who plays that instrument. discography database...can leave comments on an album. Any single object in our system can have comments attached to it. Flexible templating system...
Bands sign release, but agree to pretty much everything as long as we don't sell the clips. (Can sell advertising).
We automatically generate what we call radio stations for each band. Local TV station inhouse focusing on local music scene. Every single episode associated with any number of given bands... Displays links. Video clip database.
Radio stations: every time someone downloads soundclip, tracked, can see top 10 downloaded songs, resets every sunday at midnight. Random, then radio station that plays music from bands that will be playing in Lawrence in the next couple days...different every day, of course.
Genre-based...Can create user playlist. Can designate as private or public.
Q. What about labels?
A. Vast majority unsigned, or very small labels.
Celebrity playlists...
800 custom playlists (afer just six months)
Station IDs: Reporters ask interviewees to record: "Hi, this is X, you're listening to lawrence.com radio..."
(When add to soundclip database, check box that says, station ID.)
Restaurant: accept CCs (Easter egg: barter--if you do click, says are you frickin' retarded?), party room, all free.
TVs, business hours are fielded by day, so can do "Lawrence restaurants open right now."
Mobile.lawrence.com
Users Tinker With Google Maps to Provide Other Useful Data
Web developer charts Chicago crime online
geocoding every place in our database, now can do distance "nearest"--gets very useful as cellphone can add geo info.
Google is adding service for embedding Google maps in Web pages.
Want to geocode pickup locations.
Drink specials database...if click on one place's Monday drink specials, can see all other Monday drink specials.
Kitchen hours added, business hours separate (unless same).
Export drink special to ipod.
ipod supports very small set of HTML codes (on Apple site). Of course, on ipod is static, so ask people to update.
Update drink specials quarterly.
If logged in, will see "was this comment useful?" Vote added. Use Ajax...don't need to refresh the page to see update.
Allow anonymous comments--anonymity setting. Will call to verify, if phone number provided.
All comments go up automatically, but "suggest removal" button.
Two levels of punishment: 1. they think they're posting, but nothing happens. 2. they see it posted, but no one else does.
Feature: on the street on ljworld.com...50 to 150 comments on that feature. Blogs most commented on lawrence.com...some get 200 or more. Just added comments to stories on LJWorld.com a week ago. Main reason to register is to comment: 1500 registered, about half have only posted one comment.
allow profanity on lawrence.com, but not on ljworld (see message, "Watch your mouth.")
Adrian Holovaty (profiled in Chicago Tribune yesterday--man who hacked Google (or something like that);
Lawrence.com--entertainment site: one gigantic database, everything talks to/knows about everything else. Humans enter basic, core info, computers combine it. Finding line between what humans can/should do and what should be automated.
Started as entertainment calendar: Category, keyword, When, where, age (college town), cost...other fields. Based on that info, site can (for "free"), Gaslight Tavern flagged as venue AND as bar. Let's check our drink specials, any on this event date? yes, automated.
local bands database...association with event page...links to band page, then relate to soundclip database...
Also, pages shouldn't expire, exists forever, but after date, will say "If you had gone, you might have heard" (before: "if you go, you might hear...")
Outdoor event: pulls in weather forecast. (6News)--this is REALLY convergence, automated.
Associate events with places, bands, soundclips...everything has a detail page: example The Get Up Kids--ties to events database. (We build all pages for quality control--they transfer info to us via, say, interns.)
Keep as much metadata as possible. Genres... For music, they have a database of venues, and events, and bars. If click on band, get calendar...if click on event, get band, MP3s; if outdoors, get weather link! All automated. Everything that should be a link, is a link....Database of musicians, linked to database of bands, and which instruments he plays in each band.
Super super sticky. Can click on instrument to see everyone who plays that instrument. discography database...can leave comments on an album. Any single object in our system can have comments attached to it. Flexible templating system...
Bands sign release, but agree to pretty much everything as long as we don't sell the clips. (Can sell advertising).
We automatically generate what we call radio stations for each band. Local TV station inhouse focusing on local music scene. Every single episode associated with any number of given bands... Displays links. Video clip database.
Radio stations: every time someone downloads soundclip, tracked, can see top 10 downloaded songs, resets every sunday at midnight. Random, then radio station that plays music from bands that will be playing in Lawrence in the next couple days...different every day, of course.
Genre-based...Can create user playlist. Can designate as private or public.
Q. What about labels?
A. Vast majority unsigned, or very small labels.
Celebrity playlists...
800 custom playlists (afer just six months)
Station IDs: Reporters ask interviewees to record: "Hi, this is X, you're listening to lawrence.com radio..."
(When add to soundclip database, check box that says, station ID.)
Restaurant: accept CCs (Easter egg: barter--if you do click, says are you frickin' retarded?), party room, all free.
TVs, business hours are fielded by day, so can do "Lawrence restaurants open right now."
Mobile.lawrence.com
Users Tinker With Google Maps to Provide Other Useful Data
Web developer charts Chicago crime online
geocoding every place in our database, now can do distance "nearest"--gets very useful as cellphone can add geo info.
Google is adding service for embedding Google maps in Web pages.
Want to geocode pickup locations.
Drink specials database...if click on one place's Monday drink specials, can see all other Monday drink specials.
Kitchen hours added, business hours separate (unless same).
Export drink special to ipod.
ipod supports very small set of HTML codes (on Apple site). Of course, on ipod is static, so ask people to update.
Update drink specials quarterly.
If logged in, will see "was this comment useful?" Vote added. Use Ajax...don't need to refresh the page to see update.
Allow anonymous comments--anonymity setting. Will call to verify, if phone number provided.
All comments go up automatically, but "suggest removal" button.
Two levels of punishment: 1. they think they're posting, but nothing happens. 2. they see it posted, but no one else does.
Feature: on the street on ljworld.com...50 to 150 comments on that feature. Blogs most commented on lawrence.com...some get 200 or more. Just added comments to stories on LJWorld.com a week ago. Main reason to register is to comment: 1500 registered, about half have only posted one comment.
allow profanity on lawrence.com, but not on ljworld (see message, "Watch your mouth.")
Anne, dean of school of journalism: consider leaders in "cross-platform journalism" (aka convergence): Welcome!
Al Bonner, Dean Royal: advertising: off the record
Al Bonner, Dean Royal: advertising: off the record
Workloads: everyone seemed to believe all would have to do twice as much work...To my way of thinking, still same 40-hour work week. Studied by U of Iowa (can email papers); reporters did understand and embrace, but still had reservation about additional work. Or afraid that skill level would not match what we were looking for. Cross-training, but have never demanded that someone go into situation where they could not deliver successfully.
Pay issues: Our cable tv people were paid less than print...then after a while: who is really buying into this? Another round of decent raises! That got people's attention...
Who's going to be in charge (turf issues, of course, but leadership question was key). Still not sure I made the right decision. I picked Ann Gardner, our editorial page editor, long-time member of staff, had done some TV work, not a table-pounder, has training in leadership and facilitating--which I hoped would soften resistance. It worked, in a sense--built a foundation without threatening or demanding--but only took us so far. (No turnover relating to convergence....some radio faces, but found other ways for them to participate.)
So we made a change: Hired Rob Curley. Ann went back to editorial page, Rob took charge. So would we have had foundation, teamwork, for Rob to take advantage of, if we had not started with Ann? Or should we have demanded faster pace at the outset? Don't know, but happy where we are. You DO need to push people, at some point!
When we hire, we take different approach--looking for people with multimedia skills and finding them!
Could we do it better? Dolph Simons will not let us be complacent. Can/should always do better...
Pay scales: we do pay above Newspaper Industry Compensation Study--and higher staff levels for 20K circ. And even higher for cable TV.
Circ: at one time could say had circ gains attributed to convergence. 26 consecutive months. But no longer true--since end of telemarketing, Do-Not-Call. Also churning too many subscribers, so disqualified...switched to Easy-Pay and rebuilding. Adopted CAC along with ABC, so could count additional samples. New residents: hook up to Cable TV, single family home (vs. trailer or certain apartments), qualify for 90-day free subscription. Then follow up with marketing to convert to paid subs.
Griffin studies TV--our 6 News beat network counterparts in their time slots.
low penetration of Dish in market, very high penetration of broadband.
Increases in pageviews so dramatic...
part of plan: application pending at FCC for over the air TV license. If we get that will be able to do some more interesting things with convergence (smile).
Martire study dated...probably near 100%.
Our Web operation is not profitable. Fell short of breakeven last year by $92k. This year we will bring in more than enough to cover last year's expenses...
50% penetration of households, print. At one time (long ago) 80% or above. In growing community, circ is flat. KC Star, Topeka also losing circ in this market. Even student newspaper press run is down, even though univ student body is growing. National study: 26% of people get news from Internet alone.
Cable penetration 80% is damned high. Theory: Because we are defacto TV station for Lawrence, provides reason to subscribe to our cable TV...plus early broadband plus telephony, plus reasonably priced.
Marketing: will use student newspaper, some radio (rarely).
Churn: slowed--by our election.
What financial benefits due to online presence (in addition to customer benefits)? Advertising didn't have to get a building to get the idea. Ad convergence was like that! (snap fingers). Saw value of packages! we're not going to let you cut your ad budget: TV, print, and Internet (spend more!)
Allocate? Don't care what pocket...
What we want is to be the source of information for your community--if we do a good job with content, that will bring viewers, readers, whatever, can be converted to money from advertisers.
Rob/Robin question:
Relationship of weeklies: small staffs, stand-alone right now, but ultimate strategy to weave together with LJ World--maybe deliver LJW on Sunday to people getting mid-week weekly...but not fully converged yet. Shawnee, Lansing,--people coming out of woodwork asking us to do it in other towns...people fed up with crappy newspapers run by chains, I can tell you that!
Use Web to fill in during the week (compete with daily newspapers.)
Some weeklies contiguous, some not.
Segment of daily staff living away our stories to our competitors by putting them online first...
One of the holdouts held his story--was beaten. Could have been first, if he had given it to Web. So he learned a lesson.
For weeklies, best management experience comes from daily. Better at getting news out every day.
KC Star sells 4,000 in Lawrence. High was 6k in 95 when we went morning and converging. Pushed 'em back to 3k, they've risen on the basis of sponsored circulation!
We're litigious organization: FOIA, athletic department, court sketches, KC Star taking our photos, TV station using image from our Web site;
When the chairman and the two sons next generation of ownership, and key managers get together with staff and say this is our strategy, helps. Did that get everybody on board instantaneously? No, but raises did help. Second round people didn't get raises--"you're too late. Dessert is served." Nobody now is footdragging...
Every hiring prospect meets all three managers.
Where do you get people? All over--Sophie is definitely major-market. Practicing world-class journalism has nothing to do with what your Sunday circ is. We're getting people from larger pubs. Award winning, subject of studies--the word is out, this is a different place to work. No longer simple 20k daily...
Pay issues: Our cable tv people were paid less than print...then after a while: who is really buying into this? Another round of decent raises! That got people's attention...
Who's going to be in charge (turf issues, of course, but leadership question was key). Still not sure I made the right decision. I picked Ann Gardner, our editorial page editor, long-time member of staff, had done some TV work, not a table-pounder, has training in leadership and facilitating--which I hoped would soften resistance. It worked, in a sense--built a foundation without threatening or demanding--but only took us so far. (No turnover relating to convergence....some radio faces, but found other ways for them to participate.)
So we made a change: Hired Rob Curley. Ann went back to editorial page, Rob took charge. So would we have had foundation, teamwork, for Rob to take advantage of, if we had not started with Ann? Or should we have demanded faster pace at the outset? Don't know, but happy where we are. You DO need to push people, at some point!
When we hire, we take different approach--looking for people with multimedia skills and finding them!
Could we do it better? Dolph Simons will not let us be complacent. Can/should always do better...
Pay scales: we do pay above Newspaper Industry Compensation Study--and higher staff levels for 20K circ. And even higher for cable TV.
Circ: at one time could say had circ gains attributed to convergence. 26 consecutive months. But no longer true--since end of telemarketing, Do-Not-Call. Also churning too many subscribers, so disqualified...switched to Easy-Pay and rebuilding. Adopted CAC along with ABC, so could count additional samples. New residents: hook up to Cable TV, single family home (vs. trailer or certain apartments), qualify for 90-day free subscription. Then follow up with marketing to convert to paid subs.
Griffin studies TV--our 6 News beat network counterparts in their time slots.
low penetration of Dish in market, very high penetration of broadband.
Increases in pageviews so dramatic...
part of plan: application pending at FCC for over the air TV license. If we get that will be able to do some more interesting things with convergence (smile).
Martire study dated...probably near 100%.
Our Web operation is not profitable. Fell short of breakeven last year by $92k. This year we will bring in more than enough to cover last year's expenses...
50% penetration of households, print. At one time (long ago) 80% or above. In growing community, circ is flat. KC Star, Topeka also losing circ in this market. Even student newspaper press run is down, even though univ student body is growing. National study: 26% of people get news from Internet alone.
Cable penetration 80% is damned high. Theory: Because we are defacto TV station for Lawrence, provides reason to subscribe to our cable TV...plus early broadband plus telephony, plus reasonably priced.
Marketing: will use student newspaper, some radio (rarely).
Churn: slowed--by our election.
What financial benefits due to online presence (in addition to customer benefits)? Advertising didn't have to get a building to get the idea. Ad convergence was like that! (snap fingers). Saw value of packages! we're not going to let you cut your ad budget: TV, print, and Internet (spend more!)
Allocate? Don't care what pocket...
What we want is to be the source of information for your community--if we do a good job with content, that will bring viewers, readers, whatever, can be converted to money from advertisers.
Rob/Robin question:
Relationship of weeklies: small staffs, stand-alone right now, but ultimate strategy to weave together with LJ World--maybe deliver LJW on Sunday to people getting mid-week weekly...but not fully converged yet. Shawnee, Lansing,--people coming out of woodwork asking us to do it in other towns...people fed up with crappy newspapers run by chains, I can tell you that!
Use Web to fill in during the week (compete with daily newspapers.)
Some weeklies contiguous, some not.
Segment of daily staff living away our stories to our competitors by putting them online first...
One of the holdouts held his story--was beaten. Could have been first, if he had given it to Web. So he learned a lesson.
For weeklies, best management experience comes from daily. Better at getting news out every day.
KC Star sells 4,000 in Lawrence. High was 6k in 95 when we went morning and converging. Pushed 'em back to 3k, they've risen on the basis of sponsored circulation!
We're litigious organization: FOIA, athletic department, court sketches, KC Star taking our photos, TV station using image from our Web site;
When the chairman and the two sons next generation of ownership, and key managers get together with staff and say this is our strategy, helps. Did that get everybody on board instantaneously? No, but raises did help. Second round people didn't get raises--"you're too late. Dessert is served." Nobody now is footdragging...
Every hiring prospect meets all three managers.
Where do you get people? All over--Sophie is definitely major-market. Practicing world-class journalism has nothing to do with what your Sunday circ is. We're getting people from larger pubs. Award winning, subject of studies--the word is out, this is a different place to work. No longer simple 20k daily...
Ralph Gage, COO: problems and successes:
Had competitive situation: KC Star, Topeka Capitol on other side, plus network and PBS stations from both KC and Topeka.
Also recognized space needs in 95.
free newspapers...
TV--Sunflower also in 4 of free weekly markets
Single ad on 6 News, LJ World, online can reach 90% of population!
One-county for newspaper
Cable limited by fiber
Internet not limited geographically
Internet enabled us to reach out further (story for advertisers)
Company organization:
3 family members active--head of electronic division, head of news, chairman--involved, will have story, production ideas.
Ad director also responsible for circulation
Rob Curley has overall charge of our news operation--when it's time to converge..(not involved in making paper up every day)
Leader of company, family: "This is the way we're going to do it." Impossible to overstate commitment. Vision, strategy, support of ownership. Not a culture of high risk--but have been out front in some things: telephony, cable, Internet, well-reasoned chances, didn't put company in peril if we failed.
Biggest obstacle: Sunflower established to be own profit center--so had culture of heated competition. "Across the street" used to be pejorative. Helped to move converged news into this building. Started with cross-promotion...then had architects look at Orlando, Tampa, but we're already doing some things better--convinced we could do it even better.
Convergence groups: included managers, hourly employees, people not even involved in news. 4-5 days meeting...had them review media memory; spend time in each other's departments, find what they had in common. First group even had to deliver newspapers together. Got special shirts no one else had. Each group would refine project for next group--got most through the process before moved in. Got enough in, so at least weren't dumped in with strangers...
Had competitive situation: KC Star, Topeka Capitol on other side, plus network and PBS stations from both KC and Topeka.
Also recognized space needs in 95.
free newspapers...
TV--Sunflower also in 4 of free weekly markets
Single ad on 6 News, LJ World, online can reach 90% of population!
One-county for newspaper
Cable limited by fiber
Internet not limited geographically
Internet enabled us to reach out further (story for advertisers)
Company organization:
3 family members active--head of electronic division, head of news, chairman--involved, will have story, production ideas.
Ad director also responsible for circulation
Rob Curley has overall charge of our news operation--when it's time to converge..(not involved in making paper up every day)
Leader of company, family: "This is the way we're going to do it." Impossible to overstate commitment. Vision, strategy, support of ownership. Not a culture of high risk--but have been out front in some things: telephony, cable, Internet, well-reasoned chances, didn't put company in peril if we failed.
Biggest obstacle: Sunflower established to be own profit center--so had culture of heated competition. "Across the street" used to be pejorative. Helped to move converged news into this building. Started with cross-promotion...then had architects look at Orlando, Tampa, but we're already doing some things better--convinced we could do it even better.
Convergence groups: included managers, hourly employees, people not even involved in news. 4-5 days meeting...had them review media memory; spend time in each other's departments, find what they had in common. First group even had to deliver newspapers together. Got special shirts no one else had. Each group would refine project for next group--got most through the process before moved in. Got enough in, so at least weren't dumped in with strangers...
infographic--state map by county--click to reveal rainfall this year, last year, what it means in dollars to farmers
worked with state officials to deepen stats
hand-held home video of farmers
Got lawmaker to stop in Lawrence to do live chat on his way through (commuting)
Bill Snead link on ljworld: photo galleries, 250 at least; check it out!
prisoner's rap:
posted lyrics, photographer recorded audio; photo slide show with audio and interview transcript, and lyrics, and video.
MO question:
Try to do at least 1 a day full webification; sometimes 3-5; size of refer and logo tells you how much time we spent on it.
Cup of Joel: most popular (most benign, too); now run in print.
Also does blog showing what media is covering Kansas--also now in print weekly.
Now reads his blog on Kansas Public radio.
Breaking news: reporters call in to online news editor with camera cellphones. Defined as new news that hasn't appeared in newspaper yet. Can run one-column in print.
Reader photos: mostly weather--lightning!
Podcasting: whole ch. 6 evening broadcast. Two reporters wanted to do podcast. Cliff's Notes version of newspaper--in five minutes. "News in a pod." Don't be afraid to have some fun. (Humming Star Wars theme behind reporter.)
Put TV stories on PSP!
built custom news budgeting software. Reporters input what stories; column shows which medium is slotting story (print, online, TV)--Then web editor sends webification info to other editors;
Nielsen's for the newspaper: Most read stories overnight to management and editors. Searches, page one story rankings--above fold, rack sales;
Once a quarter: show all media elements for top stories; photos 10,000 times; audio 40,000 times, video 4,000, message board: 50,000; video game version, lead story, column...(sports story)
Editor: helps us decide what to put up front. But not end-all, be-all. Still working on rack sale stat tie-in.
Urchin software. But reports put together by hand, edited by me.
'game'
Last summer launched "game" cover children 5-15 like the Yankees. Playing fields (360-degree)--get cancellation alerts. (Email or cellphone). 2:30 game editors call, put in database. Download schedule to your PDA or iPOD, or Outlook.... League rules; tons of photos ($250 cameras); Players of the week: any child nominated to be player of the week...gets to be one. (May have one, or six!)--Gets baseball card online--audio, action shot...
Two online interns: also laid-out 16-page tab. (150 students applied for these two positions.) Added third this year.
Fiber-cyber--sold as one buy: what your ad looks like in print depends on your print contract.
Inserting in Wednesday newspaper--rack sales up 250 copies a day (20k circ paper--a big deal)
blog by mother--run in print as op-ed
put every bit of data in box score--linked to video, stories, game by game stats page; Parse from Quark file
Then reporter picks top ten--then you can compare with other kids in every statistical category.
Retyped in every story from championship season
Rob Dean-media monopoly sensitivity?
A. Academic study: local radio station bought by big chain, took off local content--local population happy as long as no national chain...
6 editorial:
6 programming/design/commercial
director
recording of audio ($45 Radio Shack recorders, push red button at start, stop at end, hand over to online team)
"Our goal: make reporters look like rock stars."
Reporters do it for us!
10:30 Dennis, online editor, TV get together...
Plus interns.
game interns work on weekends. (May write on photographers' computers while photographers out shooting.)
game: baseball, softball: 2600 kids in rec leagues only June, July only now. Soccer in future...
Very uncomfortable with coaches, parents updating. Flash uses XML feed and text file--takes 4 minutes to build, so doesn't matter if only 4 people look at it. Hope to build relationship with our media that lasts a lifetime.
worked with state officials to deepen stats
hand-held home video of farmers
Got lawmaker to stop in Lawrence to do live chat on his way through (commuting)
Bill Snead link on ljworld: photo galleries, 250 at least; check it out!
prisoner's rap:
posted lyrics, photographer recorded audio; photo slide show with audio and interview transcript, and lyrics, and video.
MO question:
Try to do at least 1 a day full webification; sometimes 3-5; size of refer and logo tells you how much time we spent on it.
Cup of Joel: most popular (most benign, too); now run in print.
Also does blog showing what media is covering Kansas--also now in print weekly.
Now reads his blog on Kansas Public radio.
Breaking news: reporters call in to online news editor with camera cellphones. Defined as new news that hasn't appeared in newspaper yet. Can run one-column in print.
Reader photos: mostly weather--lightning!
Podcasting: whole ch. 6 evening broadcast. Two reporters wanted to do podcast. Cliff's Notes version of newspaper--in five minutes. "News in a pod." Don't be afraid to have some fun. (Humming Star Wars theme behind reporter.)
Put TV stories on PSP!
built custom news budgeting software. Reporters input what stories; column shows which medium is slotting story (print, online, TV)--Then web editor sends webification info to other editors;
Nielsen's for the newspaper: Most read stories overnight to management and editors. Searches, page one story rankings--above fold, rack sales;
Once a quarter: show all media elements for top stories; photos 10,000 times; audio 40,000 times, video 4,000, message board: 50,000; video game version, lead story, column...(sports story)
Editor: helps us decide what to put up front. But not end-all, be-all. Still working on rack sale stat tie-in.
Urchin software. But reports put together by hand, edited by me.
'game'
Last summer launched "game" cover children 5-15 like the Yankees. Playing fields (360-degree)--get cancellation alerts. (Email or cellphone). 2:30 game editors call, put in database. Download schedule to your PDA or iPOD, or Outlook.... League rules; tons of photos ($250 cameras); Players of the week: any child nominated to be player of the week...gets to be one. (May have one, or six!)--Gets baseball card online--audio, action shot...
Two online interns: also laid-out 16-page tab. (150 students applied for these two positions.) Added third this year.
Fiber-cyber--sold as one buy: what your ad looks like in print depends on your print contract.
Inserting in Wednesday newspaper--rack sales up 250 copies a day (20k circ paper--a big deal)
blog by mother--run in print as op-ed
put every bit of data in box score--linked to video, stories, game by game stats page; Parse from Quark file
Then reporter picks top ten--then you can compare with other kids in every statistical category.
Retyped in every story from championship season
Rob Dean-media monopoly sensitivity?
A. Academic study: local radio station bought by big chain, took off local content--local population happy as long as no national chain...
6 editorial:
6 programming/design/commercial
director
recording of audio ($45 Radio Shack recorders, push red button at start, stop at end, hand over to online team)
"Our goal: make reporters look like rock stars."
Reporters do it for us!
10:30 Dennis, online editor, TV get together...
Plus interns.
game interns work on weekends. (May write on photographers' computers while photographers out shooting.)
game: baseball, softball: 2600 kids in rec leagues only June, July only now. Soccer in future...
Very uncomfortable with coaches, parents updating. Flash uses XML feed and text file--takes 4 minutes to build, so doesn't matter if only 4 people look at it. Hope to build relationship with our media that lasts a lifetime.
Lawrence, cont.
Lost long post!
Don't feel we can compete with CNN (280 reporters).
quick summary: webification: 360-degree, steerable photos, plus 40 photos vs print's 5, plus links, blogs, reader comments, sidebar (Web-only), doc scan, archive of all related stories, polls, TV clips (12 meg files), audio-only download, excerpts from transcript in print.
Transcribed what Rush said about Lawrence; audio;
3 30-second clips
...
Murder trial: crime scene photos, timeline; cast of characters; scans of letters; for key days, front page of newspaper;
Mindie Paget, JW arts editor: online gallery of series of art works--recorded all her interviews, posted. weekly TV series coincided. Online-only pieces recorded too.
Give all of TV applicants formal written exam! TV reporters write at least briefs every week.
(Traffic too heavy? Drudge template--take all graphics off site)
Created calculator to tell you how many points you had (complicated system for seating for donations), then created virtual seating chart--could show you view from that seat.
"internology" have interns sit in each of 16,000 seats! (okay, pictures built in advance)
Built in 24-hour cycle
Sent only to rich people--we knew they didn't "mean" that, so we published Policies & Procedures statewide.
Run-ins with Athletic Director. ..
Lost long post!
Don't feel we can compete with CNN (280 reporters).
quick summary: webification: 360-degree, steerable photos, plus 40 photos vs print's 5, plus links, blogs, reader comments, sidebar (Web-only), doc scan, archive of all related stories, polls, TV clips (12 meg files), audio-only download, excerpts from transcript in print.
Transcribed what Rush said about Lawrence; audio;
3 30-second clips
...
Murder trial: crime scene photos, timeline; cast of characters; scans of letters; for key days, front page of newspaper;
Mindie Paget, JW arts editor: online gallery of series of art works--recorded all her interviews, posted. weekly TV series coincided. Online-only pieces recorded too.
Give all of TV applicants formal written exam! TV reporters write at least briefs every week.
(Traffic too heavy? Drudge template--take all graphics off site)
Created calculator to tell you how many points you had (complicated system for seating for donations), then created virtual seating chart--could show you view from that seat.
"internology" have interns sit in each of 16,000 seats! (okay, pictures built in advance)
Built in 24-hour cycle
Sent only to rich people--we knew they didn't "mean" that, so we published Policies & Procedures statewide.
Run-ins with Athletic Director. ..
Lawrence, Kansas, Convergence Live in Kansas:
Rhode Island, Victoria, TX, Landmark, NY Times, newspaper investors...
Rob Curley (born 1971, same year cable TV was activated, with news, children's, women's programming)
Simons family has owned LJ World for over 100 years. Dolph Simons, Jr. (over 70), in 1992 says, "We're not a newspaper company, not a cable company--we're going to serve our readers however they want to be served."
TV, newspaper, broadband, telephony > reach over 90% of Lawrence residents.
Sunflower-top cable system in U.S. last year
LJWorld--best Web sites
commercial printing
cable
95--one of the first to offer high-speed Internet
80% wired
50% of those have high speed
6 News and LJW originally enemies, but united in 99 to fight common enemy
2001 converged "News Center"--broken down by beat, not medium
2003--Wireless hot spots around Lawrence
2003--first to publish to cell phones (SMS)
6,000 people during basketball season (out of 80,000 people)
very different convergence--organic, very bottom up--happens from reporter level
3 years ago--shift: made home page local only (bombs in Iraq, space shuttle only if local angle)--all lead stories webified
result?
500k pageviews a month...jumped to 7 million a month in May
visit numerous times a day
ex. refer to all political contributors
chats with mayor, coaches
News almost always happens in our chats
Rhode Island, Victoria, TX, Landmark, NY Times, newspaper investors...
Rob Curley (born 1971, same year cable TV was activated, with news, children's, women's programming)
Simons family has owned LJ World for over 100 years. Dolph Simons, Jr. (over 70), in 1992 says, "We're not a newspaper company, not a cable company--we're going to serve our readers however they want to be served."
TV, newspaper, broadband, telephony > reach over 90% of Lawrence residents.
Sunflower-top cable system in U.S. last year
LJWorld--best Web sites
commercial printing
cable
95--one of the first to offer high-speed Internet
80% wired
50% of those have high speed
6 News and LJW originally enemies, but united in 99 to fight common enemy
2001 converged "News Center"--broken down by beat, not medium
2003--Wireless hot spots around Lawrence
2003--first to publish to cell phones (SMS)
6,000 people during basketball season (out of 80,000 people)
very different convergence--organic, very bottom up--happens from reporter level
3 years ago--shift: made home page local only (bombs in Iraq, space shuttle only if local angle)--all lead stories webified
result?
500k pageviews a month...jumped to 7 million a month in May
visit numerous times a day
ex. refer to all political contributors
chats with mayor, coaches
News almost always happens in our chats
Lawrence, Kansas, Convergence Live in Kansas:
Rhode Island, Victoria, TX, Landmark, NY Times, newspaper investors...
Rob Curley (born 1971, same year cable TV was activated, with news, children's, women's programming)
Simons family has owned LJ World for over 100 years. Dolph Simons, Jr. (over 70), in 1992 says, "We're not a newspaper company, not a cable company--we're going to serve our readers however they want to be served."
TV, newspaper, broadband, telephony > reach over 90% of Lawrence residents.
Sunflower-top cable system in U.S. last year
LJWorld--best Web sites
commercial printing
cable
95--one of the first to offer high-speed Internet
80% wired
50% of those have high speed
6 News and LJW originally enemies, but united in 99 to fight common enemy
2001 converged "News Center"--broken down by beat, not medium
2003--Wireless hot spots around Lawrence
2003--first to publish to cell phones (SMS)
6,000 people during basketball season (out of 80,000 people)
very different convergence--organic, very bottom up--happens from reporter level
3 years ago--shift: made home page local only (bombs in Iraq, space shuttle only if local angle)--all lead stories webified
result?
500k pageviews a month...jumped to 7 million a month in May
visit numerous times a day
ex. refer to all political contributors
chats with mayor, coaches
News almost always happens in our chats
Rhode Island, Victoria, TX, Landmark, NY Times, newspaper investors...
Rob Curley (born 1971, same year cable TV was activated, with news, children's, women's programming)
Simons family has owned LJ World for over 100 years. Dolph Simons, Jr. (over 70), in 1992 says, "We're not a newspaper company, not a cable company--we're going to serve our readers however they want to be served."
TV, newspaper, broadband, telephony > reach over 90% of Lawrence residents.
Sunflower-top cable system in U.S. last year
LJWorld--best Web sites
commercial printing
cable
95--one of the first to offer high-speed Internet
80% wired
50% of those have high speed
6 News and LJW originally enemies, but united in 99 to fight common enemy
2001 converged "News Center"--broken down by beat, not medium
2003--Wireless hot spots around Lawrence
2003--first to publish to cell phones (SMS)
6,000 people during basketball season (out of 80,000 people)
very different convergence--organic, very bottom up--happens from reporter level
3 years ago--shift: made home page local only (bombs in Iraq, space shuttle only if local angle)--all lead stories webified
result?
500k pageviews a month...jumped to 7 million a month in May
visit numerous times a day
ex. refer to all political contributors
chats with mayor, coaches
News almost always happens in our chats
chats monitored by beat reporter (who also sets them up)
transcript in paper, Ch. 6 covers...
Only two people have refused to chat--one candidate then lost
Then the coach refused week before tournament--and lost!
Call sports guys on cell phones, someone transcribes. (Even Wash Post does that)
Only school board candidates MUST type in responses.
Reporter decides how to cover: 8 inch story, or partial transcript.
Start promoting 36 hours before, accepting questions.
Can be overwhelming for coach, 5-700 questions!
Can only answer 11 in 30 minutes
Or...for fire chief takes 36 hours to gather enough questions.
Live chat doesn't get much traffic--but transcript does.
Promote in print.
Print side has different agenda--chances are only newspaper on your doorstep. But no one surfs Internet that way...
Journalism to be dialogue, not monologue. Chat and transcript, stats on donations, reader comments, TV...
Local scorecard on presidential debate: exports directly to Quark express. (Substance, body language, choice of words, facial expression, plus comments)
election:
Updated every five minutes: one person at courthouse sending via IM to Web which fed to print and Ch. 6;
Built a map of city, shows votes by neighborhood (precinct); links to audio, photos, print content.
Tell us about your election experience (blog)
Q. How many people had to touch Web page? Reporter would instruct page designer...Build home page by hand every day so as not to have computer make decisions...
Nearly everyone on our staff has journalism degree--even lead programmer.
Clinton visit: first story posted by Web editor: weather has changed, here's where to park. Took cell calls from reporters, combined into one story (reporter bylines, not his);
Webification: complete transcript, many more photos (40 on site, 5 in print); cable-only TV--also on Web; live speech broken into 12-meg files; (don't even flinch); audio-only download: steerable 360-degree photos (photo request); MEDIA-AGNOSTIC
transcript in paper, Ch. 6 covers...
Only two people have refused to chat--one candidate then lost
Then the coach refused week before tournament--and lost!
Call sports guys on cell phones, someone transcribes. (Even Wash Post does that)
Only school board candidates MUST type in responses.
Reporter decides how to cover: 8 inch story, or partial transcript.
Start promoting 36 hours before, accepting questions.
Can be overwhelming for coach, 5-700 questions!
Can only answer 11 in 30 minutes
Or...for fire chief takes 36 hours to gather enough questions.
Live chat doesn't get much traffic--but transcript does.
Promote in print.
Print side has different agenda--chances are only newspaper on your doorstep. But no one surfs Internet that way...
Journalism to be dialogue, not monologue. Chat and transcript, stats on donations, reader comments, TV...
Local scorecard on presidential debate: exports directly to Quark express. (Substance, body language, choice of words, facial expression, plus comments)
election:
Updated every five minutes: one person at courthouse sending via IM to Web which fed to print and Ch. 6;
Built a map of city, shows votes by neighborhood (precinct); links to audio, photos, print content.
Tell us about your election experience (blog)
Q. How many people had to touch Web page? Reporter would instruct page designer...Build home page by hand every day so as not to have computer make decisions...
Nearly everyone on our staff has journalism degree--even lead programmer.
Clinton visit: first story posted by Web editor: weather has changed, here's where to park. Took cell calls from reporters, combined into one story (reporter bylines, not his);
Webification: complete transcript, many more photos (40 on site, 5 in print); cable-only TV--also on Web; live speech broken into 12-meg files; (don't even flinch); audio-only download: steerable 360-degree photos (photo request); MEDIA-AGNOSTIC
Wednesday, May 18, 2005
The talk of the week in media circles includes:
* NY Times chooses to corral its columnists and charge for access (along with archives) for $49.95 a year. Don't know how the archives part will work out--does that mean charging $2.95 per article isn't working? Under pressure, Nisenholtz said they were thinking of a deal for bloggers, because so many people thought it would be dreadful for NYT not to be included in the blogosphere. (Presumably dreadful for the bloggers, too. What would they have to blog about?)
* Pretty much at the same time, the L.A. Times dropped its monthly charge for its calendar of events. Didn't two or three top people quit when they instituted that charge a year or two ago? Can't hope to keep/attract those young readers who are interested in what to do, when you charge them.
* Then there's Bill Moyers' scorching speech at the Reforming Media conference. No, I repeat, no non-local MSM coverage of the conference--nothing on AP, nothing in Google--even while the mainstream media is wringing its hands over its declining readership. Check it out: http://www.freepress.net/news/8120
* NY Times chooses to corral its columnists and charge for access (along with archives) for $49.95 a year. Don't know how the archives part will work out--does that mean charging $2.95 per article isn't working? Under pressure, Nisenholtz said they were thinking of a deal for bloggers, because so many people thought it would be dreadful for NYT not to be included in the blogosphere. (Presumably dreadful for the bloggers, too. What would they have to blog about?)
* Pretty much at the same time, the L.A. Times dropped its monthly charge for its calendar of events. Didn't two or three top people quit when they instituted that charge a year or two ago? Can't hope to keep/attract those young readers who are interested in what to do, when you charge them.
* Then there's Bill Moyers' scorching speech at the Reforming Media conference. No, I repeat, no non-local MSM coverage of the conference--nothing on AP, nothing in Google--even while the mainstream media is wringing its hands over its declining readership. Check it out: http://www.freepress.net/news/8120
Wednesday, April 27, 2005
Do you think if everyone's piling on, that it's time to counter-program, reverse field, buy the contrarian stocks? I guess it's not quite everyone, because The New York Observer isn't quite Reader's Digest...But did you catch Rupert Murdoch's speech to the national convention of editors? (Link to follow.)
Never mind. The Newspaper Association of America is going to fight back. They've hired an ad agency to reposition newspapers, change the associations with the "brand" of newspaper...
More soon!
Never mind. The Newspaper Association of America is going to fight back. They've hired an ad agency to reposition newspapers, change the associations with the "brand" of newspaper...
More soon!
This is a quick, "oops, Stefan is telling everyone I have a blog" post, just so the space doesn't look dated. Recent reading:
"The Vanishing Newspaper" --a fascinating exercise in carefully applied statistics. Well, maybe that's an oxymoron--fascinating statistics. Especially since author Philip Meyer (one-time reporter, early applier of marketing statistics to newspaper sales, current professor) is so careful to surround his findings with caveats that it's easy to dismiss, if you're so inclined. But the real message is that newspapers can survive and make money, even to Wall Street expectations, if they invest in quality journalism--and adopt new distribution methods. Statistics show that quality sells!
"We the Media" by Dan Gillmor, formerly of the San Jose Mercury News. Grassroots journalism...No clear business model, though.
"Bad News--The decline of reporting, the business of news, and the danger to us all." by Tom Fenton, a one-time (true) television journalist. Subtitle says it all.
Coming soon: "The Press" by A. J. Liebling, first published in 1961. Pub date says it all...
"The Vanishing Newspaper" --a fascinating exercise in carefully applied statistics. Well, maybe that's an oxymoron--fascinating statistics. Especially since author Philip Meyer (one-time reporter, early applier of marketing statistics to newspaper sales, current professor) is so careful to surround his findings with caveats that it's easy to dismiss, if you're so inclined. But the real message is that newspapers can survive and make money, even to Wall Street expectations, if they invest in quality journalism--and adopt new distribution methods. Statistics show that quality sells!
"We the Media" by Dan Gillmor, formerly of the San Jose Mercury News. Grassroots journalism...No clear business model, though.
"Bad News--The decline of reporting, the business of news, and the danger to us all." by Tom Fenton, a one-time (true) television journalist. Subtitle says it all.
Coming soon: "The Press" by A. J. Liebling, first published in 1961. Pub date says it all...
Wednesday, January 12, 2005
As a Web publisher, I naturally seize on all signs of Web progress, and that inevitably leads me to signs of print decline. However, since I'm employed by what started out as and is still 95% funded by, print publications, I have to be somewhat sensitive internally.
In yet another level of my identity, I'm a liberal with radical roots (and sometimes my roots are showing!), and at this level, I'm quite worried about the decline in newspapers, because of the premise that an informed electorate is the foundation of a secure and successful democracy. If that's true, and I think it is, we're in trouble!
This topic raises lots of questions for me. Can the Web help as well as hurt? That is, are tools amoral, or do they have an intrinsic nature that helps transform the world in specific directions? If community involvement in the news cycle is good (and we think it is at www.FreeNewMexican.com), then what's the downside--because you know there always is one...or more!
In yet another level of my identity, I'm a liberal with radical roots (and sometimes my roots are showing!), and at this level, I'm quite worried about the decline in newspapers, because of the premise that an informed electorate is the foundation of a secure and successful democracy. If that's true, and I think it is, we're in trouble!
This topic raises lots of questions for me. Can the Web help as well as hurt? That is, are tools amoral, or do they have an intrinsic nature that helps transform the world in specific directions? If community involvement in the news cycle is good (and we think it is at www.FreeNewMexican.com), then what's the downside--because you know there always is one...or more!
Tuesday, August 19, 2003
SantaFeNewMexican.com--This is where I work. We're gradually introducing elements of "participatory journalism." Look in the link "On Our Web Site" for details.
A favorite description of the spectrum from delusion through fiction to journalism is to imagine a straight line passing by a point. The point represents the object being portrayed. If you're looking at the point from the midpoint of the line, you're looking at it straight on, at the shortest distance. Presumably that's the most accurate view.
If you're pretty far along the line to the left or right of the midpoint of the line, your view of the object is pretty distorted. Far enough out to one side or the other, and the world will call your view of the object delusional, even unrecognizable. Poetry can be pretty far off-center.
The job of the fiction writer might be described as to go as far to one side or the other as possible to give people a fresh view of the object, without losing connection with the so-called normal or objectively accurate view.
The job of the journalist might be described as finding the centerpoint. The job of the committed radical (in either political direction) is to convince people that the centerpoint is over here--or there.
Unfortunately there's not always a ruler handy to indicate where the centerpoint of the line is, so we all argue about it. But sometimes there is, and I aim to try to point out when I see a ruler.
If you're pretty far along the line to the left or right of the midpoint of the line, your view of the object is pretty distorted. Far enough out to one side or the other, and the world will call your view of the object delusional, even unrecognizable. Poetry can be pretty far off-center.
The job of the fiction writer might be described as to go as far to one side or the other as possible to give people a fresh view of the object, without losing connection with the so-called normal or objectively accurate view.
The job of the journalist might be described as finding the centerpoint. The job of the committed radical (in either political direction) is to convince people that the centerpoint is over here--or there.
Unfortunately there's not always a ruler handy to indicate where the centerpoint of the line is, so we all argue about it. But sometimes there is, and I aim to try to point out when I see a ruler.
