Trends in Online Journalism

Online Journalism One of the biggest growth opportunities is online journalism Web Editors often make more money than their print editor counterparts Expectations include writing AND technical skills

One of the biggest growth opportunities is online journalism

Web Editors often make more money than their print editor counterparts

Expectations include writing AND technical skills

Jobs Web editor and producer positions pay higher than the equivalent print positions Web editor (Seattle) $65,000 Web producer (Seattle) $89,000 NOTE: The above info comes from Salary.com survey data

Web editor and producer positions pay higher than the equivalent print positions

Web editor (Seattle) $65,000

Web producer (Seattle) $89,000

NOTE: The above info comes from Salary.com survey data

Online Journalism Jobs Job titles may vary, but there are typically these positions: Web Editor Senior Web Editor/Managing Web Editor Web Producer Senior Web Producer/Managing Web Producer Other titles: Multimedia Assignment Editor Multimedia Assignment Producer Presentation Editor Internet Content Editor

Job titles may vary, but there are typically these positions:

Web Editor

Senior Web Editor/Managing Web Editor

Web Producer

Senior Web Producer/Managing Web Producer

Other titles:

Multimedia Assignment Editor

Multimedia Assignment Producer

Presentation Editor

Internet Content Editor

Recent Survey Results Highest valued “Editing and Copyediting Skills” among New Media Content Producers: News judgment Grammar and style Headline writing for the Web Story combining/shortening

Highest valued “Editing and Copyediting Skills” among New Media Content Producers:

News judgment

Grammar and style

Headline writing for the Web

Story combining/shortening

Recent Survey Results Highest valued “Content Editing Skills” among New Media Content Producers: Photo editing Reporting and writing original stories Alternative story forms (polls, quizzes, etc.) Audio production Video production

Highest valued “Content Editing Skills” among New Media Content Producers:

Photo editing

Reporting and writing original stories

Alternative story forms (polls, quizzes, etc.)

Audio production

Video production

Recent Survey Results Highest valued “attitude and intangible” skills in New Media Content Producers: Multitasking ability Attention to detail Communication skills Ability to work under time pressure

Highest valued “attitude and intangible” skills in New Media Content Producers:

Multitasking ability

Attention to detail

Communication skills

Ability to work under time pressure

Reading Habits Reading online is typically 25% slower than print Some “tricks” to keep a reader interested: Layout with bullet points and bold subheads Break longer stories into “chunks” Include multimedia elements Polls Slideshows Audio/Video

Reading online is typically 25% slower than print

Some “tricks” to keep a reader interested:

Layout with bullet points and bold subheads

Break longer stories into “chunks”

Include multimedia elements

Polls

Slideshows

Audio/Video

Web Journalism What works online? Breaking news Links to credible sources Instant archives Interactivity Multimedia

What works online?

Breaking news

Links to credible sources

Instant archives

Interactivity

Multimedia

Storytelling or Presentation Convergence New ways of “telling the story” are emerging Use more than just audio, video or text Readers/Viewers can participate Unlimited “space” to tell the story Non-linear structure

New ways of “telling the story” are emerging

Use more than just audio, video or text

Readers/Viewers can participate

Unlimited “space” to tell the story

Non-linear structure

Example “Being A Black Man” in The Washington Post

“Being A Black Man” in The Washington Post

Backpack Journalism Online journalists need to know how to write, shoot and record They also have technology skills for posting/uploading stories online “Backpack Journalism” = All the tools for reporting fit in your backpack Self-contained reporter from story creation to distribution

Online journalists need to know how to write, shoot and record

They also have technology skills for posting/uploading stories online

“Backpack Journalism” = All the tools for reporting fit in your backpack

Self-contained reporter from story creation to distribution

“Backpack Journalist” Employers want to hire someone that can do it all Write an accurate story fast Use new media tools to tell the story

Employers want to hire someone that can do it all

Write an accurate story fast

Use new media tools to tell the story

Examples KRON-TV San Francisco Current TV

KRON-TV San Francisco

Current TV

Journalists Moving Online Some established journalists are moving online to have more control over their reporting Example: CNN’s Daryn Kagan Walter Cronkite blog

Some established journalists are moving online to have more control over their reporting

Example:

CNN’s Daryn Kagan

Walter Cronkite blog

Welcome to Web 2.0

Web 2.0 The term is subject to “hype” and remains in debate and in flux

The term is subject to “hype” and remains in debate and in flux

Web 2.0 Content power shift to the masses rather than the “mass media” Mass media is “de-massed” It’s all about YOU

Content power shift to the masses rather than the “mass media”

Mass media is “de-massed”

It’s all about YOU

Web 2.0 & Journalism Architecture of participation User-generated content Blogs Wikis “ Crowdsourcing” Social networking sites

Architecture of participation

User-generated content

Blogs

Wikis

“ Crowdsourcing”

Social networking sites

User-Generated Content These sites build content from the submission of users, rather than staff editors or writers “ Blogs”/Personal Journals Photos Podcasts Video sharing (“Vlogs”) Reviews/Advice Forums

These sites build content from the submission of users, rather than staff editors or writers

“ Blogs”/Personal Journals

Photos

Podcasts

Video sharing (“Vlogs”)

Reviews/Advice

Forums

Photobucket vs. Kodakgallery

Beyond the Computer Web serves as a platform for other technologies to interoperate with Mobile devices Home entertainment devices Appliances

Web serves as a platform for other technologies to interoperate with

Mobile devices

Home entertainment devices

Appliances

Online Publishing Tools Publishing information online has become easier due to several self-publishing tools and content management systems

Publishing information online has become easier due to several self-publishing tools and content management systems

Example: Blogs Popular Blog Tools Blogger.com LiveJournal WordPress

Popular Blog Tools

Blogger.com

LiveJournal

WordPress

Blog Popularity A new blog is started every second Many remain unread and semi-anonymous A few end up with a strong following Most are not created by journalists!

A new blog is started every second

Many remain unread and semi-anonymous

A few end up with a strong following

Most are not created by journalists!

Who is Blogging? Bloggers are young More than half (54%) of bloggers are under the age of 30. 55% of bloggers blog under a pseudonym, and 46% blog under their own name. SOURCE: PEW INSTITUTE 2006 SURVEY

Bloggers are young

More than half (54%) of bloggers are under the age of 30.

55% of bloggers blog under a pseudonym, and 46% blog under their own name.

SOURCE: PEW INSTITUTE 2006 SURVEY

Is it Journalism? Most bloggers do not think of what they do as journalism. 34% of bloggers consider their blog a form of journalism, and 65% of bloggers do not. SOURCE: PEW INSTITUTE 2006 SURVEY

Most bloggers do not think of what they do as journalism.

34% of bloggers consider their blog a form of journalism, and 65% of bloggers do not.

Is It Journalism? Most have not “trained” to be journalists 57% of bloggers include links to original sources either “sometimes” or “often.” 56% of bloggers spend extra time trying to verify facts they want to include in a post either “sometimes” or “often.” SOURCE: PEW INSTITUTE 2006 SURVEY

Most have not “trained” to be journalists

57% of bloggers include links to original sources either “sometimes” or “often.”

56% of bloggers spend extra time trying to verify facts they want to include in a post either “sometimes” or “often.”

Beyond Text Bloggers are using more than simple words to tell their stories 72% Photos 30% Audio 15% Video SOURCE: PEW INSTITUTE 2006 SURVEY

Bloggers are using more than simple words to tell their stories

72% Photos

30% Audio

15% Video

“ Moblogging” Mobile phone blogging Instant “on location” blogging via one’s mobile phone Photo share publishing “on the go” Uses camera phones to see what the publisher sees instantly

Mobile phone blogging

Instant “on location” blogging via one’s mobile phone

Photo share publishing “on the go”

Uses camera phones to see what the publisher sees instantly

“ Moblogging” Mobile phone blogging Instant “on location” blogging via one’s mobile phone Photo share publishing “on the go” Uses camera phones to see what the publisher sees instantly

Mobile phone blogging

Instant “on location” blogging via one’s mobile phone

Photo share publishing “on the go”

Uses camera phones to see what the publisher sees instantly

Moblogs and Breaking News U.S. east coast blackout London subway terrorist bombing

U.S. east coast blackout

London subway terrorist bombing

User-controlled News Internet users like to have some control over the media they consume Personalized news Peer-recommended news “Open-source” news

Internet users like to have some control over the media they consume

Personalized news

Peer-recommended news

“Open-source” news

Personalized News Google News No editors are employed Uses traffic analysis and readership patterns to determine what is most newsworthy

Google News

No editors are employed

Uses traffic analysis and readership patterns to determine what is most newsworthy

Peer-recommended News Digg.com Readers “vote” on what they like Highest votes = highest news placement on site

Digg.com

Readers “vote” on what they like

Highest votes = highest news placement on site

“Open-Source” News OhMyNews Huge in South Korea Expanded to international audience 41,000 “citizen reporters” 20% of content created in-house by only 55 staff reporters

OhMyNews

Huge in South Korea

Expanded to international audience

41,000 “citizen reporters”

20% of content created in-house by only 55 staff reporters

“Open-Source” News WikiNews User-created news reports Collaborative editing by peers A Russian-language version is now available

WikiNews

User-created news reports

Collaborative editing by peers

A Russian-language version is now available

Mainstream News Dominates Independent news is thriving, but mainstream news still dominates online Top U.S. news sites: 1. Yahoo! News 2. MSNBC 3. AOL News 4. CNN 5. The New York Times SOURCE: 9/7/2006 COMSCORE REPORT

Independent news is thriving, but mainstream news still dominates online

Top U.S. news sites:

1. Yahoo! News

2. MSNBC

3. AOL News

4. CNN

5. The New York Times

SOURCE: 9/7/2006 COMSCORE REPORT

Mainstream News Blogs Mainstream news outlets are adapting their own blogs The New York Times The Washington Post CBS News MSNBC

Mainstream news outlets are adapting their own blogs

The New York Times

The Washington Post

CBS News

MSNBC

The Aggregators News site aggregators have proven to be very popular…and influential They do not write news, but they do create headlines and selectively choose which stories get coverage

News site aggregators have proven to be very popular…and influential

They do not write news, but they do create headlines and selectively choose which stories get coverage

The Aggregators Drudge Report Conservative in nature Monica Lewinsky/Bill Clinton Scandal Huffington Post Liberal response to Drudge Report

Drudge Report

Conservative in nature

Monica Lewinsky/Bill Clinton Scandal

Huffington Post

Liberal response to Drudge Report

The Aggregators Beyond news, there are several popular aggregate blog sites for specific areas of interest Examples: Technorati.com BoingBoing.net

Beyond news, there are several popular aggregate blog sites for specific areas of interest

Examples:

Technorati.com

BoingBoing.net

“ Crowdsourcing” “ Crowdsourcing” is a new trend in online journalism that has many supporters and skeptics

“ Crowdsourcing” is a new trend in online journalism that has many supporters and skeptics

What is “Crowdsourcing?” A collaborative form of reporting Each contributor researches and contributes a component to the overall piece The actual story may or may not be written by a collaborator Content is usually overseen by a centralized editor

A collaborative form of reporting

Each contributor researches and contributes a component to the overall piece

The actual story may or may not be written by a collaborator

Content is usually overseen by a centralized editor

“Pro-Am” Journalism Crowdsourcing is often referred to as “pro-am journalism” A combination of both professional and amateur contributions

Crowdsourcing is often referred to as “pro-am journalism”

A combination of both professional and amateur contributions

Examples of “Crowdsourcing” In Journalism: Wired.com and NYU: AssignmentZero.com Minnesota Public Radio: Public Insight Journalism

In Journalism:

Wired.com and NYU: AssignmentZero.com

Minnesota Public Radio: Public Insight Journalism

Gannett Restructuring Major media company Gannett restructured most of its print and Web operations to include “crowdsourcing” in Nov. 2006 “ Information Centers” Gannett is the largest newspaper publisher in the U.S. (by circulation)

Major media company Gannett restructured most of its print and Web operations to include “crowdsourcing” in Nov. 2006

“ Information Centers”

Gannett is the largest newspaper publisher in the U.S. (by circulation)

Pros Community involvement Transparency of reporting process Micro-reporting of events and developments normally missed by mainstream media “ Hyper-local” reporting Builds valuable “database” of content Tomorrow’s “reporters” may also be “database managers”

Community involvement

Transparency of reporting process

Micro-reporting of events and developments normally missed by mainstream media

“ Hyper-local” reporting

Builds valuable “database” of content

Tomorrow’s “reporters” may also be “database managers”

Cons “Amateur” reporting has its risks Majority rules Stories only developed because users ask for it (or participate in it) Subject to manipulation Political or personal agendas might inspire disproportionate coverage of particular issues Staff reporters might lose some value

“Amateur” reporting has its risks

Majority rules

Stories only developed because users ask for it (or participate in it)

Subject to manipulation

Political or personal agendas might inspire disproportionate coverage of particular issues

Staff reporters might lose some value

“Assignment Zero” Launched March 2007 Users “log in” to find potential news story assignments that they can contribute to Suggest questions for the reporter to ask Conduct research/interviews for the story In some cases, you can actually write the full story

Launched March 2007

Users “log in” to find potential news story assignments that they can contribute to

Suggest questions for the reporter to ask

Conduct research/interviews for the story

In some cases, you can actually write the full story