J O U R 3340 Oct 6 Online Journalism

University of North Texas
Department of Journalism
Online Journalism 3340
Oct. 6, 2009
Newsrooms & Convergence –In Detail

Today’s class
Convergence and newsrooms
Saving newspapers?
BLOG POST DUE THURSDAY, OCT. 8
Write 300 – 500 words on the impact/role of multimedia storytelling
Here are the links:
Knight Digital Media Center: Multimedia Storytelling
http://multimedia.journalism.berkeley.edu/tutorials/reporting/starttofinish/choose/
Online Journalism Review: “Multimedia Storytelling: when is it worth it?
http://www.ojr.org/ojr/stories/070210ruel/

Types of News Websites
“Convergence” takes form in various ways
Uneven development due to:
Size of media company
Philosophy
Strategic
Competitive strategy

Corporate Structure
Specific newspaper brands tied to the home town
Dallasnews.com
Washingtonpost.com
Nytimes.com
Umbrella sites
Newhouse News’ Regional Approach
AlabamaLive.com
NJ.com
ClevelandLive.com
Which approach is better? Does it matter?

Convergence: Ownership
Company owns multiple content or distribution channels
Disney/ABC
Viacom/CBS
GE/NBC
Fox
Time Warner
Leverage technology: synergy
Cross promote
Develop once, distribute in multiple platforms
Source: Rich Gordon - http://ojr.org/ojr/business/1068686368.php

Convergence: Ownership
The critics:
Eliminating a “diversity of voices”
Reducing competition
Evolution of “communications” companies

Convergence: Tactical
Partnerships between TV & Newspapers
Collaboration with competition
More “resources”: ‘feet on the street’
Generating eyeballs/readers
Several critical issues:
Who runs the story first?
Role of the newspaper TV critic “covering” programs on the partner TV station

Convergence: Tactical
Why Media General thinks it works
Tampa Tribune, WFLA, TampaTribune.com
Daily tips/information
Spot news
Photography
Enterprise reporting
“Franchises” – TV reporter with a newspaper column; City Hall reporter with a nightly spot on TV newscast
Public service
Events

Convergence: Structure
Media company reengineers the newsroom to make it function like a “converged” newsroom
Orlando Sentinel:
Launched a 24-hour local cable news channel in partnership with Time Warner Cable
Created a staff of multimedia editors whose job it is to do whatever is necessary to get newspaper content -- and print reporters -- on the air.
The editors, most of whom come from broadcast backgrounds, coordinate between the two newsrooms, arrange talkbacks for print reporters and produce original TV programming, such as a weekly

Convergence: Structure
Startribune.com, the Web site of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune
Hired a TV photographer and producer to serve as an online multimedia reporter.
Covers news events, shoots video, takes still photographs and creates multimedia presentations for the Web site.

Convergence: Information Gathering
Retraining staff
Reporters learning how to shoot stills, videos and capture digital audio
Photographers learn how to shoot video along with stills
Evolution of “MoJos”, “Preditors”
Blurring of lines between print & broadcast

Convergence: Presentation (Storytelling)
Multimedia packages
Reporting, writing, photography, audio, video, information graphics
Readers gets to interact
NY Times: How different groups spend their day
TampaBay.com: Mugshots
Charlotte Observer: The Smoky Mountains

“Shovelware
What you read in the daily newspaper or see on TV is what you see on the website
Costs
Staffing
Lack of technology/content management system
Strategic decision
All stories written in traditional inverted pyramid style
What are the pros & cons?

Periodic Updating
Mainly shovelware with some exceptions
Breaking News
Sports stories/scores
Some dedicated staff assigned

Continuous Updating
Combination of shovelware and original packages
Wire-service (AP, Reuters) operation mentality
Sports stories/scores
Special ‘web-only’ reports
Extensive interactive features, graphics, including audio and video
Full-time dedicated staff

Digital Storytelling Tools
Shovelware out, Within Media In
It’s no place for lazy journalists
Dig deeper, report more, drive to find more sources, quicker
Need to be more accurate and more thorough
Search, research and verify

Integration
“Among-media”
Shovelware
Reproducing newspaper story as-is into newspaper
Posting video from newscast onto the web
“I think that the great fear was that we were all going to turn into three-headed monsters and do three times as much work in eight hours, and you just can’t. And, furthermore, you probably won’t do it that well; particularly in a market this size you can’t afford to have a mediocre person on TV or a mediocre news writer.”
Jim Riley, Director of Operations, of TBO.com
http://www.ojr.org/ojr/workplace/1017858030.php

Integration
“Within-media”
Great reporting + multimedia using digital media tools: your pen, paper, digital recorder, digital video camera
Long form narrative meets digital story telling
Fully integrated into the story assignment process
Ability for more in-depth coverage
Better interviews
Greater consciousness of photos
Selected use of video
Fairness & accuracy still reign

Types of Convergence
Storytelling or presentation: Using digital tools to create new forms of story telling.
Print
Broadcast
Internet

Types of Convergence
Storytelling or presentation: Using digital tools to create new forms of story telling.
Broadcast
Internet
Print

The Interactive Audience
Shorter lines of communication between journalists and audience
Traditional Media:
Readers v. Non-readers
Readers an ‘amorphous mass’
Defined audience – by geography
Circulation, ‘signal’

The Interactive Audience
Now:
Individual, personalized, direct
Email addresses for reporters
Tracking readers: Story by story
Top Down
Editors to
Readers
Readers in
Control
Audience
Participation

Participatory journalism - “We Media”
http://www.hypergene.net/wemedia/weblog.php?id=P36