Taking the blah out of Blogging Chris Houchens bgdailynews.com | ChrisHouchens.com http://www.flickr.com/photos/stinkypeter/135098844/ Newspaper Blogs that work

What we’re talking about today Blogging’s big (small) picture The rules of engagement Why & how newspapers blog

Blogging’s big (small) picture

The rules of engagement

Why & how newspapers blog

The Quick Vocabulary Lesson Blog (n.) – Webpage with dated entries (v.) – To post content to a blog Blogger One who blogs Blogosphere All the blogs and bloggers RSS (Really Simple Syndication) A feed (subscription) to your blog Trackbacks and Comments Ways to communicate with blogs and bloggers Technorati Online tracker of blogs (the “google” of blog search) Web 2.0 Nickname for the new “social” structure of the internet

Blog

(n.) – Webpage with dated entries

(v.) – To post content to a blog

Blogger

One who blogs

Blogosphere

All the blogs and bloggers

RSS (Really Simple Syndication)

A feed (subscription) to your blog

Trackbacks and Comments

Ways to communicate with blogs and bloggers

Technorati

Online tracker of blogs (the “google” of blog search)

Web 2.0

Nickname for the new “social” structure of the internet

Newspaper Blogging (Scenario 1) We should have a BLOG! My daughter has a blog

http://www.flickr.com/photos/afternoon/506763391/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/studiomuscle/2194216263/

Newspaper Blogging (Scenario 2) We should have a BLOG! What’s a Blog?

Mainstream??? 62% of Americans still don't know what a blog is. Blog readership equals about 40% of the audience of talk radio 20% of adult newspaper readership BUT… *Pew Internet Research

62% of Americans still don't know what a blog is.

Blog readership equals about

40% of the audience of talk radio

20% of adult newspaper readership

*Pew Internet Research

Mainstream??? 6 million Americans say they get news and information fed to them through RSS Blog readership jumped 58% last year A new blog is created every 6 seconds *Pew Internet Research

6 million Americans say they get news and information fed to them through RSS

Blog readership jumped 58% last year

A new blog is created every 6 seconds

*Pew Internet Research

“ Blogs, short for weblogs” “ Juicy”

Blogs are NOT mass media.

Warhol Revisited “ In the future, everyone will be famous for 15 minutes .” With social media, everyone is famous to 15 people.

“ In the future,

everyone will be famous for

15 minutes .”

With social media,

everyone is famous to

15 people.

Blogs work when they are based on: Candor Urgency Timeliness Pithiness Controversy If you can't be at least four of the five things listed above, please don't bother. --Seth Godin

Candor

Urgency

Timeliness

Pithiness

Controversy

Headlines are important You’re in the newspaper business You should KNOW this!!! Man bites dog Wanna check my wiring harness?

You’re in the newspaper business

You should KNOW this!!!

Man bites dog

Wanna check my wiring harness?

Don’t be fake

Most newspaper blogs don’t work Average number of posts in week was 8.2 Almost 25 percent had no new posts in a week 80 percent of bloggers posted no responses to readers' comments. Source: Ball State / University of Nevada-Reno 2008 study

Average number of posts in week was 8.2

Almost 25 percent had no new posts in a week

80 percent of bloggers posted no responses to readers' comments.

Work! 57% of journalist bloggers feel they are being asked to work more without additional compensation 37% say they are required to contribute to their title’s online version News outlets face shrinking staffs with more space to fill online Source: 2008 PRWeek Media Survey

57% of journalist bloggers feel they are being asked to work more without additional compensation

37% say they are required to contribute to their title’s online version

News outlets face shrinking staffs with more space to fill online

“ Reporters, trained to put aside opinion, make uninteresting bloggers.” --Nick Denton Gawker Media

Blogs are not the place for Leftovers http://www.flickr.com/photos/kathycsus/408020988

Should a newspaper blog? “ Never, ever, ever consider something that any literate human being with Internet access can create in under 5 minutes to be a product or service that can in any way differentiate your business. ” --Mark Cuban http://www.blogmaverick.com/2008/03/13/blogging-and-newspapers-a-lesson-in-how-not-to-brand-and-market/

Newspaper Blog Strengths Breaking News The stories behind the stories We’ve been spouting opinion for hundreds of years Special (super niche) sections Builds a dedicated audience to cross over to online edition

Breaking News

The stories behind the stories

We’ve been spouting opinion for hundreds of years

Special (super niche) sections

Builds a dedicated audience to cross over to online edition

Newspaper Blog Weaknesses Credibility We’re still stuck in bullhorn mode AP Style sucks online I’m from KY, not Ky. !!!!!!!!!!!!! The editorial channel There’s no love

Credibility

We’re still stuck in bullhorn mode

AP Style sucks online

I’m from KY, not Ky. !!!!!!!!!!!!!

The editorial channel

There’s no love

What newspaper blogs could do well Politics Travel Healthcare Food Restaurants Community happenings Movie Reviews Business / Finance Local Sports School News Photo Blog Community Blog Aggregator

Politics

Travel

Healthcare

Food

Restaurants

Community happenings

Movie Reviews

Business / Finance

Local Sports

School News

Photo Blog

Community Blog Aggregator

And then the next thing came along…

It’s not just blogs. It’s Social Media. Blogs Microblogs Twitter Video Google Tube Revver Social Networks MySpace Facebook Wikis Photo Flickr Photobucket Virtual reality Second Life Social / News Bookmarks Digg Reddit Del.icio.us Community / user generated content

Blogs

Microblogs

Twitter

Video

Google Tube

Revver

Social Networks

MySpace

Facebook

Wikis

Photo

Flickr

Photobucket

Virtual reality

Second Life

Social / News Bookmarks

Digg

Reddit

Del.icio.us

Watching from the sidelines is important too.

Watching from the Sidelines

Books that will help

Good Newspaper Blogging Examples www.NashvilleIsTalking.com Community Blog Aggregator http://blogs.guardian.co.uk http://blog.washingtonpost.com/ http://www.chron.com/news/blogs/ JoeImel.com Any Gannett new cookie cutter site

www.NashvilleIsTalking.com

Community Blog Aggregator

http://blogs.guardian.co.uk

http://blog.washingtonpost.com/

http://www.chron.com/news/blogs/

JoeImel.com

Any Gannett new cookie cutter site

Thanks. Stay tuned on my blog: www.ChrisHouchens.com My Newspaper: bgdailynews.com These slides available: www.slideshare.net/shotgunconcepts