The document discusses the Thunderdome initiative, which aims to solve problems facing newspapers through centralized digital operations and content production. Thunderdome provides non-local news editing, web production, and new content to drive traffic and revenue. It also creates an editorial support network with digital skills training. Key functions include real-time news coverage, non-local story production, viral content, content curation, data development, video/photo galleries, channel creation, mobile apps, and training. The goal is to improve quality, costs, and revenue through centralized digital operations and content.

1. Thunderdome and Beyond
International Symposium on Online Journalism
Austin, TX; April 19, 2013

2. 2011: Where We Were
• Unsustainable cost structure.
• Too many journalists focused on production, not the creation
of compelling local content – our only competitive advantage.
• Different print designs, web designs and content management
systems from property to property.
• No common ad map on print and digital products.
• No ability to take advantage of scale.
• Not enough digital focus.
• Shortage of key digital skillsets.
• In short … too much inefficiency.

3. Problems to Solve
• How do reduce production needs and yet get more unique content to
differentiate our digital products?
• How do we respond quickly to national audience and revenue
opportunities without upsetting the tenuous nature of our newsrooms
and sales forces?
• How do add we create uniqueness outside of local to help improve SEO
and create audience growth opportunities?
• How do we grow digital know-how in our newsrooms in a cost-effective
fashion?
• How do newsrooms gain digital expertise in a world where changes
come by the day, not the year?
• How do newsrooms improve their cost structure and get new products
with a digital-first focus?

4. THE ANSWER?

5. THUNDERDOME

6. Primary T-Dome Functions
Centralization of
non-local news
editing and web
production
Creation of new
traffic- and
revenue-driving
content channel
and products
Creation of
DFM-wide
editorial support
network with key
digital
capabilities

7. Primary T-Dome Functions
Centralization of
non-local news
editing and web
production
Creation of new
traffic- and
revenue-driving
content channel
and products
Creation of
DFM-wide
editorial support
network with key
digital
capabilities
COST
REVEN
UE
QUALI
TY

8. Story Coverage
• More than 60 DFM journalists from 20-plus
papers in CT, MA, PA, NY, VT and CO
contributed to Newtown coverage.
• Thunderdome’s data, video and curation
teams collaborated with local newsrooms.
• Thunderdome filled in any gaps in what
local newsrooms could handle.
• Thunderdome made sure all of DFM knew
what Newtown content was being
produced across the company – and the
country.
• We have Thunderdome journalists in
Boston and Texas as we speak.

9. Real-Time News Coverage
• For major news events – planned or
unplanned – we produce real-time
coverage that includes photos, video,
reader interaction and social media
integration.
• Among the events we’ve provided
live coverage of:
– The Oscars
– NCAA Tournament opening weekend
– Christopher Dorner manhunt
– All 2012 presidential debates
– Election Night
– Supreme Court gay marriage hearings
– Boston Marathon bombing
– Texas fertilizer explosion

10. Non-Local News Production
• We produce a steady feed of major
non-local news stories from across
all subject areas.
• Stories are presented with a
digital-first mindset, meaning more
integration of social and
multimedia elements.
• Around major news events, we
produce special packages
integrating multiple partners and
storytelling forms.
• We are staffed 18/7 and on call
24/7.

11. Viral News Production
• A la BuzzFeed and Huffington Post,
we produce content designed to be
viral, focusing on lists and unique
news presentations.
• Using tools like Storify, Spundge,
Meograph and Geofeedia, we
produce content that’ll resonate
with digital news consumers.
• We produce weekly packages on
oddities around the globe,
including:
– Weird Wide World
– Corruption Chronicles
– Hollywood Gone Wild
– Bizarre Blotter

12. Content Curation & Sharing
• Curation is one of digital’s most important arts. We provide services that:
– Pull together multiple threads to ably summarize a major story, thereby saving the
time of readers.
– Discover interesting stories that would be of interest to the broadest possible
audience.
– Provide research to find interesting related links to major stories of the day
• We also share out 30-35 DFM articles
per day, and also 15-20 partner
articles.
• These services allow our papers to
drive additional traffic by using more
stories we think will be of interest to
our readers.

13. Editorial Data Development
• Data-driven content drives traffic
and requires limited maintenance,
but many newsrooms don’t have
any staff devoted to data.
• Thunderdome provides:
– Basic datasets for major news
events, i.e. elections, sports
events, etc.
– Assistance in turning acquired
datasets into effective consumer-
facing digital products.
– Training on how to do basic data
development.

14. Video Storytelling
• Video is becoming more and
more important to our digital
products, especially in mobile.
• But effectively producing
video content is hard, and
requires significant
investment.
• We provide the following
services:
– Video training, both technical
and creative.
– Story creation

15. Photo Gallery Production
• Photo galleries drive tremendous
traffic, but doing them well takes
time.
• Thunderdome produces 10-15
photo galleries per day, covering all
major subject areas.
• These galleries are produced by
the award-winning Denver Post
photo team, which has won two
Pulitzer Prizes in the past four
years.

16. Channel Creation & Management
• We will soon begin launching
content verticals to deepen our
sites and provide new sales
opportunities.
• Currently planned:
– Politics
– Nation
– World
– Business
– Sports
– Technology
– Opinion
– Food
– Families
– Health
– More…

17. Plug & Play Mobile Apps
• The world is moving to mobile –
and fast.
• Building scalable and smart mobile
apps requires significant
investment.
• Our mobile apps are currently
being rolled out across properties,
with a terrific review coming from
no less an expert than Mario
Garcia.

18. Training
• We provide training on skills
such as:
– Social media
– Video shooting and production
– Data/infographics development
– Curation
• We also specialized training on
new digital tools, such as:
– Spundge
– Storify
– Tout
– Meograph
– Geofeedia
– More…