Community Engagement

This group’s recommended:
1. Draw community bloggers under the newspapers’ online site.
-recruit community-based bloggers and engage the readers in the selection.
-provides exposure to the bloggers and also expands the links of the papers to other online sites.
What I like about this idea is it incorporates the community almost in a job-like basis with the paper. There are several sports websites already doing this, and MLB.com was basically started this way. It is important to have very specific guidelines for the bloggers so it does not get out of hand. I think the creation of these pages needs to be done in the most creative manner possible to attract readers and encourage the bloggers to treat their site seriously. I also think this idea opens doors for young reporters like myself who are looking for a foothold in the journalism world.

2. A simple search mechanism. Getting more traffic to the website is obviously the key. Some online news sites, such as http://www.grist.org, utilize search words very well. This will require a decent amount of consultation with staff in order for this to be plausible and effective. The monthly report showing changes will be essential to drawing advertisers and should be given adequate attention.

3. Neighborhood connections. Creating a network of newspaper opinion communities. I think this is a great idea, if other papers are willing to participate. There are so many ways to ask for help, advice or brainstorm ideas with other papers. I do think this could get political if some corporate newspaper owners don’t like the idea of papers getting help from one another. This is a very proactive idea, and would take a lot of time and coordination to work and operate successfully.

Anchor and Accessories: The Framework of an Interactive Editorial Page

This group’s thoughts included:
1. Blog as Focal Point.
2. Accessories: AltOp forms: Finding alternative ways to solicit and post audience expressions in forms other than writing. One of the ways to do this that I found interesting was integrating music as a form of expression. This will definitely target the younger audiences who download music practically all day long. Music = expression, and I think bringing journalism and music together is a new and exciting idea.
3. Daily TwitterView: Showing lede and link to most diverting opinion piece recently. This would take a time to get going, but could work if Twitter continues to grow.
4. Targeted emails. This is similar to the cell phone text idea. I think reaching out to readers through email and cell phones will be an essential part of keeping newspapers attractive to younger readers.

Transparency and Interactivity

This group’s strategies included:

1. A daily “quick thought” by members of the editorial board that allow reader feedback. I think this is a good idea because a lot of times editorial writers have a mysterious, all-knowing quality about them when you only read about them through their carefully crafted opinions.
2. Set up a standing “Ask the Board” box for emailed questions and post answers.
3. Set up an “Editorial Page Blog to explain thought processes, decisions, voting and possibly a short dissenting opinion.
4. “Instant Opinion” for breaking news and instant feedback.
5. Seek opportunities for radio and television appearances by editorial board members to promote newspaper and increase credibility.
6. Add reader members to editorial board to help inform the paper’s opinion and serve as community ambassadors.

All of these ideas are great, and have already been implemented in other newspapers. Once again, I would like to reference http://www.voiceofsandiego.org, a news website that uses all of these suggestions and is subsequently increasing in readership by the day. The website has stories that are posted daily as well as a section for breaking news and blog entries about the breaking news.

The thought of bringing personalities out from the shadows of the editorial board was a bit controversial around the room. But what is important to remember, like one of the editors here mentioned, is that knowing that the editorial board member enjoys fishing and poetry doesn’t negate their voice as an editorial writer. I see both sides of the argument, however, because newspapers do have a long standing tradition of being the voice of reason and transparency. Newspapers aren’t supposed to have personalities, some say, but in the online world everything is immediate and in your face and the newspapers need to adapt to this change.

One very interesting idea is the use of cell phones to alert readers. ESPN.com already does this. I know because about 20 times a day I get text messages telling me about the NCAA scores, NBA signings and MLB spring training news. The idea of the group took it a step further by having the text messages include questions to the reader. I do think the privacy issue with this (not to mention the cost of text messaging) could pose problems. 

Old guy encounters digital age

The cyberspace seminar is the first I’ve attended where everyone is encouraged, and expected to be using laptops. That runs counter to the thinking that taking notes by hand improves retention. In fact, some colleges, including Whitman College, encourage students not to bring laptops to class. The rationale, with which I have agreed, is that students become typists or stenographers at the keyboard instead of analytically thinking through what to include in their notes.

The challenge, I think, is to treat people to apply that same standard of note-taking to computer notes. I’m one of few people taking notes by hand. I need to learn to take notes by computer and NOT be a stenographer. That should transition in analytical note-taking also should be goal for educators.

Where’s the Conversation Going?

The letter to the editor are a crucial part of newspapers and are really the original user comment section. This group’s presentation was really about how to incorporate new technology to make the letter to the editor process better. Often times, people who write letters to the editor are turned away because of time and space constraints. However, I think it is important to point out that the selection process for letters to the editor is also sometimes political. So the real question is if this new technology will taking the editorial selection out of the letter to the editor process. If that is the case, then I think it would be a win-win solution.

1. Create a letters blog where readers can comment on individual letters.
2. Print the letters from the blog in the paper (reverse publish).
3. Let readers rank letters and reward those who write especially well-written pieces and have them printed in the paper.

It was debated whether or not the paper should be able to decide which letters ultimately get chosen to be printed. I think even if the readers are being told their highest rank piece will be printed, this may not be true. However, even if it isn’t printed in the paper, at least now all the letters to the editor can be included at least online. One of the best ideas this group had was to keep track of how their paper was being received by using Digg, Technorati, Twitter etc. This is a sign that the editors at this conference are beginning to feel more comfortable using these tools on a daily basis. They suggested becoming involved in the critical discussions of them on these sites, which I think is a very proactive approach.

Better Strategies for Online Commentary and Zoning Editorial Content

Their strategies included:
1. Require registration for user comments to serve reader interests and the agenda of the newspaper. One paper currently doing this is USA Today’s website. On USA Today they actually take pull quotes from user comments and put them up at the banner of the page. I think this means the paper wants to show their readers they care about their user comments, and they even have user profiles. This is borderline “MySpace-y,” but if it is managed well, I think it could work. The biggest idea behind user comments is to create discussions and then nourish them along. This will require a lot of staff time at first, and I think this is something the editors need to be aware of.
2.Utilize Widgets on website. These tiny windows of information are portable and can be taken from the newspaper and placed on people’s own blogs or websites and passed around.
3. Geo-tagging. This concept was discussed on Monday, and although the concept seems very complicated, it can be very useful. You really just need to have stories tagged to specific places and geographical coordinates. A good way to see where you should have geo-tags is to see where the majority of your users are from and then have stories tagged to that location. This is another good way to utilize user comments and incorporate their content and voice onto your page. The real point behind this is to let people use the computer to virtually visit a location and then join a discussion.

I am happy to see some mid-size dailies taking a part in the discussion of improved online content. What I think they need to remember is that just because their papers may have a local focus, that does not mean they need to have sub-par interactive capabilities. Local focus news is very conducive to these types of tools because communities really care about “their” paper and its content. 

Some Thoughts on What Makes a Successful Site

As the world of newspapers continue to change and evolve into a paperless era, the role of advertising in online content will also need to change. In online advertising, keeping a person on a page for a certain amount of time equals success, but this is difficult in the ADD-personality of online web surfing. So this means it is up to the editors and reporters to come up with user-friendly and interactive websites that make readers want to stick around, not just click and leave. Learning more about this process is what this conference is about, and now each of the editor teams will present their projects and I am interested to see what new ideas will come forward. I am a future employer (hopefully!) of the people in this room, and there ability to think outside of the box will help ensure my future in the business. I don’t want to see newspapers fold, I don’t think anyone does, but it is time to let go of the notion that things can stay the way they have been for the last 100 years. 

Managing change

Divulging plans for change and how to get support
Facilitated by Michael Williams and Vikki Porter

We need to give ourselves time to be flexible, said Michael Williams. “Change is an interesting game in that there are so many dynamics at play when you talk about change,” he said. “Sometimes you forget to consider what is really going on,” he said. “You get so motivated by the end result.”

Dynamics of change:

1. Disrupts people’s habits. People feel awkward and self-conscious.
2. People almost always focus initially on what they have to give up to accomplish change.
3. People feel alone even if everyone else is going through the same thing.
4. People can only handle so much change. But remember, said Williams, this business has been changing rapidly, unpredictably and uncomfortably for decades.
5. People are at different levels of readiness for change.
6. People will be concerned that they don’t have enough resources.
7. People perceive that change takes time and effort, even if it has the long-term effect of reducing workload. 

10 Reasons There’s a Bright Future for Journalism by Mark Glaser

1. More access to more journalism worldwide
a. The Internet gives us access to content from newspapers, TV channels, blogs and podcasts from around the world. No longer are we limited to our local media for news of the world. Now we can go directly to that corner of the world to get a local angle from far away.

2. Personalization satisfies readers.
a. Whether through Google News or personalizing My Yahoo or an RSS newsfeed reader, we can get quick access to the media outlets and journalism we want on one web page.

3. Digital delivery offers more ways to reach people.

4. There are more fact-checkers than ever in the history of journalism.

5. Collaboration between pro and amateur journalists.

6. More voices are part of the news conversation.

7. Greater transparency and a more personal tone.
a. Thanks to blogs and the web

8. Growing advertising revenues online.
a. Some complain that online ads aren’t bringing in enough revenues. Almost every forecast for online advertising shows double-digit percentage increases in revenues over the next five years.

9. An online shift from print could improve our environmental impact.

10. Stories never end.
a. Online, stories can live on for much longer in flexible formats, allowing people to update them in comments or add more facts as they happen.

THE ACID TEST: Before you use that chart, map, graphic, blog or link, ask yourself the following questions.

Does it ADD information or does it simply repeat information? We have a finite amount of time and space to produce things. If it doesn’t add to the information, question whether it is worth the effort.

Does it CLARIFY points you are trying to make? Does it help reader understand what your points are?

Is it INTERACTIVE?

Does it add to the overall package DESIGN? Don’t clutter your presentation with charts, maps, images, etc. It DIMINISHES the impact if your presentation is too busy.

Which TECHNIQUE or TECHNOLOGY is most appropriate for the kind of information you have (chart, clog, twitter link, link period)?

How ELABORATE or fancy does it need to be? Sometimes we get too fancy when we don’t need to. Simple is always better.

Is this story so SIGNIFICANT that it needs extra stuff added to it?

How much TIME is needed to produce it?

Potential resources:

The Webby Awards
The Webby Awards is the leading international award honoring excellence on the Internet. Established in 1996, the Webbys are presented by The International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences. The Academy, a 550-member body, includes leading Web experts, business figures, luminaries, visionaries and creative celebrities. The 11th Annual Webby Awards received over 8,000 entries from over 60 countries and all 50 states.

J-Lab: The Institute for Interactive Journalism
J-Lab is about citizen journalism—the notion that just about anybody can be a journalist. J-Lab helps journalists and citizens use digital technologies as a way to connect and interact.

Check out the following links on J-Lab:
-Cool Stuff
-Knight Batten Awards: Awards for innovations in journalism

A list of things that people will take away from this conference:
Twitter
Geo coding (tag)
Linking
RSS
Keywords
Chunks (recognizing that readers read in small chunks)
Tags
Subject Tags
Text messaging
Voice/tone
Reverse publishing (putting things online first & then printing on paper)
“Oops” Widget in every story that allows people to report inaccuracies
Games
Ways to hand out expensive devices
Access
Better marketing
Transparency
Training
Scenario Planning
Rewards/perks
Word of mouth (giving users toolbar that would allow them to dig your story)
Moderating Comments (rethinking how to do it)
Image
Approachable
Reach to rebate
Content (blogs)
KMZ/file
The Wall
Mobile video commentary
Instant editorial
Multiple media
Editorial/blog
Video café connection
Issue of one to many versus many to many

Search engine optimization:
The value of headline writing is absolutely true, but what’s even more critical are key words - and more specifically - the key word phrases that you use in significant places in your copy.

Headlines are an important place to make sure key word phrases are in place.

The Future of Newspapers

The Future of Newspapers, Scenario Planning
-Understanding the options to be considered when implementing change

Lawrence Wilkinson, Chairman of Heminge & Condell

Scenario Planning: a way of thinking about the future

Look back into the past…
Map of North America where California looks like an island.
- Spanish missionaries used this map as a tool

Journalists make connections that aren’t actually founded in evidence and experience all the time. “We wouldn’t be sitting where we are,” said Wilkinson, “if these connections - little leaps - weren’t right.”

Once you have a map and it’s coherent, even if it’s wrong and leads you in the wrong direction, the human capacity - the institutional capacity—that we’ve got “to deny error” is extraordinary.

If journalists have a map and it’s wrong, we are liable to make some mistakes that would be much better not to make.

Business plans start going wrong the second they are executed. The second we pull the trigger what happens is the “real unfolding of real forces in real time.” Instead of fulfilling our intended strategy, organizations find themselves following the emergent strategy.

Scenario planning: is a way of trying to narrow the gap between intended strategy and emergent strategy

Three elements of strategy:
1. Who we are: competences - strengthens and weaknesses

2. Who we want to be: strategic intent

3. Where we have to work scenarios: the business environment

**Scenario Planning is entirely about the environment.

Scenario Planning is all about the business environment. It starts with a contemplation of all the hard environmental factors that can have an important impact on the questions your organization is facing.

Environmental forces (little or no influence): social, technological, economic, environmental, political

Key feature (some influences): market size, growth, volatility, customers, competition, suppliers, owners, communities and partners
Forecasting aims to allow for the unexpected

Scenario thinking: anticipates multiple futures
Forecast Planning: planning for one future versus scenario planning: planning for any future

Scenarios are:
-Stories built around a methodically constructed plot
-A tool for identifying strategic options

A good set of scenarios are:
-Plausible stories
-Relevant to the question at hand
-Divergent from one another
-Challenging to our assumptions about how the future will play out

Questions:
-Investments in capacity
-Investments in innovation, technology
-Alliances, acquisitions, mergers
-Diversification into other activities
-Marketing focus

All Media are Local: We might see…
-Local - and hyper-local—alternatives rule
-Consumers use tools to create customized services
-Erosion of traditional network TV audiences; local TV, not so much…

A3: We might see:
-Standardization of technology platforms: ease of use and widespread adoption
-Media brands are difficult to maintain—a multitude of unfiltered choices face every consumer
-Consumers self-segregate according to affinity
-Geographic sensibilities more important than actual geographic location (e.g. The New Yorker way of life, Asian Values)

Walled Garden: We might see…
-Media industry consolidation
-Widespread technology and media fatigue
-Preference for narrow brands of information and entertainment
-"Walled-Garden": big brands dominate the media with tight IP and right management
-Local needs “satisfied”

Déjà vu Again: We might see…
-Technological innovation slowed by operating issues and access to capital
-Local defining, but extreme consolidation - fewer local media owners - more conglomerates
-Local news more tabloid style (in multimedia)
-Trust in sources important - but hard to achieve

Implications:
No-Brainers
No-Regrets
No-Gainers

The Role of Journalism

The Role of Journalism
Larry Dailey, Professor, Reynolds Chair in Media Technology, Donald A. Reynolds

-What is the role of journalism?
To inform
To educate
To engage
To entertain
To frustrate
To sadden
To scare

Journalism is a little bit of everything. At its core it is about communicating, connecting and informing. It is about sharing, inviting and provoking. News organizations need to learn how to communicate with the community better. Just as journalists communicate with their sources, journalists need to learn to have a dialog with those reading their articles and visiting their Web sites. Ask readers what they think? Really listen to their opinion and engage in a conversation with them. If people take the time to read and comment on an article, the least a reporter can do is listen to what they have to say and respond. Interact with the audience. Engage with those reading your paper.

“Work and play are words used to describe the same thing under differing conditions.” Mark Twain

“We reject the somewhat Calvinistic notion that serious and virtuous activities cannot be ‘fun.’” Clark Abt

Journalists will need to change their culture, said Dailey. “They are going to have to make some tough decisions.”

Change is never easy and venturing into the unknown is quite intimidating; however, the life of journalism depends upon change and the ability to reach out and represent new audiences. I think newspapers and television stations find comfort zones that they fear leaving, but I wonder what they have to lose. More people are tuning out instead of in. Find a way to bring people back in and don’t let technology stand in your way. Of course, this is easier said than done. But we need to be at least thinking about change.

Reality check:
-Journalists are routine driven
-Most newsrooms have little tradition of change management (for a long time we didn’t have to care about what was happening with the audiences, said Dailey, but now we need to.)

Don Wittekind, Assistant Professor, Visual Communications, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill

Interactive Media

Just what is interactivity?
-Newspapers often use this just as a general term to describe web sites.
-To most newspapers, interactivity is about: reading menus, making selections and pushing buttons with a mouse.

Wittekind prefers the following definitions of interactivity:
1. (Better definition) Programs or applications that respond directly to the user
2. (Best definition) Implication that a user of software can exert some control over software and not just be a passive page-turner recipient.

Interact=being a part of the activity, being able to get involved directly. Just because someone reads something online, this doesn’t mean they are interacting with your organization.

News organizations should be working to create interaction.

Interactivity takes many forms: calculators, database applications, experience simulators

Interactivity is what makes the web unique. It separates the web from other forms of media. It is what makes the web unique. We can use interactivity to allow the reader to explore a complex subject and see possible outcomes.

“It’s okay to have a little fun,” said Wittekind. I completely agree.

Perhaps the news needs to lighten up a bit and stop taking itself so seriously. Covering the world is serious business. Journalists have a tough job, as they often find themselves covering stories about death, disease, poverty, racism, depression and political corruption. While sometimes the nature of journalism tends to be grim, it is up to news organizations to find a fresh way to make these stories attractive. By attractive, I am not saying we need to gloss up the situation in Iraq with a bunch of special effects or a snazzy background, but why not find a way to make the community care about these stories through blogs, links, interactive maps, photo stories, videos, etc. News organizations need to find a way to use the Internet as a tool to promote discussion.

As Wittekind just said, “visuals bring people in.” Therefore, why not incorporate more visuals with stories that tend to have less traffic.

Making Use of What We Can Now

Are magazines and newspapers actually integrating these new interactive concepts? After analyzing top magazines and newspapers around the country, Todd Ziegler compiled data last year to answer this question.
His findings:
*48% of Magazines and 78% of newspapers have incorporated RSS Feeds into their content.
*No magazines or newspapers had advertisements in their RSS Feeds.
*10% of magazines and 42% of newspapers provided a “Most Popular,” “Most E-mailed” view of content. Takes your content and lets them look at it in a different way.
*34% of magazines and 78% of newspapers included video.
*14% of magazines produced podcasts compared to 36% of newspapers.
*6% of magazines and 5% of newspapers used tags to organize traditional content. Tags can be used to group related content, easier navigation, facilitate site searching.
*53% of newspapers and 12% of magazines offered mobile-friendly versions of their content. This is most often seen in Iphone technology.
*40% of magazines had blogs compared to 92% of newspapers.
*34% of magazines that had blogs allowed comments compared to 78% of newspapers.
*16% of magazines linked to blogs compared to 32% of newspapers. Without linking blogs, you lose a lot of the power of the blog because it loses its personality and casual tone.
*16% of newspapers and 8% of magazines allowed comments on articles. Comments,especially on editorial pieces, should be used strategically and can build community and generate feedback if used correctly.
Should their be accountability on the part of the user comment page? I think so, because if you allow people to publish whatever they want, it could detract from the story and even discourage other people from coming in to the online discussion.
*38% of magazines required registration to view free content compared to 24% of newsapers. Online registration is frustrating, because if the stories are linked to blogs, then the people reading the blog who want to link to the newspaper site might not be able to.

So what does this all mean? Well, almost all the numbers have increased, which means the use of blogs, comments and other interactive tools has increased as well.

Ziegler’s recommendations made me think of all the various ways I can incorporate interactive elements to my future story pitching sessions. I will be looking for a job (gulp) in the coming months, and being able to walk into an editorial meeting and include interactive elements to my story ideas will be essential for my success. At least I hope.

A lot of these tools seem like they are most utilized right now by the entertainment media. Think of TMZ and Access Hollywood. I hate to say it, because I am not really a fan of them, but the idea of using interactive tools, video and inviting the public to participate has really had a big impact on these shows. Whether or not they are “news” is up to debate, but their ratings are high and they seem to be growing every day, and I think a lot of that is because they encourage user-made content and video and are big on the blog scene.

Here are some good sites to check out for their use of interactive content in action: http://www.newsvine.com, http://www.daylife.com, Malcolm Gladwell’s blog: http://gladwell.typepad.com/gladwellcom/

Interactive Utility

What is immersive multi-media? It is the ability, through graphics and multi-media, to completely immerse the reader in the subject and/or story you are presenting. It can be done through games, simulations, calculators and other online presentations. This allows a reader to explore a subject.

Investigative reporters deal with complicated, multi-dimensional stories all the time. Pre-online, the only way to really add different elements to a story other than pictures was through the use of sidebars. Now, interactive calculators, graphs and simulations can help the journalist get their story across to the reader. Not only do these attract readers, they have a long shelf-life and can be archived for future use.

One of the most interesting sites to see some of these interactive websites in use is the Discovery Network’s interactive area: http://dsc.discovery.com/games/games-tab-04.html

But what about the time factor? Is there really enough time to put together all of these informational graphics? Wittekind argues yes. Not only can the work be outsourced to journalism students (ahem!), but they can also be made more of a priority in the news room. There is a lot of bang for your buck to be had by taking the time to put these interactive projects together.

Effective Communication in the Interactive World

What is the job of a journalist? Is it to inform? To educate? Well, yes and no. Larry Dailey said many newspapers focus too much on the informing part of the equation, and not enough on the back and forth between user and provider. In this back and forth, education and practice, journalism can become an interactive playground, not just a talking head.
“Work and play are words used to describe the same thing under differing conditions,” said Mark Twain. According to Dailey, the world of journalism needs to focus more on the play aspect of the writing and informing process, but in a controlled and productive manner. How can we keep the pages and online content from spinning out of control into an unfocused, anarchistic mess? Well, by creating an interactive website that is responsive and has a scientifically-based process that shows and tells you how your content is being received.

Journalists are supposed to be serious. Or so we’re told. Seriousness = credibility. But when does a serious journalist become a close-minded content provider? Well, I think this happens when they stop trying to reach young and new readers, and instead write the demographic off as “lazy” and “tuned-out.” Youth are not allergic to news and information, but they don’t digest it the same way you do. They need it in many different forms, instantaneously and in a format they can respond to. That is not being tuned-out. Actually, it is being tuned-IN.

A Good Example For Us All: voiceofsandiego.org

Now, this may be a shameless plug because I worked there this past summer, but I can honestly say I am proud of the content and execution of this website. It is a non-profit based in downtown San Diego, and the editors and reporters are dedicated to fair and accurate content that uses new media in an excitingly fresh way. Scott Lewis’ blog (SLOP blog-Scott Lewis on Politics) is fantastic, and the daily cafe forum has hosted big names in San Diego politics from Mayor Jerry Sanders to the President of the Surfrider Foundation’s San Diego chapter. Enjoy!

Buiding Community Online I

On Sunday, March 2nd, after circling around the mobs of people in town to watch the Los Angeles Marathon, I made my way to the Westin Bonaventure Hotel on Figueroa Street.  For nearly 9 hours, I listened closely to full-time journalists, many with MSM newspapers like the Des Moines Register, the San Francisco Chronicle and the Oregonian discuss how they are tapping into the growth industry that is online journalism.  Today’s digital journalist (aka information broker) is likely to be a non-journalism graduate, someone with a niche market understanding or expertise in something that others value.  MSM typers have to compete with the Google News, Craig’s List, Yahoo! News and YouTube users who are not beholden to their city newspapers.

This wasn’t the death of the newspaper conversation crowd.  I was impressed by how the traditional journalists and editors viewed their roles in the communities they serve.  They recognize that there is prominent role to be played here--that of representing a record of our lives for future generations, and of illustrating what intelligent discourse looks like through thoughtful staff editorials, letters, and op-ed pieces.  Allowing any Johnny or Jane come lately to step forward as a self-defined journalist can be hazardous to the public health of a nation.  It is still the role of the traditional media to coax, coach, and inspire good writing, both in news and editorial fashion. 

As a professor of communications at a state university where I regularly teach opinion writing, I was comforted by the value that the journalists placed on accuracy and respectability.  I tell my students that it is okay to attack ideas, but not each other.  No name calling or personal attacks are tolerated and call me a fuddy duddy but I also reject cliches, foul language and slang in their writing.  There is far too much casual and lazy talk with each other, thanks to the instant message, text me, and photo caption generation at hand.  I still want and need information service companies, what we used to call the town newspaper, to serve as an institutional link to good journalism as well as a change agent to how better to connect communities.