Rob Curley, New Media Director at the Naples Daily News in Florida, Guy Ruddle, the recently appointed Podcast Editor at the UK's Daily Telegraph, and Howard Saltz, Associate Editor/New Media & Strategic Development at the Denver Post, answered some emailed questions about their views on podcasting.

Generally, they agreed that newspapers are still working out the kinks of integrating podcasting which may turn some skeptical editors off to the craze. But the three new media men also feel that, in the words of newspaper industry surveyor Steve Outing in an Editor & Publisher article, "For newspapers, it's imperative to reach news consumers via digital channels."

How does a newsroom adapt to a daily podcast? How do journalists used to writing articles react?

Much of the problems presently posed to newspapers are attributed to many newsrooms' and journalists' resistance to change. But it seems that those accustomed to simply writing articles are waking up to the digital revolution.

The Naples News newsroom jumped right into the podcasting mood, buying nearly every journalist a digital recorder at the cost of about $50. The paper also bought the technology necessary for recording phone interviews and began accompanying print articles with audio transcripts of interviewees. Curley was happily surprised at the amount of audio material that he is receiving from reporters.

Ruddle's experience has been similar. Telegraph journalists are very enthusiastic about podcasting, although some have been hesitant to actually appear on the podcast, a fear that Ruddle says quickly disappears.

Saltz says that the Denver Post newsroom hasn't necessarily incorporated podcasting into its daily reporting, mostly because no one in the newsroom participates in the daily morning podcast. But at the same time, the newsroom has easily adapted to the new medium thanks to the Post's previous integration of television and the Internet into its reporting. The journalists' attitude has already changed enough that adding new media to the newsroom has minimal effect.
 

What are some ways of producing a daily newspaper podcast?

One preoccupation of newspapers looking to include podcasting is how to produce them in a way to which readers can relate. Are readers merely interested in hearing the print journalist read his or her article or does it have to sound more professional to keep the reader coming back?

Saltz and co. use a freelancer with radio background on their early-morning news summary in order to spice it up. Not only are his vocal skills valued, but his experience in broadcast writing also comes in handy when adapting the Denver Post's written content to audio.

While working for the Lawrence Journal World in Kansas, Curley realized that newspaper podcasts "sounded kind of amateur." So for the Naples News project, he hired "different voice talents from an agency in New York to record different introductions for the overall podcast, as well as segment introductions. The Naples daily audio news also includes background music similar to a radio program.

Ruddle leads the Telegraph's podcast and conducts many of the interviews with Telegraph journalists. At first, Telegraph podcasts were declared "inutterably boring" by rival paper, The Guardian, and Ruddle was quick to agree saying its description was not too far off. But since his arrival as podcast editor, the Telegraph has "changed the content to make it more like a radio programme and less like actors reading out the written word." The Telegraph also includes brief musical segments like in a radio broadcast.

What's the difference between a daily radio show and a daily newspaper podcast?

One worry of newspapers considering experimenting with podcasting is the fact that live, regularly updated radio news is well established in most markets, making a fixed, recorded daily audio update by a newspaper seem somewhat redundant. But this isn't necessarily true.

Curley and the Naples Daily News realized the need to distinguish the paper's daily podcast from radio as well as from content in the print edition or website, so they include a daily 5 to 10 minute interview with a staff reporter "to get some insider view of a story that is in that morning's newspaper."

Ruddle at the Telegraph realizes the ups and downs of both media, highlighting podcasting's flexibility in that the listener can call up a download on an MP3 player at any moment whereas radio is controlled by the broadcaster. Still, Ruddle feels that "podcasting will probably never mirror the speed of news delivery that radio offers. They are different in lots of ways and can compliment each other as much as compete with each other."

Saltz leaves no doubt that live radio has the advantage over podcasting, but he says, "There's room for podcasting." He points to the ubiquity of MP3 players, the economy of podcasting which costs newspapers very little, and the fact that "We already have the content; Why not repurpose it?" Additionally, Saltz reveals that the divide between live radio and podcasting will shrink as Apple, as has been speculated, could soon be releasing wireless i-Pods with which consumers could download their favorite podcasts anywhere, anytime. Such a device could entice newspapers to produce updated podcasts several times throughout the day.

Is a daily news summary the only type of podcast that newspapers produce?

The Naples News offers several "temporary" (see article by Steve Outing) podcasts, meaning that they are not daily, but only when relevant. Most are discussions about sports and local sports teams.

Ruddle says that the Telegraph plans to diversify, "both within the daily news podcast and into other podcasts."

For the Denver Post, public interest was originally high, but leveled off. There are a couple thousand downloads of the Post podcast per month, but Saltz expects it to pick up. Since it's such a small investment, the paper can afford to experiment with the medium for a longer period of time.

Although podcasts don't cost much to produce, newspapers still expect some return. Both of the American papers have found sponsors which pay for a few seconds of publicity at the beginning of the morning podcast. On the other hand, Ruddle his actively looking for an advertiser which he doesn't think will be too hard; "There is an enormous amount of interest in this area at the moment and we hope to capitalise on that."

What has been the public's reaction?

For the Denver Post, public interest was originally high, but leveled off. There are a couple thousand downloads of the Post podcast per month, but Saltz expects it to pick up. Since it's such a small investment, the paper can afford to experiment with the medium for a longer period of time.

What about advertising?

Although podcasts don't cost much to produce, newspapers still expect some return. Both of the American papers have found sponsors which pay for a few seconds of publicity at the beginning of the morning podcast. On the other hand, Ruddle his actively looking for an advertiser which he doesn't think will be too hard; "There is an enormous amount of interest in this area at the moment and we hope to capitalise on that."
 

Sources: Editor & Publisher, journalism.co.uk 

Additional information: News podcast directory at MediaShift, The UK's Association of Online Publisher's explanation that more than half of UK publishers are looking to launch their own podcast within the next 12 months.

Transcripts: Here are Howard Saltz's, Guy Ruddle's and Rob Curley's answers:

Saltz: 

1. How has your newsroom incorporated podcasting into its daily reporting? Do journalists and editors see podcasts as beneficial to the journalistic service they provide? Or do they feel like they are competing with podcasts?

I wouldn’t say the newsroom has incorporated podcasting in its daily reporting. The podcasts we offer include an early-morning news summary, akin to a radio news segment, and no one in the newsroom is involved in it. We use a freelancer specifically because he has a background in radio. We wanted his vocal skills. We wanted his knowledge of broadcasting writing. He uses our content, already printed and posted, and some external audio. This is our most downloaded type of Podcast.

We do feature stories on podcasts as well. Some of those have been done by freelancers with radio backgrounds, and some have been done by staff members. The staff members are happy to do it. I do believe they see it as beneficial to what they do. Another way of putting it is that it gives them another distribution vehicle for their product.

The staff seems more comfortable with podcasting than they did when we incorporated TV reporting into our daily agenda. Perhaps TV is more intimidating. The podcast offers a little more anonymity. A little more control, too: There’s no cameraman or producer, just the reporter and the microphone, and the reporter can re-record if he or she wants to.

Another reason the staff may be more comfortable with podcasting may simply be time. The staff has become so used to reporting on the web and on TV that it’s now normal to think beyond the print product, and to recognize the benefits of non-traditional ways of delivering our content. So, maybe it isn’t the iPod per se as much as it is the fact that attitudes have changed generally.  Concerns about the next medium – whatever it is – will likely be even less. This also speaks to your question about the sense of competition with the print product. We already dealt with that when we went online and when we went on TV.


2. How do you distinguish a daily regional newspaper news-roundup podcast, which once downloaded is set in stone, from regional radio news, which is constantly updated?  Can regional newspaper podcasts compete with regional radio?


There’s no doubt that being live gives broadcast radio an advantage over the Podcast. But there’s room for podcasting. Perhaps the most significant factor is the ubiquity of the iPod. If enough people are carrying iPods and MP3-enabled cellphones instead of portable radios, then it isn’t a question of whether radio or iPod is better. It’s a question of whether we want to get our product to a device that consumers have already decided to carry. I might think the radio is better, or I might not, but it doesn’t matter. Enough consumers have already decided to carry the iPod. (We do distribute some of our content on the radio, via a partnership with a local station.)

One advantage of the iPod is that it gives the user more control. The user can download what he or she wants, rather than listen to what has been selected by the broadcaster.

Keep in mind, too, that podcasting is so inexpensive and easy that it doesn’t have to compete with broadcast radio on the same level. We don’t need to sell too many ads to make it viable. We don’t need as many listeners to make it a worthwhile venture. We already have the content; Why not repurpose it?

There’s another factor to consider. Some experts believe Apple will create a way to download audio files to the iPod via wireless. When that happens, podcasters are more or less in the radio game. Sure, radio is truly live, while podcasting requires someone to record an audio file and transmit it. But if the transmission is wireless, it’s close to being live. Is it close enough? Only the marketplace will decide. My bet is yes, in part because so many people carry an iPod already. So, if this day comes, we’re in the radio business. Without having to invest in equipment. Without having to gather the content, because we already have it. Without having to get a broadcast license. I want to be ready for that day.


3. Apart from a daily news summary, you also provide podcasts on various subjects. How do you determine;
a.    what will interest your readers?
b.    Which news or features merit audio over print, or a combination of the two?

There’s no formula. The decision-making process about what will interest Podcast listeners is the same decision-making process about what will interest print readers. Skilled journalists know good stories – and the fact that we have skilled journalists is exactly why we can succeed the news-podcasting business. The only difference is that there needs to be something in the story that is better heard than written. That’s not unlike the requirements for TV reporting – or vodcasting, for that matter. A good story is a good story, but it can be better told on TV or vodcast if it’s visual.

I don’t know that we pursue stories for one medium instead of the other. It’s more accurate to say that we exploit the potential of each medium. So, when the mayor gives a speech, print will write about it. TV will show it. The iPod and radio will let the consumer hear it. The web will do all of that. The story isn’t covered any less by any medium because of the existence of another medium.


4. Has your public been receptive to your podcasts?  Do you expect their popularity to grow as podcasting becomes more common? Or is newspaper podcasting a passing fad?

The reception has been slow. We have a couple thousand downloads per month. It took off quickly, but leveled off. But I think it will grow. We can give it time. The investment is small.

I don’t think podcasting is a fad. I think it will take hold if podcasters offer value to the consumer. You know, there are more than 10 million blogs out there, according to Pew, but I’d argue that only a tiny minority have value. Podcasting may become similar. Because it’s so easy to create a podcast, people will. But most will have little value beyond the podcaster’s immediate circle.

It’s our job, then, to find ways of using the medium that make sense for the consumer. Recording every word of every newspaper story won’t do it. Having reporters interview one another won’t, either. That’s why we’re taking our cue from radio.

There’s nothing new to this. Just because someone can take photos of his family vacation doesn’t mean the rest of us want to see them. And yet we do want to consume good photojournalism. It’s not the medium. It’s not the technology. It’s the way it is used.


5. Do you include advertising in your podcasts? If so, how have advertisers responded? If not, do you think podcasting could become advertiser supported if its popularity grows?

We do include advertising. In my mind, that helps legitimize this as a medium. The consumer-electronics retailer Best Buy bought space on our Podcasts for several months. They had a few seconds at the start of each podcast and more time at the end.

We are seeking other advertisers and I believe the industry will get them as the medium matures.

Ruddle:

- We have been doing podcasts since mid December but I arrived at the beginning of January. Since then we have changed the content to make it more like a radio programme and less like actors reading out the written word.

- Almost without exception I and the podcast have been welcomed with open arms by the journalists here. They see it as complimentary to the paper and any trepidation I come across is about appearing on the podcast. That soon disappears.

- I decide what goes in the podcast, but I go to conference twice a day so it is a collaborative process to the same extent as the paper is.

- I don't think of podcasts has having advantages over print. I see the two as complimentary. At a simple level it gives audiences different ways to access our journalism depending on where they are and what they are doing. At a more complex level, different media are better suited to different aspecs of a story - you may tell the tale of how someone nearly drowned and how many other people have drowned at the same spot in the paper and then he that person describe what happened in their own voice on the podcast.

- The podcast versus radio question is very interesting. Put simply, podcast is more flexible in that you can listen to the bits you want when you want - something that radio doesn't allow. But podcasting will probably never mirror the speed of news delivery that radio offers. They are different in lots of ways and can compliment each other as much as compete with each other.

- We do plan to diversify, both within the daily news podcast and into other podcasts.

- I hope newspaper podcasting isn't a fad! It is popular and I expect that popularity to grow. It seems to be popular with different people for different reasons (one of the side effects of flexibility).

- We don't carry advertising at the moment although we are looking at the possibility of sponsorship. There is an enormous amount of interest in this area at the moment and we hope to capitalise on that.

Curley (answers sent to a previous interviewer several months ago):

We've been producing our weekly high school podcast for about two months here in Naples. We have learned a lot from doing them, as well as our experiments with podcasting in Lawrence.

We've been doing the daily news podcast for about two or three weeks.

One of the things that I realized in Lawrence is that despite some very noble efforts, most newspaper podcasts sound kind of amateur. We wanted to try to make our podcasts in Naples sound as professional as we could, with the big problem being that we were all amateurs, so we needed to try to fake it reasonably well.
:)

We hired different voice talents from an agency in New York to record different introductions for the overall podcast, as well as segment introductions. Since we were still very much in concept mode as we were doing this, we had one woman read 10 pages worth of segment openings, including 20 variations for the weather opening alone.

We use lots of music for background in the podcast, except for when the news is being read.

We bought nearly every member of the newsroom digital recorders from Radio Shack that cost about $50 each. We are getting a surprising amount of audio from our reporters each day. We also bought the connectors so that reporters could record phone interviews for us.

We also use this audio (usually the full reporter interview) to embed inside the text version of related stories on our site.

Most weeks, we use a ton of audio from our reporters on our high school sports podcast.

Then we wanted to make sure that there was something in each news podcast that we different than what you could get in print or in our typical online coverage -- which is why we do an extended interview (5-10 minutes with a reporter) to get some insider view of a story that is in that morning's newspaper.

We make sure that the podcast is posted very early in the morning (like around 3 a.m. or so) so that it can be downloaded for you morning jog or drive into work.

Here's why I just went into all of that detail -- we wanted to really, really make an impression on not only our readers but advertisers.

On a whim, we showed our podcast prototypr to an ad agency. By the end of that same day we had a signed contract for $100 a day with a one-year deal. Not great money, but about $2200 a month and a really nice chunk of change over the the annual contract.

We promote the podcast each day with a small house ad that runs in print, along with a very small logo of the presenting sponsor.

We also promote the heck out of the podcast in story content (without the sponsor, of course), with whatever story has our reporter interview.

It's too early to tell if it's going to be a success. We've only got a few weeks' of background.