World Digital Publishing Conference: how to adapt to the digital transformation
Posted by John Burke on October 26, 2006 at 1:38 PM
Chief Executive of the Guardian Media Group, Carolyn McCall kicked off the World Digital Publishing Conference and Expo in London by saying that there have never been so many opportunities for strong media brands as there are in the digital age. She highlighted 3 major changes causing an upheaval for newspapers:
1. Newspapers have previously been restricted to text, but original audio and video must now be produced
2. Traditional geographic limits are no longer relevant. The Guardian is aspiring to be the world’s leading liberal voice which is only possible because of the Internet
3. Communities are more easily created. Passive audiences can be transformed into active ones. Newspapers need greater levels of engagement to remain relevant
McCall continued to cite 5 key challenges in achieving a successful digital transition:
1. Newspapers have to have a clear digital vision for which leadership from the top is vital
2. Staying close to users is more important than ever before. Newspapers have to listen to readers and make sure they are given what they desire, a reversal of the traditional top-down news model.
3. Innovation must be used for learning purposes. Newspapers can’t be afraid to fail. They must experiment and take risks to see what works. McCall mentioned the Guardian’s blog experiment, Comment is Free, which has proven a huge success with hundreds of contributing bloggers and dozens of comments on each post.
4. Software developers are now just as important as your journalists, an insinuation that would have been mocked only three years ago.
5. Newspapers must drive digital revenue growth.
When asked about how the Guardian will adapt itself to its growing international audience, McCall said that the strategy is totally web-based; the paper will not begin printing abroad. For example, the paper has recently appointed Michael Kinsley to gather a team of people in the States and focus the website. The American website will eventually be more global, whereas the British site will continue its comprehensive coverage of UK news.
Bob Benz, VP and General Manager of EW Scripps Newspapers followed McCall saying that newspaper need to think like venture capitalists and start-up companies. He described his company’s Entrepreneur Fund. Scripps put $1.5 million aside for its newspapers’ ideas. He emphasized the need to start with small ideas. Normally, Scripps accepts the best ideas and sends the paper $2 or 3 thousand, not the hundreds of thousands usually invested.
In the end, it’s all about journalism. He pointed to the example of the Naples Daily News in Florida which has launched a successful nightly vodcast; fairly simple to produce with digital technologies, professional looking video journalism that contributes to the paper’s influence and brand name.
2. Traditional geographic limits are no longer relevant. The Guardian is aspiring to be the world’s leading liberal voice which is only possible because of the Internet
3. Communities are more easily created. Passive audiences can be transformed into active ones. Newspapers need greater levels of engagement to remain relevant
McCall continued to cite 5 key challenges in achieving a successful digital transition:
1. Newspapers have to have a clear digital vision for which leadership from the top is vital
2. Staying close to users is more important than ever before. Newspapers have to listen to readers and make sure they are given what they desire, a reversal of the traditional top-down news model.
3. Innovation must be used for learning purposes. Newspapers can’t be afraid to fail. They must experiment and take risks to see what works. McCall mentioned the Guardian’s blog experiment, Comment is Free, which has proven a huge success with hundreds of contributing bloggers and dozens of comments on each post.
4. Software developers are now just as important as your journalists, an insinuation that would have been mocked only three years ago.
5. Newspapers must drive digital revenue growth.
When asked about how the Guardian will adapt itself to its growing international audience, McCall said that the strategy is totally web-based; the paper will not begin printing abroad. For example, the paper has recently appointed Michael Kinsley to gather a team of people in the States and focus the website. The American website will eventually be more global, whereas the British site will continue its comprehensive coverage of UK news.
Bob Benz, VP and General Manager of EW Scripps Newspapers followed McCall saying that newspaper need to think like venture capitalists and start-up companies. He described his company’s Entrepreneur Fund. Scripps put $1.5 million aside for its newspapers’ ideas. He emphasized the need to start with small ideas. Normally, Scripps accepts the best ideas and sends the paper $2 or 3 thousand, not the hundreds of thousands usually invested.
In the end, it’s all about journalism. He pointed to the example of the Naples Daily News in Florida which has launched a successful nightly vodcast; fairly simple to produce with digital technologies, professional looking video journalism that contributes to the paper’s influence and brand name.
Posted in :
0 TrackBacks
Listed below are links to blogs that reference this entry: World Digital Publishing Conference: how to adapt to the digital transformation.
TrackBack URL for this entry: http://www.editorsweblog.org/mt/mt-tb.cgi/1152
Leave a comment