Results matching “die each week react”

The Huffington Post last week announced that it would be launching an investigative journalism fund with an initial budget of $1.75 million. The HuffFund is a not-for-profit arm of the HuffPost, which "will produce a wide-range of investigative journalism created by both staff reporters and freelance writers" according to HuffPost founder Arianna Huffington.

Discussion has already begun over what the launch means for the shape of journalism and newspapers in the US. An article in the Guardian examines how the HuffPost has progressively moved away from news aggregation and towards original content, and what the transition means for the site. It points out that despite the site's rapid growth, it could be argued that its staffing and editorial procedures are not developing at the same rate.

De Telegraaf, one of the Netherlands' leading newspapers, is aggressively moving ahead with its multi-platform publication strategy with the launch of a new Java application on 15 December and a new real-time stock quote service.

Lara Ankersmitt, Telegraaf.nl's Publisher, contacted the Editors Weblog to talk about De Telegraaf's new offering, charging for content, and attracting female users in The Netherlands.

Java application - building on growth

De Telegraaf has seen approximately 40% growth in the number of users accessing its mobile content over the past year since it redesigned its mobile site. Ankersmitt firmly believes that improving the user experience on the mobile platform is crucial to its success: "At the beginning of this year we redesigned the whole mobile site to get a better user experience and that has really worked. After the redesign we saw a growth in users and the time they spent on the site. People were reading more and more."  To maintain this momentum, De Telegraaf is launching a new Java application - after several months of testing - to improve the user experience on mobile and expand on the content provided.

What is also assisting this rapid growth in mobile take-up is mobile operators' introduction of a flat-fee subscription for the Internet on mobiles, costing approximately €10 a month. This reduction in cost has democratised the consumption of mobile content, moving it away from being a tool for just business people. "A few years ago most of the mobile traffic accessed financial news and came from Blackberries and that kind of device. However, since the mobile flat fee was introduced we have seen more normal phone traffic - such as Samsung and Nokia - and more traffic to our entertainment and news sections. The user group is expanding... Finance is still the most important user group, but this is changing."

The Java application will undoubtedly improve the user experience as it will make reading De Telegraaf content on a mobile similar to the user experience on the Internet. With this new application, people will be able to surf and navigate rather than simply scroll. It will contain all the same content as the Internet and digital version of the daily newspaper itself without cost (barring internet and an initial one-off cost).

However, there are legitimate concerns about how consumers will react to this new application. Users will have to request an SMS from De Telegraaf in order to download Java before they can access the new Java platform, furthermore they will have to a pay for the SMS on top of the usual cost of Internet access. These may seem like small issues, but they could prove to be significant. The Internet platform has been popular because it makes getting your daily news fix very easy. Consumers may find downloading Java too fiddly or time consuming for something that they can already get on their laptop or PC. Ankersmitt is aware of this, and it is part of the reason that after the initial one-off cost, the service will be free.

Gaining the technological knowledge

De Telegraaf works with an outside mobile consultancy company - Service2Media - and Ankersmitt believes that this is vital. Service2Media built the site, hosts it, and gives the newspaper knowledge on mobile. She reports, "We of course know everything about bringing people the news and we know what our readers like and dislike, and (Surface2Media) brings the technical expertise and shows us what is ahead for mobile. They help us with the strategy: when we should launch and when a technology will move into the mainstream" This relationship helps De Telegraaf plan strategically for the future and plan what its next move for its mobile platform will be. "Working with them helped us see the possibilities of mobile."

How do users consume mobile news?

De Telegraaf has been analysing user activity of its mobile platform, and has noticed significant differences between its mobile and website. The mobile platform usage peaks during the evening and is relatively flat and consistent during the day. On the website usage peaks during the day and declines during the evening. This study into user activity resulted in De Telegraaf keeping its website not only continually updated during the day, but also well into the evening.

Attracting female readers in a difficult market

Newspapers in The Netherlands do not traditionally tailor content for female readers, but De Telegraaf last year launched a magazine called "Woman" and following this launched a section on its Website dedicated to female readers. Other news providers who have launched this Java application are attracting approximately a 5% female readership, but De Telegraaf is already attracting up to 30%. This data reflects that De Telegraaf is rapidly moving towards attracting the same demographic split on its Mobile site as on its Website and print edition (approximately 54% male readership and 46% female readership). This female content will also be made available this week on the mobile platform.

Real-time news service

Alongside the introduction of the Java application, De Telegraaf is launching a real-time financial news service, whereby bond and share prices and graphics will be updated in real-time from all bourses.  This information will be available on the mobile site in the first quarter of next year, but it was launched last week on the website. Reuters is providing this information to De Financial Telegraaf (DFT).

The future - can news providers charge for content?

The big question facing all news organisations is how to monetise these new platforms. At this stage it does not look like advertising revenue will generate enough income to support the operation of running a newsroom: so what can newspapers do? De Telegraaf is considering testing the charging-for-content waters early next year. "We are thinking of launching some iPhone applications and maybe we will charge for these if we see success on the Java application. The user experience at the moment is OK. It's not brilliant because mobile is so small and there is a lot of scrolling for the user. There are two things: we want to get as many people as possible to download the Java application and we want to see if, and how, people are using it so w can learn from this. We will then use this knowledge to introduce something further down the line for the iPhone." Ankersmitt reports. Ankersmitt feels that there is scope for charging on the mobile platform if the user experience is good enough, but De Telegraaf has no plans for charging for its website content. Ankersmitt says on the issue, "I don't think it is realistic to charge people for the Website news because news they can get everywhere for free. So it is no use to us to charge people for reading our news. We have to make money from advertising."

Lesson learned

De Telegraaf moved into the mobile arena back in 2001, the whole process has been a steep learning curve for the broadsheet but it has so far navigated these uncharted waters successfully. To other newspapers considering entering the mobile arena, Ankersmitt says, "Think of how you can extend your brand with this new platform and find a good partner who can serve you for all the technical needs. It is vital to have a good and knowledgeable technical partner, we have one person focusing on the mobile platform, but our partner had 40 people focusing on it. They are always ahead of us technically speaking. Really think what you want to bring to this platform and what kind of news you want to present."

Canada's Globe and Mail published a scoop on Saturday claiming it had received a secret Nato document which disclosed that Taliban insurgents were better prepared than French troops during last month's controversial battle in Afghanistan. However, Nato and French Government officials deny the very existence of any such document and strongly dismissed the substance of the report and article.

During the controversial battle last month, ten French troops were killed in an ambush in one of the most shocking attacks on foreign troops since the fighting in Afghanistan began. The incident has shocked France and brought France's very presence in Afghanistan into question.

Since the story broke there has been claim and counter claim between Canada's Global and Mail and French and Nato officials. The Editors Weblog decided to get to the heart of the matter, and spoke to Colin MacKenzie, Managing Editor of News for the Globe and Mail about the controversy surrounding the article.

EW: Can you confirm if the document you received was an email correspondence or a "secret Nato report"? And is there a real difference for you? 

CM: The document in question is not electronic, and bears no resemblance to an email. Any document we think may be newsworthy is assessed based on its contents, provenance, and the authority of the author, among other things, not on the medium with which it was created or conveyed. In this case, it was on paper, and clearly a detailed and official document. Emails are obviously more easily subject to manipulation, but even there, reporting can usually determine whether an email is authentic.

EW: What mechanisms do you have in place to check sources and how would you rate the source in terms of reliability?  
 
CM: Editors are in constant conversation with reporters about the reliability of sourcing for any particular story. In this case, we are confident in the authenticity of the NATO document in question and that we accurately reported on the nature and contents of that document.

EW: Is there any connection between the timing of the publication of the article and the French vote on the war in Afghanistan this week?

We published the information as soon as we were able to confirm it to our satisfaction. That being said we can't attribute motive, except as an aside, our source was not likely to be fully au fait with the intricacies of the French legislative agenda.
 
EW: How, as a Managing Editor, do you manage your reporters when they come to you with a scoop? Also, how do you react when the story comes under attack, for example, the allegations that the secret report is in fact just an email?
 
CM: Well, we have considerable experience with such allegations. Typically, we ask a reporter to share his or her sourcing, we try to assess any hidden agendas, and we determine accuracy by interviewing others who are aware of the subject at hand.

EW: Why do you think the French media are downplaying the story and not investigating it further (the story received minimal coverage in France and equal weight was given to the denials of the French Minister of Defense, Hervé Morin)?
 
CM: Not to sound flippant, but I would argue there are two things at play. First of all, the story was not original to any of the French media, and there is a universal tendency to be less enthused about others' work. Second, it broke over a weekend, when in most newsrooms there are fewer people to pursue stories aggressively, especially those that require official comment.

EW: What action are you taking next? How do you foresee this story playing itself out? Will you ask French authorities to respond to the main issues revealed in the Globe & Mail article (lack of ammunitions, lack of communication tools)?
 
CM: Our reporter in Afghanistan is primarily pursuing stories about Canada's involvement in the country. Without sounding too parochial, it falls a little outside our readers' interests.
That being said, we continue to report on developments in France's involvement in Afghanistan. The French Government has already responded to the main points of our report, and we have published that response as well as the facts as we know them. The government has since changed elements of its response, and we'll report that too.
 
Sources: Globe and Mail, TimesOnline

Over a week ago, the new executives of Tribune Co. made the decision to alter the size of their newspapers following "reduced advertising revenue." Timothy McNulty, Chicago Tribune Public Editor, talks about the qualities newspapers should uphold and urges readers to decide what they see as vital material.

He cites readers who have, in the past, complained about alterations in the Chicago Tribune, be it those affecting the quantity of news articles or the comics section. According to him, readers should be the ones to provide aid when it comes to downsizing decisions.

McNulty says, "This is about a troubled economy, an industry that needs to transform itself and a cultural shift in how people receive news and advertising."

According to him, news should "provide order to the day's events", "create some hierarchy of what is most important" and "provide a context for understanding it".

In commentary and editorials, he wishes to see "smart and sharp thinking about a subject" to be able to "react" and "examine" his own opinions. Features should include "reviews and criticism and real substance but also utility."

"What I enjoy most about a newspaper is learning something new every day, the serendipity of finding a story I never would have known or asked about," McNulty says.

One of the tasks of journalists today is to adapt to economic changes while keeping traditions alive. Because modifications are inevitable, not much is "sacrosanct", according to McNulty.

"There will be redesign, just as there has been several times in the past, but this will, I suspect, be much more dramatic. Physical changes will alter the look and feel of the paper," he says.

Source: www.chicagotribune.com

The New York Times announced the shuttering of its online subscription service, TimesSelect. The obvious question: is this the end of the paid-for online model altogether? How will the Wall Street Journal’s (WSJ) website, the Web’s largest paid-for subscription website, react? The Editors Weblog collected the insight of media analyst Philip Stone, Ali Rahnema, Corporate Development Director at the Irish Times, and Daniel Bernard, General Manager of WSJ Online.

Over the last ten years, two journalists have been killed every week, according to a survey by the International News Safety Institute (INSI). The survey found that 1,000 new media personnel have died trying to cover news around the world in the last 10 years and gives recommendations to put a halt to the bloodshed.

Mary Junck, CEO of Lee Enterprises and Robert Decherd, CEO of Belo both made positive comments about the new structure. 

Newspaper companies beware! The journalists you are increasingly willing to let go may come back to haunt you. In today’s Internet world, all it takes is a little budget and a lot of ambition. Take the story of Paul Bass. For 25 years, Bass covered the New Haven, Connecticut area for print publications and watched them all get eaten up by corporate giants. During a yearlong book leave, he decided that he couldn’t return to a newsroom “sucked of its spirit.” His salvation? The Internet.

This week's news of a year on year 2.6% average circulation decrease in American newspapers is unsurprising to say the least. But as the paper product dives, many are quick to point out that visits to newspaper websites are high and rising. With many papers claiming more online readers than print readers, the criteria for circulation by Audit Bureaus need to change to reflect the shift to the screen.

Thanks to George Brock, "The Times" Managing Editor for sending me this outstanding analysis of journalistic practices.
The post-Hutton world has begun in the UK. And beyond the BBC future, other media are examining their own rules. For instance, the Guardian's new guidelines, issued to staff by Alan Rusbridger, the newspaper's editor, are now available to the public on the newspaper's website. They include a section on the use of sources which says journalists should use anonymous sources sparingly and that except in exceptional circumstances they should avoid any use of anonymous pejorative quotes. The guidelines also tell staff to avoid "flamming" or "sexing up" stories, and to put allegations to the people about whom they are writing in good time."
All comments are more than welcome.