I had an interesting conversation this weekend with a journalist for the Opelika-Auburn News. A friend of my roommate, this journalist (who shall remain nameless to protect the innocent) is a sportswriter who covers Auburn University sports and maintains a blog on the newspaper's website. We got to talking one night and I decided to take the opportunity to ask him a couple of questions about his thoughts on newspaper blogs and websites.

We have spent a good amount of time talking about newspaper blogs here at TBR (see Todd's post from November) , and have come to the general conclusion that newspaper blogs just aren't that good.

I now realize that newspaper bloggers aren't the ones to blame. After talking with this journalist, I realize that newspaper bloggers are slapped with a variety of restrictions that significantly limit them in their blogging endeavors.

For example, this journalist told me that he isn't allowed to link to any other newspapers in his posts, either as source material or for the purpose of expanding discussion. He said that the general feeling among editors is that "people will follow the link and never come back". The same restriction applies for both local/Alabama papers in the same market as well as national news outlets. This journalist told me that while not linking to other local papers is somewhat common sense, refraining from linking to major news sites, such as Sports Illustrated, ESPN, or the New York Times, limits the information he can use in his blog posts and is incredibly frustrating.

I understand that newspapers might be weary of "sharing" their traffic and audience with other sites. But forbidding your bloggers from linking to external sources is just plain silly. It's commonly known that links are like a form of currency to bloggers. When you you link to other bloggers and external sources, your audience automatically increases. My journalist friend noted that while the newspaper allows people to comment on his blog, "no one ever comments". Maybe this is partially due to the paper's "no linking policy", which clearly limits a blogger's online network.

This journalist I spoke with said that he really likes to blog. In particular, he enjoys the freedom that th blog gives him, as he can address topics that he otherwise doesn't get a chance to write about. He also said, however, that maintaining the blog is becoming increasingly frustrating: because the paper puts such strict restrictions on his blog, there is a minimal response from the community. Without the conversation created by links and comments, this blogger sometimes feels like his blog is "just another column". Clearly, maintaining this newspaper blog would be more rewarding both for this journalist AND the newspaper he works for if it gave the author and audience a true opportunity to connect. 

Hearing this story from my buddy was really disheartening, and speaks again to the point we've made repeatedly that newspapers need to ditch their outdated, top-down models and open the floor to discussion. It will be interesting to see if redesigned and restructured sites like USA Today have an effect on the way most newspaper do business online.

Since writing the 16 Ways The News Media Can Use Blogs post, I've thought of a seventeenth way.

News organizations, particularly newspapers, can publish dissenting voices of editorials on their websites. Not everyone on an editorial board — like judges (including the most famous at the Supreme Court) — agrees with the board's statements, but at least judges write dissenting or concurring opinions expressing why they disagree with a ruling or agree with a decision for different reasons.

Blogging differing opinions from the editorial board will not only provide a deeper and richer statement from a news organization that wouldn't make to print or air, publishing such content helps organizations avoid the tempting, yet staid, option of simply republishing articles from the dead tree version or aired pieces on the Internet.

Got any other ideas on how the news media can blog?

I just spent a couple hours working on a project in which I had to identify the location of a couple of hundred news websites. This task was tougher than it should have been.

While many of the sites I visited are pretty and slick, I had a hard time figuring out where the TV or radio stations and newspapers are located, and that is why it is very important to note that people who visit a local news outlet’s site are not required to reside within its coverage area. Gasp!

Although pictures of the news team are important, words like “heartland” or “coast” don’t help people suss out the location of the local news. Further, most local news stories are written in a way that only those who are familiar with the local area would understand their geographical references. Also, using a station’s call sign rarely reveals where the outlet is located. Not all stations are lucky enough to have an obvious call sign like WNYC. The same goes for newspapers; there are many Tribunes, Gazettes, and Chronicles out there.

News site webmasters, please place your organization’s city or region and state in a prominent place throughout the site. For instance, “Hyattsville, Maryland (or MD)” or “Southern Utah” are very helpful descriptions. This will help people from anywhere who come across your site know where the news originates.

We've talked a good amount on this blog about the value of hyper-local and niche content in the media.  Mark Glaser from PBS Mediashift had a great post a couple of days ago talking about the value and difficulty of getting locally-based sites maintained by citizen journalists off the ground.  It definitely is not easy to get sites like these off the ground, as Mark notes that "journalism is hard work".  While the concept of having local citizens gather around a central online location to exchange locally-based news, events, comments, and opinions sounds like a great idea, many have tried this tactic and failed (Glaser refers to a couple of these sites in his post).  This got me thinking more about the role newspapers play in providing localized content.  Why reinvent the wheel?  Newspaper websites already have a few things that these new hyper local sites don't necessarily have: an audience and a platform.   This is part of the reason I believe that newspaper websites would be well-served to offer more localized content online.  Citizens can get national news anywhere.  They can only get local news from their local papers. 

PaidContent.org notes that localizing print content can be costly, and I believe it can be controversial, as well.  For example, a few weeks ago, I spent some time with some friends from Maine who were discussing the fact that a story about a mouse that stole an old man's dentures made the front page of the local paper.  While many people (reflected in the article's comments) thought that the story was a relief from the more typical depressing and nationally-focused headlines, others were upset by the fact that much "more important" things were going on in the world and the paper's editors decided to write about a denture-stealing-mouse.  

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Dagsbrun, an Icelandic publishing company, is launching free daily newspapers in 10 U.S. cities in the coming months, and blog content will make a significant portion of each issue.

According to a report from WBUR’s Curt Nickisch on today’s Morning Edition from NPR, BostonNOW — which starts circulation today — editor-in-chief John Wilpers plans to eventually allot half of his paper to content culled from local bloggers.

Including blog content in editorial content is a way to capture community opinion and provide an incentive for bloggers to produce content (they’ll get recognition from a well known organization) and to refer others to the outlet. “Hey, go look at my comments or pictures in the paper!”

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MediaPost reports that USAToday.com's redesign to include many social networking features has paid off.  In article, Gavin O'Malley reports:

USA TODAY'S COMMUNITY-CENTRIC MAKEOVER LAST month appears to be paying off in dividends. Indeed, the site has seen a dramatic 380% increase in registrations since the re-launch, while its unique visitor rates have grown 21% from February, according to Nielsen//NetRatings…Sections seeing particularly strong traffic gains include Sports, Money, Travel and Tech, according to Gannett's internal measurements.

This seems to make sense since social networking features can have stickiness potential.  Site visitors want to come back and debate a story on the site with others, blog about a variety of subjects, or share their point of view via several different types of media.  It is also interesting to note that the sports, money, travel, and tech sections are showing great growth; this is perhaps because people tend to have lasting hobbies and interests in these topics.  Further, they could also urge their friends to go on to such sites to see their work.

It is also interesting to note that the sports, money, travel, and tech sections are showing great growth; this is perhaps because people tend to have lasting hobbies and interests in these topics.

It is nice to see that USA Today is having some success in social networking.

This weekend, Editor and Publisher released some data on the most popular newspaper websites. Not surprisingly, the New York Times was at the top of the list with 12,960,000 unique visitors in February 2007. USATODAY.com, washingtonpost.com, LATimes.com, and the Wall Street Journal Online rounded out the top five.

You can see the entire list of newspaper statistics here.

While I would like to know more about how these figures were calculated, I think that data like this is really important. It give mainstream media outlets a mechanism for evaluating benchmarks and accurately assessing how they are doing online compared to their competitiors. As more and more newspapers begin to reevaluate their online programs, reliable data like this will be an important factor in determining the direction that these websites pursue.

After my post about the Washington Post Express' website, I decided to do some more research and see what other free newspapers are doing online. I compiled a list of free papers in the US and checked out their websites, using some of the same criteria as I did in our newspaper study.  The object of this was to see if free papers are outperforming their paid-for companions on the Web. 

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I got an email from my friend Chuck this morning pointing me to the recent overhaul of the print edition of my hometown paper, the San Antonio Express News. 

The Express-News writes about the redesign:

It's hardly breaking news: We're all awash in a flood of information, coming from an ever-growing number of sources.  We know our readers are more informed, more wired - and yes, much more busy taking it all in. 

So it's time that the Express-News front page reflect that reality.  Change comes today with a new format designed around two key goals.  First, we are providing readers with a larger menu of items, allowing the front page to be a better window into the rest of the paper.  Second, we're doing more to emphasize and develop our best story of the day, focusing as much as possible on local news you won't find anywhere else. 

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For me, the Washington Post Express is a staple of my morning commute.  Its "light" version of the news is great for getting an overview of the day's events, while the entertaining style, opinion, and pop culture commentary helps distract me from the inevitable annoyances that come with riding the bus every day.  Oh, and did I mention the Express is free and available on every corner of DC?

Not only has the Express positioned itself as a premiere free paper in DC, but it also has quite an ambitious, although somewhat unappreciated, online program.  I think that larger papers could learn a lot from the Express' online program, so I'd like to take a few minutes to point out some of the site's best features.

5 Reasons the Express has got the Right Idea:

1. Blog Based Approach.  All of the articles on the Express are laid out in blog format. with functions for commenting, trackbacks, and tags.  This is a far cry from most newspaper websites, which often display their articles in flat or stagnant formats.

2. Integration of Print and Online Editions.  Not only can you find the Express' print content on the Web, but the Express is one of the only publications I've seen that uses online responses to build content for the print version of the paper.  The back page of the Express is dedicated to publishing reader comments about Express articles or current events issues.  I think this is a great way to encourage discussion and participation around the news. 
3. Focus on Localized, Niche Content.  TBG writers have often mentioned the importance of offering hyper-local/niche content online in order to attract audiences (See Todd's post) .  The Express does this really well, allowing online readers to filter its already localized articles by state, city, or neighborhood.  For example, readers can view the news articles that are specific to DC, Maryland, or Virginia.  Online poll results can be viewed according to metro line or metro stop.  Finally, the Metro Links section of the site allows users to find restaurants, theaters, and other establishments according to their metro stop. Users can even use Google maps on the site to read articles about specific neighborhoods in DC/MD/VA.  What I think is especially interesting about this website is that the Express doesn't even bother to publish national news online.  I guess the editors recognize the value of their local content and realize the redundancy of publishing national/international news on the paper's website when, let's face it, The Post Express is definitely not going to compete with big national news providers (think CNN, NYT), for general interest readers.
4. Design.  The Post Express is definitely not a hotbed of creative design techniques.  The site is plain, simple, and consists of a lot of white space.  Some might even say that the Express site is boring.  But you know what, it works.  It works because the pages aren't cluttered with huge lists of articles or big banner ads.  Interactive content is highlighted up front instead of buried behind subscription or registration walls, and most importantly, I don't get a headache when I look at the page for more than 30 seconds.  So while the design and layout aren't anything to write home about, they certainly are an improvement upon even some of the nation's top newspaper websites, which descriptors like "cluttered" or "chaotic" are most appropriate (See, for example, the Baltimore Sun and the San Diego Union-Tribune).
5. Digestibility. One thing that's great about the Express' content is that it is all quick and easy to read, which makes the articles perfect content for blog entries.  While you wouldn't use the Express as your primary news source, it's great for getting a taste of the day's headlines.  Similarly, the website is full of interesting local tidbits that can all be read rather quickly.  I think this is key for online newspapers.  Quick, interesting blurbs are likely to travel around the web via discussion and comments, while longer articles may tend to get lost in cyberspace.

With these things in mind, I can't help but ask the question, if the Express is doing all these things right, why is there so little activity on the paper's website?  Most articles on the site don't elicit comments from readers, which is sort of a key part of the Express' online strategy.  

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This is not a complete list of how the news media can use blogs, but it provides several ideas for journalists who are scratching their heads about how to launch blogs that serve a purpose other than as another distribution channel for content.

(1) Solicit ideas for coverage
Make readers/viewers/listeners feel a part of the editorial process; turn a show over to them. They can participate via a blog.
Examples: BBC's World, Have Your Say and PRI's Open Source

(2) Request feedback on how to shape an editorial product
Does your news organization want to develop a new product?  Ask the people who will use for input.
Examples: NPR's Rough Cuts for new show development and The Economist Group's Project Red Stripe for a new innovative web product

(3) Host public blogs
Expand coverage by allowing normal folk to share news in their neighborhoods as well as their opinions, photos, analysis, and news.
Examples: Austin American-Statesman, Houston Chronicle, Utah's Daily Herald, and Fox 13 in Salt Lake City

(4) Provide ongoing coverage
Allow reporters and producers to continue covering a story that may not make it to print or air all the time.
Example: The New Yorker's New Orleans Journal

(5) Foster interaction between journalists and citizens
Enable normal folk to hold journalists — especially commentators — accountable for their work.
Example: The Guardian's Comment is Free

(6) Cheaply report news about niche interests
People are interested in fishing, knitting, and wine.  Why not regularly cover these interests with a blog?
Examples: USA Today's Today in the Sky for airline junkies, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer's Venture Blog about venture capital and startups, and The Sydney Morning Herald's The Backpacker for international backpacking travel

(7) Request help from the public on covering a story
Need help covering a story or digging up data?  Ask the public for information and assistance.
Example: ABC's The Blotter — think about the Mark Foley Scandal

(8) Get experts to interact
Blogs are a great way for experts to interact together to discuss an issue.  A blog is a platform where the public can see the debate and the nuances of their arguments and disagreements.
Example: The Washington Post's Post Global

(9) Get non-journalists to report on their areas of expertise
Not all experts or eyewitnesses are journalists, and even non-journalists have much to offer an editorial product.
Example: The Washington Post's and Newsweek's On Faith

(10) Provide sneak peaks of upcoming stories
Tease the public on what's to come.
Examples: CNN's Anderson Cooper 360 Blog and NPR's Blog of the Nation

(11) Allow journos to share their interests and passions
Journalists are best when they are personable so that the public can relate to them.
Example: France 24's Inside the Newsroom

(12) Share internal memos and briefings with the public
Some people in the public love to see what notes are passed around in the newsroom.
Example: CNN's Political Ticker

(13) Defend editorial decisions
Not everyone is happy about how a story is covered — or not, for that matter.  Defend these decisions or reveal the internal debate about how a story was handled via a blog.
Example: BBC's The Editors

(14) Provide case studies for issues of public interest
How can a news organization provide a case study about an issue that it covers? By using a blog.
Example: Men's Health's The Bret Baier Project tracks how a Fox News correspondent sheds some pounds

(15) Share what you're reading
What are newsroom staffers reading?  Perhaps the public would like to read these items as well.
Example: The American's Marketplace of Ideas

(16) Publish content that didn't make it on air or in print
If your organization gathered and prepared content that wasn't released, why not post it to a blog if it is otherwise fine?  The investment was already made.

Mark Glaser from Mediashift has a good breakdown of the reader reaction to the recent relaunch of the USA Today website.  As background, USA Today's new site contains a lot of great social features but longtime site visitors have reacted negatively. 

Below is an excerpt of a comment I left on Mark's post:

I think there may be a lesson to be learned though in how to roll these things out. I'm wondering if they did focus groups about the design and new features? Or if they had some beta testers kick the tires a bit before launch? It seems like these steps might have identified problems in the site's usability before a broader launch.

Most of the problems people are having are usability issues that it is nearly impossible for designers/developers who are in the weeds to notice (I've been there). It seems like these steps might have helped.

I'm a big fan of USA Today's new features.  I'm just curious as to whether they took these steps (they may very well have). 

Erin and I went up to NYC a few weeks back to give a presentation to members of the Magazine Publishers' of America about our study on the features of magazine websites.  If you are a glutton for punishment, you can download a copy of our Powerpoint presentation here.  

As a presenter, the questions/answer part of the session is always the most interesting. And the best questions are always the ones you can't really answer.  So here are some of the better questions we were asked.

(1)  How do journalists balance the time demands of their print duties with those of their online duties?

I basically said "umm" and then made a grunting noise. Seriously, I don't know.

It sort of reminds me of when I go into pitches to corporate clients and try to get them to start blogging themselves.  They always ask about the time commitments that are required.  "We're already overworked.  We don't have time to blog.  How can I do it without hiring someone?"  I can't really answer that one either.

I can only answer these questions from my own personal experience.  I'm a busy guy and I find time to blog.  How?  For me, my work and my blogging are accomplished in one motion.  Blogging feeds my work and my work feeds my blogging.  It's all kind of the same thing.  

So I'd say in an ideal world magazines should create an environment where writing web and print content can be achieved in one motion.  Write blog entries that provide insight into the process of creating the story itself.  Post notes from interviews.  Post follow ups on the story as more information becomes available.  Post links to discussion about the article.  Post about peripheral issues you got interested in due to your story research.  I think creating web content can be done in a way that supplements what you are already doing.

I don't know is probably the right answer though. 

(2) How do you balance the traditional role of magazines as gatekeepers with the trend towards user generated content and social news?

I don't really have a good answer to this one either.  I would just say I think there is a sweet spot between your traditional, editor-driven newspaper website and the free for all approach taken by sites like Digg that no one has really hit yet.  

(3) Assuming you open things up and allow readers to comment on stories, how do you manage this given the lack of resources?

Once again, I don't think there is a right answer here as people are still figuring this out, but I did take a stab at it. 

First, you don't have to allow people to comment on every article.  Why bother with comments on wire stories?  In order to preserve resources you could potentially allow commenting only on longer pieces and/or editorials.  This is the approach being taken by www.espn.com .

Second, let your readers/users help you police the comments.  Give them ways to report out of line comments through your site.  I think this is a much better and more practical approach than having magazine staffers waiting at the ready to review every comment as they come in.

Following on the heels of the New York Times, the Seattle Post Intelligencer has launched a news reader that allows you to read the print version of the newspaper through a desktop application.

I gave the reader a test drive and think it is a fantastic piece of technology.  The reader runs smooth and fast and creates a really pleasing reading experience.  It is much better than the PDFs of print editions I've seen in other places.

However, there are a couple of problems with this.

(1) You have to install the reader software on your machine in order to use it.  Not only that, the version of the reader is specific to each newspaper.  So if I want to read five papers online like this, I'd have to install five programs.  This is much more likely to be adopted if you could install the program once and then read all your newspapers and magazines on it.

(2) I don't want to read the print version of the newspaper on my computer, even if the reader is really slick.  I really don't.

If I'm on my computer, I'd rather just go to the website and quickly pick and choose what I read.   Maybe I'd use this thing for a glossy magazine, but I'm having trouble seeing why I'd use this application instead of just reading stuff on the newspaper's website.  I don't get it.

Am I missing something?

Erin and I wrote an article a few months back on trends in newspaper websites for the International Newspaper Marketing Association's Ideas Magazine. 

Entitled "Cracking the code for news sites," the piece sort of combines our newspaper research with our series of posts on how to improve newspaper websites. 

If you are interested, you can download a PDF of the article here. 

If you have better ideas or think we're morons, let us know in the comments.