New Models for News | Background on @circa by David Cohn | Journalism Interactive Conference 2013 | journalisminteractive.com/2013/ PRESENTER: David Cohn (@Digidave), Founding editor of Circa (@circa and http://cir.ca/). DESCRIPTION: Presentation on @Circa, a revolutionary smartphone app designed for consumption of news on mobile devices.

1. Follow the news.
http://cir.ca @circa
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2. How we consume news
c. 1605-2008 c. Today
e.g. gap time while in line for coffee,
waiting at a subway stop, etc.
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3. New York Times iPhone App
Current news apps take an existing format and
force it into a smaller screen where users also
have a dramatically shorter attention span
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4. The best mobile experiences are specifically tailored
Social Networking Photo Sharing Video Games News
Before Mobile
Complex
Time wasting
Attention hungry
Mobile First
Simplified
Time Sensitive
Optimized
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5. Traditional articles are too verbose for mobile
Penn State loses one sponsor, others could Penn State loses one sponsor, others could
follow follow
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) — State Farm is pulling its ads from Penn State STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) — State Farm is pulling its ads from Penn State
football broadcasts, while General Motors is reconsidering its sponsorship deal football broadcasts, while General Motors is reconsidering its sponsorship deal
and Wall Street is threatening to downgrade the school's credit rating, and Wall Street is threatening to downgrade the school's credit rating,
suggesting the price of the sexual abuse scandal could go well beyond the $60 suggesting the price of the sexual abuse scandal could go well beyond the $60
million fine and other penalties imposed by the NCAA. million fine and other penalties imposed by the NCAA.
Bloomington, Ill.-based State Farm said it had been reviewing its connection to Bloomington, Ill.-based State Farm said it had been reviewing its connection to
Penn State since the arrest of retired assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky last Penn State since the arrest of retired assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky last
November. The insurance company said it will pull ads from broadcasts of November. The insurance company said it will pull ads from broadcasts of
Nittany Lions home games but continue to advertise during Penn State's away Nittany Lions home games but continue to advertise during Penn State's away
contests. contests.
"We will not directly support Penn State football this year," State Farm "We will not directly support Penn State football this year," State Farm
spokesman Dave Phillips said Tuesday. "We just feel it was the best decision." spokesman Dave Phillips said Tuesday. "We just feel it was the best decision."
State Farm had no immediate information on how much money is at stake. State Farm had no immediate information on how much money is at stake.
The NCAA imposed unprecedented sanctions against Penn State on Monday, The NCAA imposed unprecedented sanctions against Penn State on Monday,
including the fine, a four-year bowl ban and a sharp reduction in the number of including the fine, a four-year bowl ban and a sharp reduction in the number of
football scholarships it may offer. football scholarships it may offer.
The governing body also erased 14 years of victories, wiping out 111 of coach Joe The governing body also erased 14 years of victories, wiping out 111 of coach Joe
Paterno's wins and stripping him of his standing as the most successful coach in Paterno's wins and stripping him of his standing as the most successful coach in
the history of big-time college football. the history of big-time college football.
NCAA President Mark Emmert said he relied on a report by former FBI Director NCAA President Mark Emmert said he relied on a report by former FBI Director
Louis Freeh, who found that Paterno and three top officials concealed child Louis Freeh, who found that Paterno and three top officials concealed child
sexual abuse allegations against Sandusky more than a decade ago to protect the sexual abuse allegations against Sandusky more than a decade ago to protect the
school and its powerful football program. school and its powerful football program.
With Penn State's once-sterling reputation in tatters, the university could face With Penn State's once-sterling reputation in tatters, the university could face
an exodus of sponsors unwilling to have their brands linked to scandal, said an exodus of sponsors unwilling to have their brands linked to scandal, said
Kevin Adler, founder of Chicago-based Engage Marketing Inc. Kevin Adler, founder of Chicago-based Engage Marketing Inc.
Adler said he would advise current sponsors to pull out of their deals with Penn Adler said he would advise current sponsors to pull out of their deals with Penn
State, adding that most contracts have morality clauses giving advertisers an State, adding that most contracts have morality clauses giving advertisers an
out. out.
"I think the public perception is pretty clear and definitive at this point. That "I think the public perception is pretty clear and definitive at this point. That
brand is damaged beyond the point of short-term repair. It is the sponsorship brand is damaged beyond the point of short-term repair. It is the sponsorship
partner's obligation first and foremost to look after the health of their own partner's obligation first and foremost to look after the health of their own
brand," Adler said. "None of the sponsors owe Penn State anything." brand," Adler said. "None of the sponsors owe Penn State anything."
Problem: Articles take entirely too Solution: Break down a story
long to read on smartphones into its atomic elements: facts,
stats, quotes, media, etc.
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6. At Circa, we atomize not summarize
Summarization creates a smaller Atomization is when a story gets
version of an existing piece, cutting broken down into its core elements –
content to make for a quicker read. the facts, stats, quotes, media, etc.
In the process of summarizing it’s likely This means that the only content that gets
that details will get lost – sometimes very cut is the fluff – bias, opinion, conjecture,
important information, and that’s if the transitions, etc. – and what is left is the
summary is accurate to begin with most important details of the story
A good summary will also replace the need Atomization helps brief the reader, who
to read a story and likely not draw may be curious to continue reading further
someone in further or drive traffic to
whatever the summary was based on It also creates a structured format to the
news, allowing for opportunities around
“big data” later on
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7. Circa rethinking news for mobile
Instead of articles, Circa collects the Points are navigated by swiping Different kinds of points have a
facts, stats, quotes, and other media around, physically similar to going unique visual styling, making
(photos, videos,etc), without added through a stack of flash cards. navigating them even more
fluff. We call these stories. compelling.
By keeping the reader focused on
one element of a story at a time, The above is an example of an
this design dramatically increases event point.
reading speed and comprehension.
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8. Circa’s unique format makes news writing
have greater meaning.
Atomizing isn’t just about making things smaller/digestible.
We create a database of facts, quotes, etc.
Instead of links to articles. We have links to searchable facts.
EveryBlock Info is Powerful Re-use of information
I want...
All our quotes
Historically this info was stuffed All our quotes in political stories
into articles Facts can exist in multiple stories
All our quotes in political stories
from David Axelrod Facts can be updated universally
Took facts and metadata related
to crime, made a database Corrections on specific facts
All our quotes in political stories
from David Axelrod and all the
various aliases we use to
reference him
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9. Staying current with the stories
With news experiences today, a story “ends”
as soon as it’s published
New articles get created every time there is
something new to tell
Very difficult to keep up with stories that
readers actually care about
With Circa, stories live on with updates and
changes by allowing readers to follow each
story
Circa adds each new point relevant to a story in-
line, as opposed to creating new articles entirely
As a story evolves, readers are informed of the
Readers can simply tap the follow Whenever an update is added to a
changes by notifications button and get notifications when story, the reader is notified within
This has been proven to be what makes us sticky there are updates added to the the app.
with our readers. story.
This leads to a far greater
People that follow stories are far more likely to engagement around the news and
come back multiple times a day. very high return usage potential
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10. People love following stories
Following stories drives a significant amount of
traffic back to the app and dramatically
increases engagement and “stickiness”
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11. News Experiencing Growth
With Smartphones
Smartphones are showing massive year- Smartphones Feature Phones
over-year gains in market penetration 100%
Over half of all smartphone owners in the 80%
US use their device to read the news1
60%
There isn’t currently a mobile-first news
app that has an experience conducive to a 40%
smartphone. Or one tailored to users in 20%
an environment where they have a
dramatically reduced attention span 0%
Q2 2009 Q2 2010 Q2 2011 Q2 2012
1 Pew Research Center’s “The State of the News Media 2012” Smartphone growth in the United States 2009-2012
Source: The Nielsen Company
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12. Circa’s goal
CNN capitalized on a new news delivery
format (cable television), focusing on what
was unique about the platform, and became
the definitive news network on tv
There is an opportunity not unlike the
movement of news to television that will arise
in mobile very soon
It’s our belief that mobile news consumption
will be much bigger than that of television
This opportunity is much bigger than just
being an “app company” – our goal is to
be CNN for the mobile age
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13. Company Values
Embody respect: Think different:
Readers of the news are just as smart and important as those who Rethink news as if it was invented today. Disruption comes from
report or edit the news. Don’t talk down to readers, and don’t expect rethinking all assumptions. We will create an experience that
them to accept a sup-bar experience. Deliver a product that will elevates the users and build the news platform that they’ve always
makes people say “of course, this is the way it should be.” wanted.
Empower readers: One step at a time:
Blur the line between readers and editors by encouraging We understand that we’re tackling a huge challenge. We’ll break
participation in the news process. Give them the training, the tools, down the big problems into manageable pieces and get them right.
and the platform to create their own news. We’ll bite off only what we can chew, staying lean and focused --
even in the face of vocal opposition from the incumbents.
Encourage diversity:
There will always be bias and opinions. It’s better to surface them
Recognize sources:
then to deny that they exist. Encourage people to put forth The world of news is an ecosystem of writers, editors, sources,
thoughtful analysis and opinion by enforcing transparency. aggregators, and syndicators who deserve explicit credit for their
roles. At the same time, anonymity is a key protection required for
Optimize for truths: free speech. We will respect crediting and sourcing, while protecting
Truth is a constant. In order for news to be a force for social good we anonymous sources.
recognize that we must build a platform that will expose falsehoods
and enable truths, while accepting the value of diversity and
different points of views.
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