Overview of how media companies structures affect their online news strategies. Key elements include discussion of how newsrooms are adapting from "top down" to "we media".

1. University of North Texas Department of Journalism Online Journalism 3340 March 2, 2010 Types of Convergence

2. Today’s class Election Day news Types of convergence

3. Ten Key Lessons Don’t overload them. Create home pages that satisfy. Entice them to keep reading. Summarize stories on the home page. Include visuals with anything that matters Convey what’s important with a clear visual hierarchy. Beware of too much scrolling and clicking. Provide background, explanation and context. Provide background, explanation and context. Break up information into manageable chunks. Get rid of clutter.

4. The Early Days –News Websites The Evolution Mainly straight text, no graphics Bulletin boards (BBS), forums ruled Minimal investment Late 70s/early 80s: VideoText Miami Herald: Viewtron Belo: BISON – Belo Information Systems On-line Progidy: Cowboys Content Knight Ridder, Tribune: $30 million Regurgitation: What was in print showed up online No staffs – Gungho geeks who become mavericks of their time

5. The Miami Herald, then owned by Knight-Ridder, invested $17mm in 1984 Dedicated keyboard/terminal that could only be used for the videotext service. This equipment cost $600 to $900; later, as personal computing caught on,Viewtron would try to sell its services via IBM, Apple, or Commodore PCs. A television set to display the color images, which took time to load or paint A monthly subscription fee of $12 (the first month was free) A phone line to send information back to a central computer, for which the consumer initially paid $1 an hour Source: Poynter.org: “Before there was the Internet, There was Viewtron”, by Howard Finberg, http://www.poynter.org/content/content_view.asp?id=52769

6. 1993: September 2: Middlesex (Mass.) News launches first Internet gopher-based online newspaper. http://iml.jou.ufl.edu/carlson/history/ScreenShots/Fred_the_computer.jpg

7. January 1994: Salt Lake Tribune opens a BBS called Utah Online. http://iml.jou.ufl.edu/carlson/history/ScreenShots/utah_online.jpg

8. Types of News Websites Shovelware What you read in the daily newspaper or see on TV is what you see on the website Costs Staffing Lack of technology/content management system Strategic decision All stories written in traditional inverted pyramid style What are the pros & cons?

9. Types of News Websites Periodic Updating Mainly shovelware with some exceptions Breaking News Sports stories/scores Some dedicated staff assigned

10. Types of News Websites Continuous Updating Combination of shovelware and original packages Wire-service (AP, Reuters) operation mentality Sports stories/scores Special ‘web-only’ reports Extensive interactive features, graphics, including audio and video Full-time dedicated staff

11. Corporate Structure Specific newspaper brands tied to the home town Dallasnews.com Washingtonpost.com Nytimes.com Umbrella sites Newhouse News’ Regional Approach AlabamaLive.com NJ.com ClevelandLive.com Which approach is better? Does it matter?

12. Digital Storytelling Tools Shovelware out, Within Media In It’s no place for lazy journalists Dig deeper, report more, drive to find more sources, quicker Need to be more accurate and more thorough Search, research and verify

13. Integration “Among-media” Shovelware Reproducing newspaper story as-is into newspaper Posting video from newscast onto the web “I think that the great fear was that we were all going to turn into three-headed monsters and do three times as much work in eight hours, and you just can’t. And, furthermore, you probably won’t do it that well; particularly in a market this size you can’t afford to have a mediocre person on TV or a mediocre news writer.” Jim Riley, Director of Operations, of TBO.com http://www.ojr.org/ojr/workplace/1017858030.php

14. Integration “Within-media” Great reporting + multimedia using digital media tools: your pen, paper, digital recorder, digital video camera Long form narrative meets digital story telling Fully integrated into the story assignment process Ability for more in-depth coverage Better interviews Greater consciousness of photos Selected use of video Fairness & accuracy still reign

15. Types of Convergence Storytelling or presentation: Using digital tools to create new forms of story telling. Print Broadcast Internet

16. Types of Convergence Storytelling or presentation: Using digital tools to create new forms of story telling. Broadcast Internet Print

18. The Interactive Audience Shorter lines of communication between journalists and audience Traditional Media: Readers v. Non-readers Readers an ‘amorphous mass’ Defined audience – by geography Circulation, ‘signal’

19. The Interactive Audience Now: Individual, personalized, direct Email addresses for reporters Tracking readers: Story by story Top Down Editors to Readers Readers in Control Audience Participation

20. Participatory journalism - “We Media” http://www.hypergene.net/wemedia/weblog.php?id=P36