|
Posted 10:56 PM US Eastern Time | perma-link to item below
And the Winners Are ...
Steve Outing on the Online Journalism Awards
CNET and WashingtonPost.com were the big winners in the Online Journalism Awards this year, with three and two top awards, respectively. The final results were announced tonight in New York at the Online News Association's annual conference. Other winners included BeniciaNews.com, PBS.org, CNN.com, Gotham Gazette.com, ChicagoTribune.com, Slate, and MSNBC.com.I was one of the final-round judges this year, and one award I'm particularly pleased that we agreed on was in the "Online Commentary" category, won by Mark Fiore for his innovative, creative interactive/animated editorial cartoons. This was an out-of-the-box choice for this category, but well deserved. Fiore also was a finalist in the "Creative Use of the Medium: Independent" category, for one of his best interactive cartoons, "Find the Terrorist."
[ Discuss THIS item | See ALL Tidbits discussions ]
Posted 5:02 PM US Eastern Time | perma-link to item below
ActiveBuddy Captivates ONA Crowd
David Carlson on interactive technology
Among the most interesting features of Friday's events at the Online News Association convention in New York was a demonstration of agent technology from ActiveBuddy.com. Steve Klein, CEO of ActiveBuddy (not the other Steve Klein who regularly writes for this weblog), showed the audience a male and female animated image that responds to questions asked by visitors and uses text-to-speech technology to read the answers out loud. It's worth checking out. You'll need to download a viewer, but it's not a problem.About 130 online journalists are gathered at the Marriott Marquis in Times Square for the third annual ONA convention. An awards banquet is scheduled tonight (Friday) and more educational sessions are set for Saturday.
[ Discuss THIS item | See ALL Tidbits discussions ]
Posted 12:28 PM US Eastern Time | perma-link to item below
Multimedia Editorial Meetings
Eva Domínguez on new practices in converged companies
When a news company really embraces convergence, there are things that will never be the same, such as daily editorial planning meetings. This is what is happening at Marca, the leading sports newspaper in Spain, in the last year and a half. Daily newsroom editorial meetings are no longer attended only by managers of the editorial departments of the newspaper. Now, every day, besides the directors of the newspaper and the website, also attending are heads of the marketing and e-commerce departments, and other assets, such as the syndication and the advertising departments.They not only discuss what news stories are relevant that day, but also how each of them can integrate that piece of news into their strategy. It is not only about news complementing each platform but also about trying to make profit for each of them. Supporters have an emotional connection with football, said Eduardo Bendala, director of Marca's new media division, during Ifra's conference yesterday in Barcelona. And the company manages that emotional material in a multimedia way.
[ Discuss THIS item | See ALL Tidbits discussions ]
Posted 11:51 AM US Eastern Time | perma-link to item below
Deep Linking: The Legal View
Steve Outing on Web controversy
Remember "deep linking" and the controversy about some websites trying to prohibit others from linking to content other than their home pages? Intellectual property lawyer Bret A. Fausett revisits and summarizes the controversy in his article for New Architect, "Into the Deep: How deep linking can sink you." There's not much new here, but it's interesting to get the perspective of a lawyer who understands both intellectual property and the nature of the Internet. (Thanks to Chris Sherman for the pointer.)
[ Discuss THIS item | See ALL Tidbits discussions ]
Posted 10:10 AM US Eastern Time | perma-link to item below
Are You a Publisher or Just a Newsstand Operator?
Vin Crosbie on electronic publishing
Walk into a newsstand, ask its operator if he has any intention of offering home delivery of periodicals, and he'll probably kick you out. He wants consumers to retrieve — not receive — content. American newspapers don't rely upon newsstand operators' self-interest or upon consumers remembering and taking time to visit a newsstand, which is why 84% of the average American newspaper's daily circulation is generated through home delivery. Unfortunately, most American newspaper new media executives have become electronic newsstand operators and inadvertently adopted that trade's self-interests. They want consumers to retrieve content from their sites, not be sent it.As the chairman of an e-mail publishing services company (among other professional activities), I am not without vested interests. But I point to: Nielsen/Netratings' continual reports that the average user of any American newspaper websites visits fewer than four times per month (a visit on less than 16% of days); to Jakob Nielsen's (no relation) report that E-mail Newsletters Pick Up Where Websites Leave Off; to the Interactive Advertising Bureau's formation of e-mail newsletter ad standards committees this week; and to the U.K. Audit Bureau of Circulation's certification of e-mail circulation earlier this year. Is your publication available only on a newsstand?
[ Discuss THIS item | See ALL Tidbits discussions ]
Posted 7:02 PM US Eastern Time | perma-link to item below
1,315 Web Pages in 20:32 Hours During 35 Sessions
Vin Crosbie on online use
Here are more tidbits from Nielsen/Netratings' latest report that I mentioned on Wednesday: The average Web surfer in the U.S. saw 1,315 Web pages during 38 browsing sessions during September, seeing an average of 35 pages per session and spending a total of 20 hours and 32 minutes on the Web, an average of 56 seconds per page. N/N also estimates that 121.2 million of 177.7 million Americans with Web access surfed last month. Before American online newspaper executives cheer these numbers, I must note that N/N also estimates, separate from this report, that the average user of an American newspaper website visited it only about twice per month, saw a total of only 16 Web pages there, and spent less than 15 minutes on it last month. Does that mean that the average American Web surfer visits a newspaper site only once every 17 browsing sessions? I don't know, but simple arithmetic suggests it.
[ Discuss THIS item | See ALL Tidbits discussions ]
Posted 6:37 PM US Eastern Time | perma-link to item below
Baseball: A Data Story
Steve Outing on a USAToday.com database package
USAToday.com has a fascinating story today about salaries of North American major league baseball players (repurposed from the print edition, but enhanced for the website). It's a numbers story, about how the star players are getting ever-higher (indeed, absurd) salaries, while journeymen players are seeing their pay decrease. An important part of the story are several accompanying Web graphics, including a baseball salaries database, which has an interface that allows you to quickly navigate to find out the salaries of specific players on specific teams, going back several years. The Web is a great medium for presenting data in accessible ways, and this is a strong example. It's not perfect — an alphabetical listing of all MLB players just has names, no indication of what team they play for — but overall I'm comfortable citing this as a shining example of how to present data in an interactive format.
[ Discuss THIS item | See ALL Tidbits discussions ]
Posted 5:11 PM US Eastern Time | perma-link to item below
Update: CNN.com Responds
Steve Outing on online advertising
As Norbert Specker noted here earlier, CNN.com's right-side-of-page text ad links were misleading because they weren't indicated as ads. They could easily be confused for editorial links. Responding to criticism in various media reports and on public-comment websites, CNN.com today added the word "Advertisement" above the text ad links.
[ Discuss THIS item | See ALL Tidbits discussions ]
Posted 10:14 AM US Eastern Time | perma-link to item below
ConsumerReports.org Hits 1 Million, But at What Price?
Steve Outing on paid content
Kudos to ConsumerReports.org, which has signed up its 1 millionth paying online customer, as WSJ.com reports. However, I — as one of those million subscribers — have a bone to pick. I use the site rarely, when I want access to its product review databases, yet each month CR.org bills $2.95 to my credit card. It's a small expense, but each month as I review my credit-card statement I feel a tinge of anger that CR.org doesn't offer a per-day rate for occasional users like me. It's either $24 for a year commitment, or $3.95 a month for an account that you can cancel whenever you wish. (It was $2.95 a month when I signed up, and apparently that rate was maintained for older subscribers.) This policy of demanding a long-term relationship in order to support access to what is valuable content is, simply, maddening. While the numbers support the "success" of CR's paid online subscription program, I wonder how many of its paying customers are as annoyed as me. That can't be a good thing in the long run.
[ Discuss THIS item | See ALL Tidbits discussions ]
Posted 9:35 AM US Eastern Time | perma-link to item below
Trying to Fool Me?
Norbert Specker on CNN.com's non-labeled text ads
I have been fooled by following a text link that looked just like that — a text link. Only then did I find out that it is a service offered by CNN.com to its advertisers. You will find examples on most follow-up pages on the site in the right hand corner — for example, here. Notwithstanding the dent the incident made to my self esteem ("How could I be so stupid to fall for it?"), to not clearly label advertisements as advertisements strikes me as an unbelievably short-sighted effort to capitalize on readers' trust. It also bears the follow-up questions: Where else on the site is CNN trying to piggy-back on my good faith for a few bucks? What is next? Will they fabricate some stories to favor their advertisers? Overcome the reluctance to share my personal details with some of the more sophisticated spam producers? See, now I can not stop wondering ... Ah, nothing like being taken for a fool to raise the blood — and seed skepticism.
[ Discuss THIS item | See ALL Tidbits discussions ]
Posted 4:36 PM US Eastern Time | perma-link to item below
Are You an Online News God?
Steve Outing on ONA's survey
How well do you know the characteristics of the online news audience? The Online News Association has posted an online survey testing your knowledge of recent studies of online news consumers. Results of the survey will be revealed at ONA's annual conference and awards ceremony in New York on October 18-19. Sign your name to the survey, so that if you win you'll be feted for your superior knowledge of the online news industry.
[ Discuss THIS item | See ALL Tidbits discussions ]
Posted 3:34 PM US Eastern Time | perma-link to item below
Things You Probably Will Need
Katja Riefler on newsroom organization
Didn't I complain about useless gadgets last time? Today I had to learn that there are really useful ones. Kerry Northrup, director of IFRA's "Newsplex" project, allowed the participants of the "Newsroom of the Future" seminar in Barcelona a first glance at what journalists have awaiting them if they really want to work in a converged newsroom. He presented the first set of techniques that journalists will work with when Newsplex opens. He also showed the state of construction of this futuristic micro newsroom. I was especially impressed by the information about the building itself and how it (with the help of the implemented technology) will assist journalists, students, and researchers in doing their work. Some information about Newsplex is already on its website. But I'm really looking forward to seeing this all working in South Carolina. (Opening is scheduled for November 13.)
[ Discuss THIS item | See ALL Tidbits discussions ]
Posted 3:24 PM US Eastern Time | perma-link to item below
Affluent Users Drive American Internet Growth
Vin Crosbie on online use
Affluent people are the fastest growing income group online in America, according to Nielsen/Netratings. In a report released today, N/N said that the number of online users with annual incomes of US$100,000 to $150,000 grew 20% in the past year and this group now comprises 12% of Web surfers in the U.S. Moreover, the second fastest growing demographic group were people whose annual incomes were $150,000 to $1 million, a cadre that grew 14% last year, although their ranks comprise only 5.3% of all American Web surfers. N/N attributes these groups' growth to increased corporate acceptance of the Internet as an everday business tool. "Corporate America is realizing that the Internet is as much an essential part of the work environment as the telephone or the facsimile," said Lisa Strand, director and chief analyst at Nielsen/Netratings.
[ Discuss THIS item | See ALL Tidbits discussions ]
Posted 11:02 AM US Eastern Time | perma-link to item below
The Journalists Are Everywhere
Steve Outing on rules restricting "pro" reporting
Weblogger and newspaper technology journalist Dan Gillmor had an interesting item in his blog yesterday, reporting from the Agenda 2003 technology conference. It seems that event organizers demanded that professional reporters not quote the speakers publicly. Of course, only reporters covering the conference were asked to sign anything — not the general audience. Gillmor notes that at least one blogger was posting weblog observations from the conference, which put the "official" journalists at a disadvantage.I'd say that both Gillmor and that blogger are serving as "journalists," and the Agenda 2003 organizers exhibited cluelessness about how the Internet and weblogs expand the journalistic ranks. They should have applied the same rules to the audience as to professional reporters if they wanted to control what was disseminated to the public. Better would have been to not impose such obnoxious rules on anyone, of course.
[ Discuss THIS item | See ALL Tidbits discussions ]
Posted 6:37 PM US Eastern Time | perma-link to item below
Mobile Access Might Surprise Your Publication
Vin Crosbie on electronic publishing.
As lexicographers (or anyone who uses GPRS access to the Internet) can tell you, mobile means on the move. Unlike GPRS users, wi-fi users get broadband-speed access to the Internet but can't move much farther than a hundred yards/meters away from their desk or perhaps a Starbucks coffee shop or Borders book store. That isn't really mobile. But on December 2, Swisscom will launch a wi-fi service that is nearly mobile. The phone company is installing a wireless local area network at railroad stations, airports, conference centers, and Mövenpick hotels throughout Switzerland. There are more people on the move at those places than at coffee or book shops.Meanwhile, more than 50 of Western Europe's 76 mobile cellular operators have launched GPRS networks, as have T-Mobile and AT&T Wireless in the U.S. Though GPRS access operates at only 56kbps to 164Kbps, faster than dial-up but slower than wi-fi, its access is truly mobile. (For an example, I wrote and sent my Tidbits contributions last month from my handheld MDA (mobile digital assistant) while hiking on vacation in western Ireland.) According to the Gartner DataQuest Group, within 36 months nearly 50% of all laptop PCs and PDAs will come equipped for wi-fi and all mobile phones and MDAs will have GPRS access. And within six years, all those devices plus e-paper will have broadband-speed 3G access, a truly mobile replacement for wi-fi and GPRS. I think all this means that later this decade, consumers will wirelessly be able to access newspaper websites (not WAP) and also quickly download digital editions, at home, on the road, or in the air. Are the formats of your company's website and print edition ready for display on not just laptops but PDAs, MDAs, and Tablet PCs? Don't let the rise of the wireless Internet surprise you.
[ Discuss THIS item | See ALL Tidbits discussions ]
Posted 6:16 PM US Eastern Time | perma-link to item below
Battle of the Titans
Rich Gordon on efforts to marry content and broadband access
It's going to be fascinating to watch the three 800-pound gorillas of the dial-up Internet world — AOL, Microsoft, and Yahoo! — try to migrate their business to broadband. Here are just three of the recent articles talking about AOL 8.0, MSN 8.0, and Yahoo!'s strategy to partner with SBC's DSL service. The last article, from Fortune, includes a good chart listing the number of subscribers for the major high-speed Internet services. The leader, AOL Time Warner's Roadrunner cable Internet service, has just 2.5 million subscribers, about one-tenth of its dial-up customer base. It's hard to know how quickly those dial-up users will migrate to broadband, though I think the combination of more compelling content and more aggressive pricing by broadband providers could move things along quite quickly. The faster the transition happens, the less likely AOL, Microsoft, and Yahoo! are to maintain their dominance. AOL has an edge over the other two in that its parent owns a cable operation, but Yahoo!'s deal with SBC shows that any content/portal service can develop a business partnership with an access provider.
[ Discuss THIS item | See ALL Tidbits discussions ]
Posted 6:09 PM US Eastern Time | perma-link to item below
Students Go Online for Local News
Laura Ruel on the next generation
Here at the University of Denver, students who work on the weekly campus newspaper, The Clarion, have been discouraged by the perceived decrease in numbers of readers. When they see some of the campus distribution bins full at mid-week, they wonder if anyone is out there. Interestingly enough, however, we recently learned that those full bins are misleading. Autumn 2002 stats for the paper's online edition indicate that more than two-thirds of the students get their news via the Web sometimes. The Clarion Online reports more than 600 page-views a day, on average, so that helps to explain some of those overlooked newspapers. DU's undergraduate population is about 3,600 students.
[ Discuss THIS item | See ALL Tidbits discussions ]
Posted 4:44 PM US Eastern Time | perma-link to item below
A New Thing You'll Never Need
Katja Riefler on a new way to distribute "e-paper" editions
We talk a lot these days about publishing printed newspapers online. One way that I just discovered reminds me of the pen barcode scanners (Cue:Cat) that failed some time ago. Imagine this version of the digital future: If you want to read a newspaper online, first buy new and special hardware ("paperstick"); make sure your existing computer has a USB port (perhaps buy a new computer or change your operating system?); download a whole PDF newspaper (it will only take hours); and start reading. You don't believe this? Have a look at the new "paperstick" concept of Evolver.de (German only).
[ Discuss THIS item | See ALL Tidbits discussions ]
Posted 12:53 PM US Eastern Time | perma-link to item below
You Can't Hide Dumb Mistakes on the Internet
Steve Outing on Microsoft's gaffe
Microsoft made a blunder in a promotional Web page about a Macintosh user who supposedly switched to a Windows-based PC. The accompanying photo of a woman, it has been learned, is of a model — and the picture taken from a stock-photo database. When word of this gaffe rapidly spread around the Internet, Microsoft removed the page. But, as we all know by now, you can't hide dumb mistakes in the Internet age (especially if you're a giant company that lots of people love to hate). According to Dave Winer on his weblog, not only had a bunch of people grabbed screen-shots of the page, but Google cached it. Once published, the damage is done and there's no reversing it.There's a journalistic lesson here. When you see something newsworthy, controversial, and/or wrong, immediately grab a screen shot or a copy of the page before its owner has a chance to take it down or change it.
[ Discuss THIS item | See ALL Tidbits discussions ]
Posted 11:33 AM US Eastern Time | perma-link to item below
TiVo Goes to the Movies
Steve Outing on changing media
I often note news about TiVo here, because the personal video recorder industry is reshaping how consumers watch television. The latest, as reported by the Los Angeles Times, is that TiVo will start delivering short movies to its subscribers. TiVo already delivers special commercials, but now it's reaching out to producers of video content — offering them an alternative to the studios and networks. No TiVo owner will be forced to watch the films, of course, but they are featured in the device's main menu, so they'll be hard to miss.Most TiVo units currently are connected to the outside world by a telephone line, over which programming schedules are downloaded. Other than that slow link, the PVRs record programming over the owner's paid cable or satellite link. The way that the short films will be downloaded to TiVo units is that TiVo borrows time late at night on a national cable network, which broadcasts it on TiVo's behalf and the devices record it.
[ Discuss THIS item | See ALL Tidbits discussions ]
Posted 6:53 PM US Eastern Time | perma-link to item below
Coffee Wi-Fi Spreads
Steve Outing on wireless Internet access
I've been following the roll-out of public wi-fi — wireless broadband Internet access in public places like Starbucks coffee shops, which carry the T-Mobile "HotSpot" service. Now comes word via Mobile Wireless World that T-Mobile has signed another big deal with Borders book shops. As more such deals emerge, having a public wireless Internet account begins to become worthwhile, especially for frequent travelers. Why this is exciting to online publishers is that it begins to be possible to reach consumers when they are away from their computers — out in the world. These are just baby steps for a new Internet access industry sector, but watch for this to become huge in the coming years. (Related note: This morning I heard on my local radio station a commercial for the re-born Ricochet service, which gives laptop users mobile broadband service. Ricochet was a victim of the dot-com downturn, but was too good of an idea to let die.)
[ Discuss THIS item | See ALL Tidbits discussions ]
Posted 4:06 PM US Eastern Time | perma-link to item below
Internet Access, to the Absurd
Steve Outing on future gadgets
Remember the Cue:Cat pen barcode scanner? It was one of the Internet boom era's collosal bad ideas and flops. It failed because there was little demand by consumers to scan print ads to get more information online. I feel the same way I did about the Cue:Cat as I do now about the Internet refrigerator. It's a lame idea for which there will be scant demand.Yes, we've heard for a while the promise of bringing Internet access to appliances. There may be some merit to the idea, such as being able to turn on the oven to 350 degrees and start a pot of coffee brewing while at your office and have it all be ready when you get home. But look at this product description for an Internet refrigerator that's now on the market. It can show television programming, download MP3s and play them, check e-mail and surf the Web, and even take digital photos. Words fail me in describing what a poor product idea this is. I'm a bit of a new-technology gadget aficionado, and I can't imagine wanting this. The refrigerator is not the place for these electronic functions. The Internet refrigerator will die the death of the Cue:Cat. ... Oh, they forgot to add the interior web-cam so you can see what you need to buy at the store on your drive home from the office! (Thanks for Gizmodo for the pointer.)
[ Discuss THIS item | See ALL Tidbits discussions ]
Posted 2:44 PM US Eastern Time | perma-link to item below
Free Access to Media-Convergence Lab
Ernst Poulsen on tools for the future
Freelance journalists or smaller companies wishing to learn the practical skills needed in a future of media convergence may be held back by the investment in cameras, software, and computers. However, the Danish Centre for Journalism and Further Education (CFJE) now offers free access to a small media lab with all the necessary equipment. The only requirement is that participants must provide a project description for a multimedia project and hand in a report on their personal experience with media convergence.
[ Discuss THIS item | See ALL Tidbits discussions ]
Posted 1:10 PM US Eastern Time | perma-link to item below
NYT Online Numbers Out-do Print
Steve Outing on media usage trends
OK, it's a bit of apples and oranges comparison, but nevertheless it's significant. As reported by Henry Copeland of the the weblog blogads, NYTimes.com daily user traffic for the first time outnumbered the New York Times newspaper's weekday print circulation. Copeland writes, "Daily visits to NYTimes.com hit new highs in September, with an average of 1.28 million unique users visiting the site each day, Craig Calder, New York Times Digital VP for marketing, told me. The September tally represents a 10% jump over the previous high of 1.16 million in October 2001. The jump in daily users puts the site's daily readership solidly beyond the newspaper's 1.2 million weekday circulation."I say this is "apples and oranges" because print circulation is paid, and NYTimes.com users pay nothing (though they have to register). Nevertheless, for those of us rooting for online media's success, this is good news.
[ Discuss THIS item | See ALL Tidbits discussions ]
Posted 11:50 AM US Eastern Time | perma-link to item below
ISPs Backing Out of Portal Investments
Ernst Poulsen on reverse trends in the media market
Only a few years ago, we all experienced a small revolution, when companies providing infrastructure suddenly became major players in the media market. The most visible trend was ISP-created portals, which could attract bigger audiences than most news websites. However, in these last few weeks, major telecoms have backed out of their Web portals. TDC, the largest of all Danish telecoms, closed down the entire Opasia brand, including most of its Web content. Opasia is a top-five site, according to the Danish Gallup Web Index. At the same time, one of the major European Internet providers, Tiscali, decided to cut half of its workforce in Denmark — including its Worldradar service, which among other things provided short news summaries. And finally, Swedish telecom Telia has decided to close down its Danish broadband site, Comhjem.
[ Discuss THIS item | See ALL Tidbits discussions ]
Posted 11:30 AM US Eastern Time | perma-link to item below
Chinese Internet Users Spend More Time Online Than Reading Newspapers
Madan Rao on a new study
According to a study published by professors Jonathan J. H. Zhu and Zhou He of the City University of Hong Kong, Internet users in a sample of mainland China users spend an average of about 9 hours per week on the Internet, which is less than watching television (14 hours) but more than reading newspapers (7 hours) or listening to the radio (3 hours). The Internet users spend the largest amount of their online time on search for work- or study-related information, followed by reading online news and participating in online chat or discussions. The study was based on a survey of 2,600 adults in Beijing and Guangzhou.
[ Discuss THIS item | See ALL Tidbits discussions ]
|