The market for paid news: does size really matter?
How much is the news worth? It's a question that's weighing on the minds of many news media execs these days as they grapple with the challenge of figuring out new business models.
Paid content looks to be a big part of those new business models, but there's one question that still dogs execs: just how big is the market for paid news?
Why newspapers need brand managers
It's a subject that turns the stomachs of most journalists. After all in journalism, "marketing" and "branding" are dirty words. But given the media fall out as a backdrop for the global recession, it's time that newspapers, and the journalists who write for them, realise that the masthead of their paper is a brand.
Knowing what people think and feel when they see your newspaper's brand is more important than ever.
Mobile news sites: best practice tips
Most of the UK's newspapers now have mobile versions of their websites, but many could provide a better range of content and user experience.
Here are some best practice tips for mobile newspaper sites...
Murdoch: Google? We don't need no stinkin' Google
Rupert Murdoch is a media mogul who hasn't shied away from revealing his true feelings towards Google. The best way to sum them up? If Google didn't exist, he would be all the happier.
Earlier this year, Murdoch asked cable industry execs "Should we be allowing Google to steal all our copyrights?" His response: media execs should be saying "Thanks, but no thanks" to Google.
Do news organizations sell objectivity? Should they?
The Washington Post's Twitter crackdown has created a lot of debate. At the heart of it: whether it's okay for journalists to express their opinions publicly through social media outlets.
It's an interesting debate and there are a lot of ways to approach it. A central issue -- whether or not expressing an opinion jeopardizes a news organization's journalistic credibility -- is a fascinating subject. After all, most news organizations like to present themselves as objective sources who deliver truth and fact. But the debate over online postings that show their journalists and employees to (gasp) have opinions raises interesting questions: do news organizations even sell 'objectivity'? Should they?
Subscriptions preferred over micropayments in the UK: report
What the future of news online looks like has a lot to do with payment models. As publishers push ahead with their plans to go from 'free' to 'paid', how consumers are asked to pay for news content will play a significant role in determining which publishers succeed and which fail.
Despite lots of talk about micropayments, a newly-released paidContent:UK/Harris Interactive poll found that over half (53%) of British consumers would prefer to purchase a subscription to their favorite news site.
Google Fast-Flip can help media brands. But will it stick?
Google has long been trying to dissuade publishers that it is a parasite leeching revenue off of their hardwork. And this fall, the company is putting its money where its mouth is.
Last week Google announced a micropayment system that could help publishers monetize content. And this week, the search giant has introduced its first revenue sharing agreement with publishers: Google Fast Flip.
The new format will start aggregating content from about 40 publishers in a format reminiscent of offline reading — and share the advertising proceeds with content creators.
This is a big shift for Google, but it makes sense for the company to create new ways of viewing news online. Publishers are frustrated with their lack of revenue online and eager to change the business model of sharing Internet content.
If newspapers succeed in their reboot and come up with a successful way to make money off the web, Google wants to get a piece of the action. It's just unclear what model will actually stick.
What the Internet Manifesto gets right and wrong
The 15 German journalists and bloggers behind the Internet Manifesto have a message for mainstream media organizations: the internet is here and you had better adapt.
The Manifesto, which has now been widely-circulated and discussed by some of the very organizations it speaks to, contains 17 declarations about "how journalism works today".
Newspapers get hip to duplicate content issues
Duplicate content can be a real SEO killer. For obvious reasons, search engines pay close attention to duplicate content and online publishers risk having duplicate content 'filtered' out.
While Google and other search engines are pretty good at identifying original sources and widespread acceptance of the canonical tag should eventually help, for online publishers who syndicate prolifically, dealing with duplicate content issues can be a challenge.
25 things journalists can do to future-proof their careers
I know a number of journalists who are growing increasingly concerned about the sustainability of their careers. Those working for offline publications tend to worry more than most, and with good reason, given the tide of bad news in this space.
But despite the problems with business models, there will always be a need for journalists. It isn’t game over for journalism, not by a stretch, it's just that the game is changing. Old media journalists will need to learn some new skills and adapt mindsets to accommodate changes in their industry.
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Graham Charlton
Strategy & Planning
