Report Outlines Six Competencies News Organizations Need to Develop to Profit from Changes in Technology
EVANSTON, IL - Six special capabilities "could well prove the difference between winners and losers in the next generation market for news and information," according to a new Media Management Center study of technological trends affecting news and information businesses.
"Emerging technologies are opening up both enormous possibilities for news organizations as well as threats. It's vital that news organizations understand these trends and learn how to harness them to their advantage," said Michael P. Smith, Executive Director of the Media Management Center (MMC), in releasing the report.
The Six Competencies report, the result of interviews with 24 technology leaders and thinkers, identifies major technological trends that promise to have significant impact on the collection, production and distribution of news and information. It outlines a series of special skills and capabilities organizations should develop, acquire or strengthen as a result. »more
NOTE: The Media Management Center has created a special Webinar presentation that outlines and explains Moser-Wellman's findings. Moser-Wellman is also willing to do a small number of customized, interactive live Webinars for interested companies or associations. For more information, contact Vivian Vahlberg at v-vahlberg@northwestern.edu, or 847-467-1790.
What It Takes to be a Web Favorite A new report and seminar from Media Management Center
Many online users stick to a few favorite Web sites while ignoring an infinite number of alternatives, a strong habit that is hard to break for those Web sites seeking users' attention, according to a new study by Northwestern's Media Management Center.
The report titled, "What It Takes to be a Web Favorite," is based on joint research by MMC and the Atlanta-Journal Constitution. Noting that users form particularly strong habits when it comes to news, the report concludes that news Web sites must strive to be on a user’s short list of three to five favorite sites or be lost among hundreds of largely overlooked alternatives. This poses particular challenges for local sites, because major national events and sources are currently more important to many users than local ones.
The Web favorites report makes clear that being perceived as "easy to use" is the single most important factor in determining Web favorites. »more
Attracting Millennials to Election News Online A new report and a Webinar
The drama of the 2008 presidential election is the perfect entrée for news organizations to gain the attention of millennials, satisfy some largely unmet needs and foster their continued interest in serious news, according to a new Media Management Center research report released this week.
The report, titled "From 'Too Much' to 'Just Right': Engaging Millennials in Election News on the Web," is based on a qualitative, in-depth study of a diverse group of 89 Chicago-area adults between the ages of 17 and 22, a demographic frequently referred to as millennials. MMC researchers found that young people often click away from election news online because they feel the sites bombard them with too much information and too many choices.
"To serve and attract this important group, news organizations need to develop online election resources that are specifically designed to minimize this "too much" sensation," said Michael P. Smith, executive director of the Media Management Center, noting that MMC provides many concrete suggestions in the report for how to deal with the problem. »more
Running While the Earth Shakes: Creating an Innovation Strategy to Win in the Digital Age
This report draws on interviews with a diverse group of 36 senior leaders of traditional and emerging media companies from The Washington Post Company to Twitter Inc. to MLB. Among the tactics these leaders advocate for success are focusing relentlessly on growth, embracing chaos and reframing fear. » more
Online News Experiences of Teens
Teens won't go out of their way to get the news online, but they will click on news stories 'if something catches my eye.' This study examines teenagers' attitude toward online news and what drives their Web news consumption. A diverse group of 65 Chicago-area teens were interviewed to understand where they go on the Web and how they can be reached to cultivate their interest in reading online news. » more
How to Win Local TV News Viewers
Local television news has seen competition for audiences increase as mass audience fragments and Internet usage explodes. How can television stations produce quality local news that draws and engages audiences in this ever-shifting landscape?
The Local TV News Experience surveyed close to 1,400 people in the Chicago metropolitan area to gain an understanding of their emotional connection and engagement with local TV news. Read our survey's findings and its recommendations on how to attract, keep and build audiences in local broadcast markets. » more
New from MMCDigime
Report Outlines Six Competencies News Organizations Need to Develop to Profit from Changes in Technology November 13, 2008 EVANSTON, IL - Six special capabilities "could well prove the difference between winners and losers in the next generation market for news and information," according to a new Media Management Center study of technological trends affecting news and information businesses.
"Emerging technologies are opening up both enormous possibilities for news organizations as well as threats. It's vital »more
TechScout: The Useful Local News Organization November 10, 2008 (Annette Moser-Wellman) It's easy to get tied up in our underwear debating what should be the mission of the news organization - delivering news or providing information? Jack Lail, News Director of Innovation for the Knoxville News Sentinel, knows his answer. "I'm a big believer that we have to be useful to our audience. That is really what we do. If being useful is making it easy »more
TechScout: Making the most of what you have November 06, 2008 (Annette Moser-Wellman) The road to Internet revenue is littered with pay-for-premium-content failures. The most visible was the New York Times' TimesSelect, which charged for access to special content online. Two years after it was launched, it was abandoned in September 2007 because, of course, there was more money to be had in advertising revenue than online subscriptions.
»more
Twitter, YouTube look to pay the piper
December 3, 2008
Executives at Twitter and YouTube are looking into ways to monetize - in the case of Google-owned YouTube, further monetize - the wildly popular social Web sites. CNET and Broadcasting & Cable.com report on the latest thinking. So far, there's no talk of fees for the average John and Jane Doe user.
HuffPost site valuation up, papers still seek right formula
December 2, 2008
With the Huffington Post announcing an infusion of cash that AdAge says puts its valuation in the $100 million range, things are feeling surreal for the folks left in traditional media companies. The new investment means Arianna Huffington's news blog is now considered more valuable by its backers than quite a few of the publicly traded newspaper companies whose content feeds it. For example, Lee Enterprises, owner of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and 52 other papers, market cap: $36 million; A.H. Belo, owner of the Dallas Morning News, market cap: $35 million. Such success remains elusive for newspapers: Online ad sales broke a growth trend to show a decline last quarter. A bruising 2008 has some wondering whether "the laid-off journalist" will be the run-away winner, in a field that also includes Huffington, Sam Zell and Rachel Maddow, in I Want Media's Media Person of the Year contest. You can vote here.
Watchdogging it sans newsprint
November 19, 2008
Huffington Post co-founder Arianna Huffington said this week her Web site will set about raising money to fund investigative journalism projects. Reuter's blogger Robert MacMillan asked for details but Huffington said the venture is probably about three months from launch. The Guardian's Roy Greenslade provides a roundup of some of the sites already accomplishing investigative journalism without a connection to a traditional media company.
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News from the Fellows
Thinking Positively
Minority newsroom managers of papers under 100,000 circulation are most optimistic about the future of the news industry, particularly if they work with online products. This is the finding of McCormick Fellow Bill Church, Executive Editor of the Statesman Journal, who breaks down the concerns and hopes for minority hiring and the future of newspapers in a survey of large and small newspapers he conducted in July. Read more in My Turn on the McCormick Fellows site.
The Stories Behind the Story
McCormick Fellow Sidmel Estes-Sumpter tells moving behind-the-scenes stories of how history came to life as she worked to produce the Fellows' video, "Kerner Plus 40: Change or Challenge", which premiered at this year's Unity convention. "Our McCormick Fellows are living testimonies about how far we have come," she writes -- with a caveat -- in the latest My Turn column on the Fellows' website.
Moving the Needle To Nimble in Orlando
The Orlando Sentinel’s “customer-focused” redesign has brought new voices to the paper and new nimbleness to the newsroom, reports Mark Russell, the Sentinel’s managing editor and a McCormick Fellow. “We wanted Orlando to be viewed as a place of innovation, experimentation and smart risk-taking,” he writes in his My Turn column on the McCormick Fellows website.
News from Kellogg
Politics and Business: Swapping Marketing Insights
Companies courting customers and politicians courting voters have much in common. So students at Northwestern’s Kellogg and Medill schools brought together executives from public relations firms and representatives from several of the 2008 presidential campaigns to swap insights and strategies at a recent symposium: From the Board Room to the War Room and Back: A Symposium on Media and Marketing in Business and Politics. Click here and here to see and hear presentations on subjects ranging from presidential campaign Web sites to the risks of grassroots marketing to the links between business and politics.
Advice to Young Filmmakers about a Business in Flux
Young filmmakers can benefit from newly-lowered barriers to entry and from a "wealth of talent" available to them in Hollywood, movie producer Cary Woods tolds students at the Kellogg School of Management, in a session moderated by MMC Executive Director Michael P. Smith. Woods, producer of such hits as "Scream" and "Swingers," talked about movie critics, the independent film business and more during his session, according to a story on the Kellogg web site. He told them: "It's an exciting time for you guys."
MediaInfoCenter: Top News Stories
Google Gears Down for Tougher Times The company's goal was to develop new products that would reduce its nearly total reliance on selling ads connected to Internet searches.
So with the ... » more
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Report Outlines Six Competencies News Organizations Need to Develop to Profit from Changes in Technology
