Publishing in a Many-to-Many Online Word

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Publishing in a Many-to-Many Online Word
The Gilbane Conference San Francisco April
11, 2007
Moderator is the new role model
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Todays Agenda

• About the Union-Tribunes SignOnSanDiego.com
• Many-to-many techniques for publishers
• Problems and challenges
• A new role for publishers

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San Diegos Leading Local News Site

• Updated 24x7
• Focused on breaking local news
• Partnership with print newsroom
• Staff of 70 for sales, content, operations
• Email, wireless multimedia content

Typical mix of local, national news
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Growing Commitment to Multimedia

• Online and print staff shoot video
• Averaging one local video clip daily
• Frequent use of audio slide shows
• New all-local Internet radio station
• Goal beat local TV

Yvette De La Garza on location
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Trend in Page Views Since 2002
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Web Sites with Largest Local Audiences
Local Web Site Audiences

• SignOn ranks 13th, but San Diego is only the 27th
  DMA
• Online reach is 32, versus 49 for print
• Site adds 11 points to combined reach
• Challenge ahead build daily, repeat traffic

Source The Media Audit
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Solid Economic Model, But Still Tied To Print

• Large, growing audience
• Profitable since 2002
• 15 growth in 2006
• 50 margin
• Revenue tied to print under pressure
• Most growth coming from direct online sales

Fast food promoted by email
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Many-to-Many Techniques for Publishers

• Reader comments
• Guest Weblogs with reader comments
• Reader-created multimedia
• Wikis
• A good, old-fashioned human touch

Forums with 2.4 million posts
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Reader Comments in Many forms

• Gated communities Traditional BBS formats
• Hyde Park Corner comments with articles
• Advice user reviews and ratings
• Reader cataloging photos, audio, video

Comments as front-page news
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Publishers Must Encourage Give and Take

• Pay attention and nurture discussion
• Register participants, but keep in simple
• Rely on common carrier legal protection
• Understand that you cant control this

Padres forum on opening day
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Weblogs are Niche Publications with Feedback

• Blogs give voice to a niche or community
• Readers can follow on with comments
• A discussion hosted by the publisher
• A super thread among all discussions

Blogging from Chula Vista, Calif.
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User-Generated Images, Audio Video

• Photo galleries
• Video galleries
• Internet radio
• Publishers gain content and context
• No organization can field a staff this big

A day in the life of San Diego
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Wikis Go Mainstream

• The next step after simple comments
• Let experts among readers contribute
• Publishers gain a breadth of new content
• Readers help shape the product

Prototype indie music wiki
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Wikis Challenge Many Publishers

• A major step beyond comments and photos
• Assumes the gestalt of publishing
• You Tube had similar affect on TV
• Potentially the most powerful technique

Wikis can be conprehensive
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Dont Forget the Human Touch

• Sometimes the best conversation is in person
• Communication is not necessarily conversation
• Hire top-notch customer service staff
• Read email and take calls

A person in the loop
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Noise Amid the Many-to-Many Conversation

• Libel, slander bad taste are problems
• Readers can get too much of a good thing
• Its hard for people to find what they want
• Sometimes publishers must take charge

A community becomes crowded
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Envisioning a Long-term Strategy

• Publishers nurture conversations to build new
  audiences
• Professional values still count
• but publishers must relinquish some control
• Were moderators now

Publishers must reach out