Trends in Journalism

1
Trends in Journalism
Conversation
Insight
Action
Results

• with Tom Abate, Jen McClure Chris OBrien

2
Proposed Session Agenda

• Introductions
• SNCR/Middleberg Survey Results
• Discoveries from The Next Newsroom Project
• Looking Forward Newspapers Back to the Future?
• Open Discussion

3
Middleberg/SNCR Survey

• Quantitative study
• Survey questionnaire informed by SNCR Fellows who
  are journalists
• Online survey conducted in conjunction with TWI
• Survey launched in Fall 2008
• Nearly 200 respondents
• Primarily North America
• Primarily editors and reporters from online and
  traditional news organizations

4
Sample

• Role

• Organization Type

• Newspaper/Magazine 58
• Online Only 32
• Broadcast (TV/Radio) 8

5
Key Findings

• Social media tools are going mainstream in the
  newsroom
• Online media gaining credibility in the eyes of
  journalists
• Millennials are pushing the envelope in terms of
  adoption and a new attitude toward social media
  and citizen journalism in the newsroom

6
Value of Online Media Tools to Journalism

• To find sources
• Company websites 78
• Blogs 56
• Social networking site 44

7
Value of Online Media Tools to Journalism

• To find story ideas
• Blogs 59
• Company websites 47
• Twitter 23

8
Value of Online Media Tools to Journalism

• To participate in a conversation
• IM 38
• Blogs 34
• Twitter 20

9
Value of Online Media Tools to Journalism

• To monitor online discussions/sentiment
• Blogs 63
• Social networking 32
• Twitter 20

10
Value of Online Media Tools to Journalism

• As a means to disseminate news
• Blogs 48
• Online video 28
• Social networking 26
• Twitter 19

11
Incorporating Citizen Journalism Into Reporting

• Quote bloggers
• 49 - Yes
• 49 - No
• 2 - No response
• Incorporate citizen-generated video
• 35 - Yes
• 63 - No
• 2 - No response
• Cite/quote podcasters
• 22 - Yes
• 70 - No
• 8 - No response

12
Theres a new attitude in the newsroom
13
Theres a new attitude in the newsroom
14
Theres a new attitude in the newsroom
15
Theres a new attitude in the newsroom
Collaboration
16
Theres a new attitude in the newsroom
Relationship-building
17
Theres a new attitude in the newsroom
Relationship-building
18
The Credibility Factor
19
Newspapers Back to the Future?

• Newspapers Back to the Future?
• Ye Olde Newspaper Had Attitude (from pamphlets to
  broadsides)
• Technology Made Newspapers a Mass Medium (The
  Yellow Boy vs. Nickelodeons)
• Walter Lippmann, Gatekeeper Snob
• Golden Age of Newspapers 1950 to 1990
• Giving News Away on the Web
• Social Media Challenges Mass Media
• The Future of Newspapers an iPod model?