Changing Media Trends and what they mean to you: One editor’s view

1. Changing Media Trends and what they mean to you:One editor’s view Jane Wooldridge The Miami Herald October 2009

2. The tipping point? • Some magazines are shrinking or closing; even upscale publications have been affected • Newspapers, too, are having a tough time; travel sections – and/or dedicated editors – have diminished • Websites abound • Social-networking sites continue to gain • Regional emphasis is becoming stronger • Mobile devices have become more important

3. Why now? • Advances in technology • Growing influence of a younger generation • Economic downturn Result: Market fragmentation. In other words, people have more places to find information, so established sources lose audience and advertising dollars.

4. So, what are key trends? • Print is down but not out • Social media are here to stay • Video and audio are increasingly important • Not all “new media’’ are created equal • Mobile devices will become even more important • Decision-makers (including travelers) still care about trusted voices

5. TMI: Too Much Information! • So many (websites, magazines, TV channels), so little time • Even the multi-tasking generation is subject to overload • Result: There is still a place for trusted voices, such as authoritative editorial publications and travel agents

6. TMI, but little that matters • While there are many more information sources that before, there are fewer offering unique content that is reliable and authoritative • Example: The Today show, which once used primary sources, now cross-promotes with “personalities’’ from their partners/ other properties • Congressional hearings last spring underscored the importance of newspapers to a healthy democracy.

7. Digital is the future • 251.7 million North Americans (about 73 percent of the population) use the Internet today; 105 in the U.S. alone are counted as active surfers • The global total is almost 1.7 billion • The global total will increase by 44 percent between 2007-2012

8. It’s a mobile universe • 256 million in the U.S. subscribe to wireless phone service; more than 40 million surf the web via a mobile phone each month • China has 540 million users; India has slight more than the U.S. • Already, 10.1 million in the U.S. tune into mobile video – but that’s only 5 percent of the population • Comedy is the most popular video content, followed by music, cinema movies, action/adventure and news • A new (nonKindle) digital reader for newspapers and magazines should be available by late ‘09

9. BUT…digital media are only part of the answer • 105 million Americans read a Sunday newspaper in print • 187 million Americans read magazines in print • Consumers use online and print media differently; one tickles the imagination, the other facilitates action

10. Despite recent high-profile closings, magazines are likely here to stay • Magazine subscriptions are up for the first six months of 2009 over the same period last year • Historically speaking, magazine closings are related to economic downturns and advertiser spending • Over the past 5 years, the number of magazines grew to 6,800 titles annually • The median age of magazine readers (43.1) has been consistently younger than the median age of total U.S. adults (43.9) over the past five years. 

11. Despite the obituaries, newspapers are not dead • Most markets where newspapers have closed had two dailies. The papers that shut typically were union papers. • More people read the Sunday Miami Herald in print each week than watch American Idol each week • On any given Sunday, more than 105 million adults read a newspaper, larger than the Super Bowl audience • Recent declines in circulation were, in same cases, intentional drops to focus on core readership • Newspapers remain A or THE dominant media company in most markets. • More than 79 percent of American adults read a newspaper in print or online

12. Newspapers aren’t just “paper’’ anymore • In 2009, more than 70 million unique viewers visited newspaper websites in a typical month – an increase of 12 percent over the year before • In McClatchy markets, newspaper print circulation and websites together offer more than 50 percent penetration • More than 6 million unique visitors come to Miami Herald websites each month • More than 10,000 people have downloaded The Miami Herald’s mobile sports ap since it was launched six weeks ago

13. Newspapers are multimedia 24/7 operations The Miami Herald Media Company produces content on these platforms: • Daily print newspaper • 24/7 updated website • Videocasts delivered via the World Wide Web, cable outlets and public TV • Radio broadcasts delivered via the Web and public radio

14. Today, newspapers focus on their core journalistic mission: serving local communities as watchdogs Other subjects, including Travel, must pass this test: • Is it an economic driver in our community? • Does coverage drive audience? • Does coverage drive revenues?

15. Newspapers no longer create all of their content • In features and many other areas, newspaper companies are moving toward a “magazine’’ model. That means more freelance content – but it must be specific to the audience. • Newspaper companies are becoming aggregators, acting as portals for authoritative content from many sources • They are sharing content with former competitors

16. Will newspapers charge for online content? Eventually, yes • Some – including the Wall Street Journal and the Financial Times – already charge for access to their websites • Others – including Murdock’s News Corp. papers – have announced plans to do so • Newspapers that deliver information via mobile devices including Kindle and specialized mobile aps also charge a fee

17. Print and electronic news sources are more trusted than broadcast and social media • In a recent national survey, 56.1% of respondents said they trust the electronic and print news media for accurate news and information over blogs (7.8%), the social media such as Facebook (3.4%) • Overall, trust in the media is low: 24.3% indicated they believe all or most news media reporting; 54.0% said they believe “some” news media

18. Not all “new media’’ are created equal • 226-million-plus sites on the Web • 107 million blogs, 70,000 added in a recent 24-hour period • News and the offbeat often dominate traffic • Among travelers, the importance of blogs has dropped in the past year (Yankelovich) • Popular online doesn’t always equal widespread acceptance; remember Snakes on a Plane?

19. Google Yahoo Facebook YouTube MySpace Wikipedia Windows Live (live.com) Craigslist Blogger Ebay Microsoft Network (msn.com) Twitter Most popular U.S. sites (Alexa.com)

20. The Huffington Post TechCrunch Mashable! Gizmodo Engadget The Official Google Blog Boing Boing Lifehacker Ars Technica TMZ.com (celebrity gossip) Most popular blogs by authority (Technorati)

21. 2009 Digg this if you voted for Obama, 39,721 diggs Barak Obama wins election, 36,535 diggs Barak Obama becomes 44th president, 25,184 Michael Jackson dies, 24,686 Digg this if your [sic] sick of power users stealing stories, 22,714 2008 Digg’s April Fool’s Day Joke; 31,803 diggs Digg this if you are sick of Scientologists burying articles; 25,698 diggs Heath Ledger dies; 22,472 George Carlin has died; 19,793 diggs Ninja cat comes closer while not moving; 18,308 Top 5 Digg Stories / past year

22. Google maps MapQuest Expedia Yahoo! Maps Southwest Airlines Priceline Travelocity TripAdvisor Orbitz Bing maps Yahoo! Travel American Airlines Delta Air Lines Hotwire CheapoAir.com Hotels.com Cheap Tickets Lowfares.com JetBlue Google Earth Top Travel websites by traffic (Hitwise, October 09)

23. Social Networking is here to stay • Facebook ranks No. 3 among all U.S. websites by traffic • YouTube ranks No. 4 among all U.S. websites by traffic • TripAdvisor ranks No. 8 among top travel websites • According to the Yankelovich Travel Monitor, friends and neighbors are the most trusted source for travel recommendations (8 in 10 surveyed.) 25 percent are confident of what they read on TripAdvisor) • Blogging is now a $1 billion industry when measured by advertising revenue

24. Multi media is increasingly important • Magazines and newspapers are adding video stories daily (but no, they aren’t really paying for it.) Doug Lansky’s souvenir slideshow Survive a bear attack

25. For now, it’s all about the economy • Advertising spending nationwide dropped 15.4 percent in the first half of 2009; national TV, magazines and newspapers took the biggest hits • Checked your 401K lately? The Dow is down more than 30 percent since Oct. 8, 2007. • The Consumer Confidence Index dipped in September to 53.1, down from 54.5 in August. • Luxury travel has been hit hard because of oversupply; middle-income “splurgers’’ are saving their shekels. • As the economy (and the stock markets) improve, travel will pick up. But this may be a slow ride.

26. So what does this mean to me?1. Value is key • Luxury or budget, value is the key. • Deals, packages and cost-wise strategies get editors’ attention…but be ready to explain the value. • Fixed-cost vacations – cruises, all-inclusive experiences and packages – find favor with consumers and editors. • Travelers still will be making plans last minute; look for ways to promote last-minute deals in stories and on websites.

27. 2. Think regional • Travelers likely will stay closer to home. Whether you’re a writer or a PR professional, your best hits are going to come from regional media.

28. 3. Think short • The trend toward short vacations will grow even stronger

29. 4.Focus on other “best bets” • Niche travelers are driven by passion – and passion often outweighs economic sensibility

30. Know that editors are more short-handed than ever before Only a handful of papers have full-time travel editors • PR pros: Give them story ideas that are fully developed and involve sources beyond your own. • Writers: Be sure you’re targeting the publication’s niche • Writers and PR pros: Aim for the unexpected but accessible • All: Be sure information about packages and deals is complete and includes pricing. • All: Be accurate. Fact-check everything…twice.

31. Do I need a website? • Yes. Yes. And yes. (And that includes journalists.) http://www.douglansky.com/ www.timshisler.com www.elliott.org www.janewooldridge.com

32. Do I need a blog? • If you’re looking to make money, maybe not. • If you want to brand yourself and/or serve a niche market, maybe yes. • BUT…if you start a blog, you must feed, bathe and clean it.

33. Must I Tweet? • It can’t hurt. But there may be more effective ways to use your time.

34. Do I need to be multi-media? • If you’re a travel supplier (or represent one), you can get additional exposure if you have high quality B-roll, web-ready clips and audio clips. • If you’re a journalist, it’s not essential…yet.

35. Where can I find out more? • Forrester Research: www.forrester.com • Jupiter Research: www.jupiterresearch.com • PhocusWright: www.phocuswright.com • Hitwise: www.hitwise.com • Yankelovich Travel Monitor: www.ypartnership.com, www.yankelovich.com • TIA: www.tia.org • Multimedia: www.timshisler.com • This presentation: www.janewooldridge.com