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Online reporting

Online reporting. A few points. Reporting principles we’ve discussed are the same online as they are in print or broadcast. Web allows for more depth and dimension to reporting. 3-D as opposed to 2-D. Web is the dominant information medium for people under 25.

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Online reporting

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  1. Online reporting

  2. A few points • Reporting principles we’ve discussed are the same online as they are in print or broadcast. • Web allows for more depth and dimension to reporting. 3-D as opposed to 2-D. • Web is the dominant information medium for people under 25. • Newspaper circulation down 10.6 percent in most recent six-month period.

  3. Reporting online • Newsgathering principles remain the same, but how that information is presented is evolving. • You have a chance to get involved in the relative infancy of the medium. • Readers expect interactivity – comments on stories, Web chats with reporters or newsmakers, email exchanges.

  4. 24-hour newsroom • Readers expect the news to be reported when it happens, not when it’s convenient. • Detroit Free Press – story online within 15 minutes of it breaking. • More eyeballs a Web site draws = more money from advertisers. Therefore, more visits means more profits. Frequent updates draw repeat views.

  5. How to best report online • Decisions, decisions – how should the story be presented. Written words or video? Both? • Instead of a lengthy story, more short reports focusing on a single aspect of the larger story. • Graphics, photos, charts, links to provide depth.

  6. The importance of good leads • Emphasized even more online. The lead is typically what you see in a Web search or in a news aggregator site. • Readers and viewers move on if something doesn’t grab them quickly.

  7. Online readers • Scan. If something grabs their interest quickly, they may explore further. If not, they move on. • They are busy. Get to the point in your reporting. If they have any difficulty with your story, or it is confusing at all, the reader will move on.

  8. Think verbally and visually • Use words and images to relay the story. • While you are gathering the information for your story, think about how to best present it. Words and images. • Think dimensionally. If readers want to know more, provide a way for them to find more.

  9. Shorter stories • Began more than 25 years ago with USA Today. • People are busier than ever now. • Reading on screen can be hard on the eyes. • There’s a lot out there to check out.

  10. Lists and bullets • Long paragraphs of statistics, words and numbers, can be tough to work through. • Instead, use a list and bullets. It’s not as visually dense and much easier to use. • If applicable, avoid the list and create a graphic representation.

  11. Get linky with it • Depending on the topic of your story, use links. For example, in a story on Mt. Pleasant government, link to the city Web site. • Link to previous stories on a subject on your Web site. • Another way of giving reader choice. Adds depth and dimension to your story.

  12. Transparency • The speed that online reporting allows can also lead to errors. • If you make an error, correct that and note that you’ve corrected an error in a previous report. • Simply scrubbing the error may seem preferable, but acting like in never happened can lead to reader skepticism.

  13. Money, money, money • Traditional media outlets have struggled to make money on the Web at the same level they have in their other products. • Audience is diffuse. Print publication delivers a focused audience in a specific area, which makes it easier for advertisers to target customers.

  14. Who’s making money? • Google – made $22 billion last year, $21 billon from advertising. • Yahoo Sports and ESPN. Draw millions of eyeballs each month. ESPN is launching regional Web sites with dedicated reporters. • Wall St. Journal has charged for online content since Day 1.

  15. Blogs • Many popular blogs don’t actually do any reporting. They are set up to provide commentary on reporting. • Talking Points Memo – started out as a blog that provided commentary on the 2000 presidential recount. Has evolved into an online media organization that employs several reporters.

  16. Where are we going? • Five years ago, there was no YouTube, no Facebook, no Twitter. • With each new information connection opportunity, reporters should consider if this will help reach their audience. If so, embrace and use. • Web-based media is evolving. What we accept as fact now may not be as true in a few years.

  17. Report for your audience • Remember, reporters are surrogates for their audience. Deliver the information to them in ways that engage them and that keep them coming back for more. • If you find techniques that connect with your audience, keep using them. Online media provides us an opportunity to try new ways of delivering information.

  18. Questions?

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