Tweet

New Study Suggests Lessons for Online Journalism

Guest post by: Norman Birnbach

Article Overview: According to a new study cited in the NY Times, journalists need to rethink their online models. Perhaps the most significant recommendation from the 139-page report, published by Columbia's Graduate School of Journalism is to change journalists', and their audiences', relationships with advertisers. According to a new study cited in today's NY Times, journalists need to rethink their online models. (Please note: I do not represent Columbia University, Columbia's Graduate School of Journalism, the New York Times, or anyone connected to the study discussed in this post.)

New Study Suggests Lessons for Online Journalism

According to a new study cited in today's NY Times, journalists need to rethink their online models.

Perhaps the most significant recommendation from the 139-page report, published by Columbia's Graduate School of Journalism is to change journalists', and their audiences', relationships with advertisers.

According to a new study cited in today's NY Times, journalists need to rethink their online models. Perhaps the most significant recommendation from the 139-page report, published by Columbia's Graduate School of Journalism is to change journalists', and their audiences', relationships with advertisers.

Times reporter Brian Stelter quotes Bill Grueskin, the academic dean for the journalism school and a co-author of the report as saying: "We're not suggesting that journalists get marching orders from advertisers. We are suggesting that journalists get a much better understanding of why so many advertising dollars have left the traditional news media business."

Other recommendations include:

* Journalists must understand their businesses. The report makes the point that journalists "gain a fuller appreciation for how advertisers now reach their customers via social media, new-media ads and search engine optimization," and that larger news organizations should consider creating or re-creating separate digital staffs, "particularly on the business side."

* Journalists need to have a "faster and more consistent pace of innovation and investment" in digital technology. (As a counterpoint, please note that the report itself was printed on 139 pages. Perhaps the authors should follow their own advice.)

* "Advertising on the Web tends to have less value for the consumer than advertising in other formats."

* Newspapers need to look past the traditional cost-per-thousands advertising model to offer creative ways to package ways to reach audiences. The study cites the Web site of The Dallas Morning News, which has a section for high school sports. A package deal for advertising on the section during a recent football season included print ads, a player-of-the-week contest and a banquet for players at the end of the season."

For corporate communications functions, this study -- The Story So Far: What We Know About the Business of Digital Journalism, published in the Columbia Journalism Review -- is useful in terms of helping guide clients to embracing a new way to look at media. It's also interesting in that the reporting about the study shows limitations in the current model. For example, I'm a big fan of the Times' reporter, Stelter, but his article did not mention Columbia Journalism Review nor provide a link to the study itself. It just goes to show that we all need to think through how we make content available across multiple channels.

Meanwhile, here are the chapter titles for the extensive report. I plan to read through the report for future blog posts.

Chapter One News From Everywhere: The Economics of Digital Journalism

Chapter Two Traffic Patterns: Why Big Audiences Aren't Always Profitable

Chapter Three Local and Niche Sites: The Advantages of Being Small

Chapter Four The New New Media: Mobile, Video, and Other Emerging Platforms

Chapter Five Paywalls: The Price Tag for Information

Chapter Six Aggregation: ‘Shameless'-and Essential

Chapter Seven Dollars and Dimes: The New Costs of Doing Business

Chapter Eight New Users, New Revenue: Alternative Ways to Make Money

Chapter Nine Managing Digital: Audience, Data, and Dollars

One question: in an age of 140 characters posts on Twitter, was 139 pages a bit overkill?

Related Articles
  It Takes Teamwork to Make a Company Dream Work
  Traditional Media Obsolete by 2030?
  Learn from Golf... Create More Revenue
  Increase Sales and Leverage with a Home Study Program
  Henry R. Luce Quotes
  Why live blog an event?
  SEO, why are you hiding?
  Will Industry Learn from the Media’s Troubles?
  Why PR Now Stands For Personal Relationships
  What Is Data Mining ?
  Important "Lessons Learned” For Leaders, According To Your Strategic Thinking Business Coach
  By going unplugged for 24 hours, college students teach marketers valuable lessons
  Lessons to Learn From the First Dot Com Boom
  The Prince of Publishing: The Early Years of Henry R. Luce
  Ten More Important “Lessons Learned” For Leaders, According To Your Strategic Thinking Business Coach
  Defeat can only lead to success if you learn and take action
  The Second Most Important Success Secret
  The New Marketing
  Knightfall: Knight Ridder and How the Erosion of Newspaper Journalism Is Putting Democracy at Risk
  The Top Ten Signs the Valley is on Tilt Again

Article Tags: Journallism Online, online journalism



Related Forum Posts
Re: Citizen Journalism: There's no such thing - Good ideas in this thread. The two things we learn here is: - Citizen Journalism should not be trusted until researched further to examine the validity of a particular. - If the stock market can be so easily influenced, Steve Jobs definitely needs to initiate a promotional campaign to assure the world that the future of his company is secure with or without him. GT :-]
Nana excercise - Nana > answer the following: 1. If you had no chance of failure what would you dream to be your ideal Job or Business? 2. What about this dream excites you? 3. What Field of Study (Major) will get you closer to this dream? 4. What other Field of Study would "compliment" (Minor) your dream to get you closer to it. REMEMBER: there is no wrong answer. I'm hoping this exercise will help place you in a program that makes you excited at a "most probable likely" future. Your answers will help open a dialogue on the forum.
Re: How do you get fresh ideas for work? - Study sucessful businesses.
300 rules! - 300 was my favorite movie of 2007 and Kevin you did a great job in highlighting the Business Lessons from the Movie.
Internet Users Hbk http://www.internetscamsanonymous.com - Current site for sale of our handbook as a Clickbank product Welcome any and all feedback: Sale page Content Handbook Content Pricing Too Big Considering braking it to 2 volumes: Avoiding Scams Online and Doing Business Online and maybe ad 3rd volume related internet technology Kind of like selling preventive medicine!! Thank you in advance for your interest and comments


Share this article with your friends. Fund someone's dream.

Leave a comment below or share on the left and you'll help support entrepreneurs in Africa through our partnership with Kiva. Over $50,000 raised and counting - Please keep sharing! Learn more.

Newsletter

Get advice & tips from famous business
owners, new articles by entrepreneur
experts, my latest website updates, &
special sneak peaks at what's to come!

Name:
Email:

Popular Articles

Are You Reaching Out?

The OLD Way of Advertising, May Not be so OLD

Suggestions

Email us your ideas on how to make our
website more valuable! Thank you Sharon
from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for
your suggestions to make the newsletter
look like the website and profile younger
entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez.