Exam 9: Online Media

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Newspapers have developed three distinct business models to adapt to the Internet and the mobile and social platform. The three models are Print-centric, Integrated Print/Web and the most current model, Digital First.
In the Print-centric business model (1995-2000), newspapers created digital copies of their print editions and posted them online. Readers discovered stories as they did before, by reading the front page online, following links to stories, and clicking on topic areas or sections. Stories were promoted by a business department that sought to enlarge the print audience and to attract advertisers based on readership and online visitors. Digital advertising was very limited, in part because advertisers did not believe it was effective. Readers were not engaged with journalists except insofar as they read the stories and could identify with the subjects of stories. The business process of creating journalism did not change. There was little difference, if any, between the print and online versions. The technology platform for the digital edition was the desktop or laptop, and news was consumed at home and work.
In the Integrated Print/Web business model (2000-2010), newspapers adopted multimedia elements such as video, added more interactive elements like crossword puzzles and contests, and provided more reader feedback opportunities, especially on opinion and editorial pages. There were opportunities to personalize the news using RSS feeds and push news to the reader. Nevertheless, news was discovered by the reader visiting the website; promoting content online was limited, primarily to RSS feeds. Readers were somewhat more engaged. The technology platform remained the desktop or laptop platform.
In the Digital First business model (2010 to present), startup news sites specifically focused on using new technology and platforms to radically transform their business - or go out of business. The new platform is not based on personal computers using a browser, but on mobile devices and apps, with desktops and laptops now just one pillar of the delivery platform. In this new environment, the news does not stop at 5 PM, but goes on 24×7. Stories start with an initial short article that is updated through the day, followed by thousands of tweets, then millions of shares on multiple social sites and on Google. Often amateurs on scene know more about the news in the first hours of a story than any collection of journalists in their offices. Amateurs provide video feeds, commentary, and opinion.
The Digital First business model inverts previous models: the top priority is producing the most engaging, continually updated digital edition, and then producing a print product based on the news developed in the digital edition. In the case of pure digital start-ups, there is no print edition, and the news is just a continuous stream of updates, blogs, tweets, and posts, rather than a fixed article. News articles are timestamped, indicating an update is on the way and the reader should return to follow the story. Instead of waiting for readers to discover the news, or search for the news on a search engine, the news is pushed to readers on any of a variety of venues where they happen to be - social media sites, mobile news feeds, Twitter, or Yahoo or Google News. Journalists remain professionals, but they follow Twitter feeds and social media sites, and promote their stories and personas on social media sites. Their job is no longer simply reporting and writing, but promoting and engaging readers on a personal level through their own efforts. Superior reporting and writing are no longer the sole criterion for hiring and advancement. More emphasis is put on reporters' abilities to attract audiences on their own social media pages and Twitter feeds.
The Digital First business model is not yet a reality for traditional newspapers; however, the largest print newspaper organizations, such as the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Washington Post, and others, have begun the journey towards becoming Digital First news organizations.