The Touchstone for Innovation
Testing ideas for better newspapers and web sitesOnline offers new opportunities, challenges for investigative reporting
This blog entry was originally posted on the Readership Institute's Get Smart blog.
OK, so stories about the First Family's new dog, Bo, probably drew more Web traffic on Easter weekend than an Associated Press investigation into the detention of U.S. citizens who have been mistaken for being illegal immigrants, or a Los Angeles Times look at how investors are benefiting from a federal program aimed at helping poor families buy homes.
Does that mean the future is dim for online readership of investigative journalism or that in-depth or explanatory reporting is not valued by digital users?
In a recent Presstime article, Charlotte Hall argues that one of the strengths of the print newspaper is its ability to help readers step back and assess bigger-picture issues.
Hall, editor of the Orlando Sentinel and outgoing president of the American Society of News Editors, says the newspaper can offer "the kind of in-depth and analytical work that the 24/7 breaking news world on the Web cannot provide. Print is good at the things the Web is not good at - watchdog, explanatory, enterprise, narrative storytelling. The two media complement one another. One is the flowing river, changing constantly; the other is the rock on the shore, fixed and solid."
I agree that the two media complement each other - and I'd like to see print editions put more emphasis on long-form journalism, good storytelling and strong use of photos and other visuals. Too often these days, the newspaper is simply a summary of what was already reported online, rather than a unique product.
That's one reason I am interested in the experiment under way at the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. Editor Nancy Barnes explained in this post why the organization is breaking in-depth reports in print first, and then publishing them several days later on the Web.
I'm not sure delaying publication is the right answer, but at least it is an effort to differentiate the print and online products.
What I'd rather see is more effort by newsrooms to create different versions of the story for different audiences. You'd create a long-form version for the print edition, displayed with photos and graphics. And, while you could make the full text available online, you'd develop a shorter text version for prominent display online, supplemented by video and audio, plus maps, satellite images and interactive graphics, as well as tie-ins to searchable databases. Online versions would be full of links - to original source materials and to related stories (including from competitors). And, of course, readers would be encouraged to participate in improving the online content and commenting on it.
In these ways, online can be a powerful ally to in-depth and investigative journalism.
Need proof it can be done by a mid-size news organization? Check out "I Didn't Do That Murder," from the Times Herald-Record, of Middletown, N.Y. This Ottaway paper, which has a strong online track record, was recognized for its work with a 2008 Sigma Delta Chi Award for online investigative reporting from the Society of Professional Journalists. The report uses online storytelling techniques, mixing in videos, a crime scene map and an interactive timeline.
Another good example comes from USA TODAY and its special report on toxic air near America's schools. In addition to the text, the online version of the series included several video reports, plus an interactive map and an exhaustive, easy-to-use database. You can search by state and then by city/county or by school name to find out how your school or area rank in terms of air quality. And once you've identified an area, you can look at details on local sources of pollution, and learn more information about potentially dangerous chemicals in the air.
Imagine the amount of newsprint required to provide the same amount of information.
Investigative journalism in the public interest is the mission of ProPublica and the site has a cleverly done Investigations section that helps readers keep track through a simple feature called This Week in Scandals.
Talking Points Memo won a Polk Award for its use of crowd-sourcing that helped lead to the resignation of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales.
Of course, there are many other good examples of how online journalism is developing. But don't take my word for it.
Jay Rosen, the deep thinker from New York University and ubiquitous PressThink blogger, recently engaged his Twitter followers with the following observation about Charlotte Hall's Presstime comments.
"It's 2009, and the president of the American Society of Newspaper Editors is saying 'the Web is not good at explanatory?'" Rosen wrote. When asked for more details, he responded: "One example is 538.com, which does a better job explaining the polls than all newspaper stories about polling combined."
For more online investigative reporting, I urge you to check out the Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism's web site, WisconsinWatch.org.
Give them something to talk about
This blog entry was originally prepared for the Readership Institute's Get Smart blog.
What do octuplets’ mother Nadya Suleman, the “25 Random Things” lists on Facebook and the weather have in common?
They are all something to talk about.
In my consulting work and speaking engagements, I’m frequently asked to reveal the secrets to building readership in print and online. If only it was a secret, my consulting business would be much more lucrative.
As detailed in the Readership Institute’s 2003 Experience Study, the experience of “something to talk about” is a powerful motivator that drives readership. Across all demographics, researchers found similar responses – people want a source of information that gives them something to talk about with other people.
Certainly big news events – just like the weather -- are easy fodder for conversation with family, friends or co-workers, or for or those uncomfortable moments in the elevator. And nothing beats a great story to prompt conversation, even between strangers on a train, whether it is passage of a federal stimulus bill or something offbeat like the recent tragedy in which a pet chimp had to be killed after mauling a woman in
But I’m a believer in planning ways to beat the odds rather than rely on random news events, so I am always on the look-out for regular features offered in print or online that get to the heart of giving people something to talk about.
Here are some examples of what I mean, including many items I highlighted in a recent presentation at the Minnesota Newspaper Association convention in
Good editorial pages often provoke thought and conversation, but I like a quirky feature from the Wisconsin State Journal in
The
The Journal, which deserves a look if you are trying to find a small daily worth imitating, also has recently started an online feature called Afternoon Delight. Editors describe it as “a midday feature on something non-news related that helps take your mind off of everyday worries.”
Humor is a difficult thing for many newsrooms, but one that has been doing it regularly for more than 10 years is the Oregonian in
At the opposite end of the spectrum, you’ll usually find just the facts in the
ive
Some of my favorite people items include simple items, like this regular feature in the suburban weekly Wellesley (
Of course, no good journalism discussion these days can ignore Twitter with its ubiquitous plea for you to answer the most basic something-to-talk-about question: “What are you doing?” Los Angeles Times’ columnist James Rainey does a great job explaining the value and appeal of Twitter for those of you not yet on board. I highly recommend following that old gentleman, Colonel Tribune, to see how this new tool can be used by a news organization wanting to engage its readers.