Monthly Archives: December 2008

2009 is the year of the journalist – Carnival of journalism

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It’s Carnival of journalism time again and having sat out the last one (sorry Adam) I thought I better get my hand in again. This month’s ringmaster is Spot.us guru David Cohn and his topic - Positive new media predictions for the year 2009.

Now there’s a challenge given the current climate! But I think there is some stuff to be positive about.

As media brands loose value, individual journalists will become more valuable

As media brands loose value, individual journalists will become more valuable

This will be the year of the journalist
That might sound odd given the layoffs happening all through the media. But I think that we are at a transition point.  The large media ‘brands’ are loosing ground to a more diffuse audience but that doesn’t mean that there isn’t a need for content. That means that journalists will be no less important.

Whilst the idea that demand for content outstrips the supply of those capable of creating may not ring true for most it’s clear that a journalist with some web savvy, a good presence online and an understanding of their audience is an increasingly valuable proposition.

As organisations downsize we will begin to see a new layer or ‘freelance’ journalist who are bought in to deliver specialist content. If you are in broadcast you’ll recognise this model as the kind of producer/contract working common in the industry.  The smart organisations will keep a kind of halo of these people around them, bringing the audience they cultivate in to their orbit. The individuals keep a level of autonomy but everyone benefits as the media brand and the individual brand work together.

Europe will step on Google
Paul Bradshaw has already highlighted some issues with Google and the opportunity for new media start-ups, trad media included, that may bring. But (and maybe this isn’t as positive as the first one) given the attitude of ‘because we can’t, you shouldn’t’ attitude of many media orgs, the press in particular, I think we’ll see some moves by the EU to begin to put boundaries on  Google a la Microsoft. Why the media orgs would see this as a sensible prospect rather than finding ways to work round or with Google beggars belief,  but it will happen.

The positive? Well, whilst Google, the EU and large media orgs slug it out, there will be plenty of space for the smaller operators and, as Paul points out, they’ll be ripe for the picking.

So, two predications as possitive as I can make them.  I have some broader and perhaps less positive things to say about video but I’ll save those for another post. For now, based on the first prediction, you shouldnt be listening to me blather on. If you are a journo you should be setting up your own blog and building an audience.

Social bookmarking in UK papers

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Fellow UClaner Louise Thomas has published the findings of her research that looked at the use of social bookmarking. Plenty of interesting stuff

The type of bookmarks used also distinguishes the two groups, with links to sites such as Fark, NewsVine, MySpace and NowPublic proving much more popular among nationals than regionals.

While regional websites have a greater percentage of websites using the StumbleUpon (up 18.9% against nationals) and Facebook buttons (up 16.2% against the nationals).

And a nice slideshow of her finding.

Also, check out Louise’s other blogging activities at http://uclan-digital-literacy.blogspot.com/

UK Newspapers & Social Bookmarking

View SlideShare presentation or Upload your own. (tags: newspapers journalism)

This makes a nice companion piece to the ever excellent Martin Belam’s new series looking at social bookmarks

Newspapers not so popular shock. The bleeding obvious in french

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Fench newspapers. Picture by Phil Moore from Flickr

Fench newspapers. Picture by Phil Moore from Flickr

Continuing a Francophile tone to the blog I thought you might find Alain Giraudo’s post on a report of the state of the internet interesting.

He picks up on an article on 20minutes.fr about the “ Etats Généraux de la Presse” – a kind of ‘what’s up with the newspapers then’ report.

Here are the findings (with Google providing a cod-translation)

Fact 1: The global supply of media is growing faster than consumption.
La preuve en chiffres: «Le nombre des chaînes de télévision a triplé en Europe dans les dix dernières années, le nombre des magazines a quadruplé en vingt-cinq ans.
The proof in figures: “The number of television channels in Europe has tripled in the last ten years, the number of magazines has quadrupled in twenty-five years. Chaque jour, le Web grandit de 1,5 million de pages.» Each day, the Web grew by 1.5 million pages. “

Constat 2: Les annonceurs se retirent des médias. Fact 2: Advertisers should withdraw from the media.
Désormais, on voit moins de pubs sous la forme de pages, de spots ou de bannières. Now we see fewer ads in the form of pages, spots or banners. Un changement qui se fait au profit de davantage de sponsorisation, d’événementiel ou de marketing (direct et personnel, via les réseaux sociaux par exemple).
A change to be made with more sponsorship of events or marketing (direct and personal, via social networks, for example).

Constat 3. Fact 3. La hausse continue de la consommation de médias va de pair en France avec une dispersion des audiences entre titres et supports. The continuing rise in the consumption of media goes hand in hand in France with a dispersion of hearings between titles and media.
«A l’élargissement de l’offre, l’audience répond en se fragmentant.» Autrement dit, non seulement les Français consomment de plus en plus de médias différents, mais ils consomment en outre de plus en plus de titres différents. “With the enlargement of the bid, the audience responded by fragmenting.” In other words, not only the French consume more and more different media, but they also consume more different titles.

Constat 4. Fact 4. L’accès classique aux médias (TV, radio, imprimé) est minoritaire chez les 15-24 ans français. Access to traditional media (TV, radio, print) is a minority among the French 15-24.
Bruno Patino parle de «rupture générationnelle». Bruno Patino speaks of “generational break.” En effet, les pratiques multimédias (ordinateur, téléphone mobile, baladeur multimédia, jeux vidéos, etc.) «constituent 50,3% des contacts avec les médias des 15-24 ans français, contre 29,5% pour l’ensemble de la population.» Indeed, practices multimedia (computer, mobile phone, portable multimedia, video games, etc.). “Constituted 50.3% of contacts with the media 15-24 years of French, against 29.5% for the whole of the population. “

Constat 5. Finding 5. Les déplacements quotidiens sont l’occasion d’une consommation de médias et de loisirs numériques où le téléphone l’emporte désormais sur l’imprimé. The daily trips are an opportunity for consumption of media and entertainment where the phone now prevails on the printout.
«Pour trois Français sur quatre les déplacements quotidiens sont une occasion de contact avec les médias et les loisirs numériques. “For three out of four French daily trips are an opportunity to contact the media and entertainment. La radio reste leader (…) au sein de cette population “médiavore” en mouvement»; quant au téléphone, son utilisation explose. Radio remains the leader (…) in this population “médiavore” moving “about the phone use exploded.

Constat 6. Finding 6. La baisse de diffusion payante des médias imprimés est une tendance française avérée. The drop in pay-TV print media is a trend French proved.
Si la presse écrite payée voit sa diffusion faiblir, les premiers signes datent d’avant la montée en puissance d’Internet. If the press paid sees its dissemination falter, the first signs date from before the rise of the Internet. «Au total, la tendance baissière du papier payant est majoritaire, durable et continue.» «Overall, the downward trend of the paper is paying majority, sustainable and continuous.”

Constat 7. Finding 7. La presse imprimée est une dépense mineure dans le budget d’un ménage français. The printed press is a minor expenditure in the budget of a French household.
«Le budget consacré aux médias (2.272 euros par an) représente 8,5 % des dépenses d’un ménage (quand) plus du tiers est alloué à la téléphonie fixe et mobile, loin devant l’audiovisuel et Internet.» “The budget for media (2,272 euros per year) represents 8.5% of a household (when) one third is allocated to fixed and mobile telephony, far ahead of Audiovisual and Internet.”

Constat 8. Finding 8. La recette publicitaire de la presse payante s’installe dans une croissance négative. The advertising revenue of the press pay moved in negative growth.
«Depuis 2004, avec la montée en puissance de la publicité sur Internet, la presse écrite payante facture moins les annonceurs, en France, comme aux Etats-Unis ou au Royaume-Uni.» “Since 2004, with the rise of Internet advertising, print invoices paid less advertisers, France, the United States or the United Kingdom.”

Constat 9. Finding 9. Les quotidiens gratuits (dont 20 Minutes, ndlr) ont la plus grande affinité avec le lectorat français de 15 à 49 ans. The free daily (including 20 Minutes, ie) have the greatest affinity with the French readership of 15 to 49 years.

Constat 10. Finding 10. Le gros consommateur de médias écrits ne se cantonne pas, en France, à un support unique. The big consumer of media is not confined, France, a single support.
«Une lecture forte de quotidiens est corrélée avec un comportement actif sur Internet. “A strong reading newspapers is correlated with an active on the Internet. De même, une lecture forte de magazines est corrélée avec un comportement actif sur Internet. Similarly, a strong reading magazines is correlated with an active on the Internet. Plus largement, l’intérêt pour la presse d’information générale et politique se combine avec un comportement plus actif que la moyenne sur le média Internet.» More broadly, interest in the press and information policy combined with a more active than the average over the Internet media. “

Constat 11. Finding 11. Le média Internet continue de croître en France, en pénétration et en utilisation. The Internet media continues to grow in France, penetration and use.
Avec une «population d’internautes en hausse de 5 % sur un an», la «barre des 60% de Français de 11 ans et plus se connectant au moins une fois par mois a été franchie à l’été 2008». With a population of Internet users, up 5% over a year “, the” over 60% of French people aged 11 and over logging at least once per month was reached in the summer of 2008. Sans compter que «l’activité des internautes ne s’arrête pas à la consommation, elle s’étend désormais à la production et à la redistribution de contenus.» Not counting that “the Internet does not stop for consumption, it now extends to the production and distribution of content.”

 Constat 12. Finding 12. Le smartphone possède un potentiel de bouleversement complet de la consommation de médias. The smartphone has a potential to complete upheaval in the consumption of media.
L’apparition des Blackberry et autres iPhones a un impact sur la lecture des médias. The advent of Blackberries and other iPhones has an impact on playing media. «Le choc Internet du mobile peut rivaliser en impact avec celui connu sur le PC, d’autant plus que la pénétration du téléphone mobile a beau rester faible en France (83%), elle l’emporte largement sur celle d’Internet.» “The impact of mobile Internet can compete with the known impact on the PC, especially as the mobile phone penetration has beautiful remain low in France (83%), it outweighs the Internet.”

Constat 13. Finding 13. La recette publicitaire tirée d’un visiteur unique est vingt fois moindre que celle d’un lecteur. The advertising revenue from a single visitor is twenty times less than that of a player.
«Le revenu publicitaire fourni chaque année par un visiteur unique mensuel (sur un site Web, ndlr) varie de 1 à 3 euros, contre 20 à 60 euros pour un lecteur de presse écrite.» “The advertising income provided annually by unique visitors monthly (on a website editor’s note) varies from 1 to 3 euros, against 20 to 60 euros for a reader of newspapers.”

 Constat 14. Finding 14. Google est au cœur des sessions sur Internet et sa vente de publicité en tire parti. Google is at the heart of sessions on the Internet and its sale of advertising exploits.
Comprendre: Google est un mastodonte. Understand: Google is a mastodon. «85% des sessions sur Internet incluent en France l’utilisation du moteur de recherche Google. “85% of sessions on the Internet in France include the use of search engine Google. (…) Ce qui permet à Google de capter 90% de la valeur dans la publicité à ciblage contextuel. (…) This allows Google to capture 90% of the value in advertising to contextual targeting. Une position dominante s’est créé dans les usages et n’est pas contestée sur le marché.» A dominant position was created in the uses and is not contested on the market. “

So mobile is where you need to be in France.

The last point is not a surprise given the French media’s attitude to Google. But Alain expresses some surprise in his response.

un, très humblement, je me demande pourquoi il a été nécessaire de réunir des Etats généraux pour constater ce que tout le monde sait;

Basically. “No, shit and why did we need a report to tell us this”. (my translation)and though the report gives some interesting figures,  I agree


Bookmarks for November 12th through December 16th

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These are my links for November 12th through December 16th:

French Media say Non to Google help

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Eric Scherer at AFP newsnet has an interesting roundup of the French media’s reaction to the head of Google News, Josh Cohen as he asks what role will Google play in the news ecosystem?.

He’s got this nifty video of the twitter coverage as well as some very juicy quotes and debate about the impact of Google

From Emmanuel Parody, publisher of CBS Interactive in France:

Clearly, because Google is now controlling trading routes, it’s in a position of fixing prices. This is the problem

To Pierre Conte, president of PubliPrint, advertising branch of Le Figaro newspaper group

“We see you now as a danger for the life of our companies”, said Conte. “The CPM has collapsed, and the growth of the Internet has been hijacked by search. We are no longer able to pay professional journalists to do their work. “

Plenty of food for thought but Scherer picks a nice tweet from Jay Rosen to end the piece.

I am certain that Eric Schmidt will get a thorough de-briefing on Cohen’s Paris trip. As Jay Rosen commented in a recent tweet, “Google people tell me: we know we have to support the news ecosystem. But they don’t want to prop up messed up organizations.”

via Newspaper bailout: what role will Google play in the news ecosystem? – AFP-MediaWatch.

‘Councils should not build TV services with public money’ – Press Gazette

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Bob says 'come and have a go if you think you're good enough'

In my own life I’ve seen it a thousand times, where there was the old rock’n'roll establishment beating up the punks, which I was part of, or it was the Aid establishment beating up Band Aid and Live Aid. But the reality is that there was room for the Rolling Stones and the Clash; there was room for Save the Children and Live Aid and so too there’s room for Kent Messenger and Kent TV and they sort of supply completely different services; I get my daily paper every day, but I’m also online every day

So says Bob Geldof. One of the founders of uberindie TenAlps and the company running Kent TV, Kent County Councils broadband TV service. But he wasn’t just plucking the Kent Messenger out of the air.

There’s been an ongoing debate about Kent TV, the latest round of which has seen Kent Messenger Group chairman Geraldine Allinson use the Westminster Media Forum debate in London to stress that ‘Councils should not build TV services with public money’.

Of course of course Bob is bullish about the reasons for the Kent Messengers dislike of the project. In his exclusive interview with Kent TV(who else):

This spurious beating up of Kent TV, on the notion that it’s political is rubbish. It’s a commercial attack. So, do it honourably and compete with us. We’ll win because we’re better, and regardless of who initiated this in Kent, they showed foresight. so competing on the commercial level, I love it, I love the challenge and if we lose, we lose ‘cos we’re not good enough, but competing, playing footsie with your political pals, ah that’s naff and it’s not what business should do.

But KMG are not the only ones up in arms. The Press Gazette reports similar worries for ITV Local director of programming and content Lindsay Charlto

“When council taxpayers wake up to the fact that half a million pounds is being spent on a television service on their behalf, they may have something to say about it,” he said.

“If you replicated that across the country I think there would be a public outcry.

“My own view is they shouldn’t be building television networks with public money.”

Outcry at public money being spent on a public service? Really. Well, I suppose it depends on whether you take the public service view or the commercial view.

I think Paid Content pegged the motivation of the council when they reported on the Kent Messenger groups efforts, through FOI requests, to work out just how much this was costing:

In a way, this issue is a mirror of opposition to BBC Local video plans. Is it logical that a local authority launches a web video news operation? Yes – in these days of local news cutbacks, every local government should want to guarantee a line of communication with voters. The side-effect – that much-loved spectacle of competition between the council and its local newspaper.

I think the Kent Messenger are right to question where public money is being spent – -that’s the job of a journalist after all. But when Geraldine Allinson suggests that “Some would argue that is a very unlevel playing field.” You have to have some sympathy with Geldof.

For me the real problem here, and where I think it differs from the BBC question,  is that the regional media cannot compete here. It really is a catch 22.

They can’t get on board with the council as that will simply leave both open to accusations of bias. But they cannot compete with a product backed by that much money because they have no infrastructure to do it.

Rather than throw stones, it may be better to question the process but let it develop (and perhaps fail) on its own. In the mean time they should concentrate on sharpening and matureing that questioning voice in a multiplatform environment. Maybe then they would have something to compete with.