You are browsing the archive for 2009 January.

← Previous Entries
Next Entries →

Carnival of Journalism: Money! Money! Money!

January 19, 2009 in Carnival of Journalism, industry news

Daily KosImage via WikipediaThe topic of this month’s carnival of journalism (hosted by Paul Bradshaw) is, quite appropriately, money. More specifically, how are we going to pay for journalism in the future.

Lots of journobloggers have noted the LA Times’ report that they’ve made enough money online to pay for their editorial production (even though the numbers have been disputed). I want to point out another bright spot: Daily Kos made over $1 million in revenue last year.

True, DailyKos is not a “news” site in the traditional sense, but think about it: a weblog made over $1 million in revenue last year. They did so through a combination of subscriptions (people pay to disable advertisements – a paltry $40/year or $100 for a lifetime subscription) and advertisements.

As a result, DK has employed 9 full-time staffers (including a techie) with benefits.

Why focus on a weblog when we’re talking about supporting traditional journalism?

Because the simple fact is this: there are no new business models for news. News is not entertainment, so there isn’t going to be an iTunes for news. The only possible models are these: advertiser-supported and reader-supported (through subscriptions or donations).

How are we going to pay for journalism online? Through some innovative uses of those traditional models. That’s what DailyKos has done.

Journalism is going to survive by news businesses adopting a “coins in the couch” approach to advertising and reader support.

For the longest time, media companies – especially big newspaper operations – were able to rely on big advertisers to provide most of their ad revenue. If you’re the Chicago Tribune, why send an ad rep. out to try to get a 1-inch ad from a local mom and pop store when you’ve got five full-page ads from JC Penney or Sears? Why sell ads for your online site when you can make hundreds of times the commission for a print ad?

But now media companies are paying for that neglect. And if we want to keep funding full-time journalists for the future, media companies are going to need to go back to the couch and start shaking out the coins. A couple of quick thoughts:

No advertiser is too small – Sell online ads to local companies, and offer to help them develop their online sites. A local restaurant doesn’t have a web site? Offer them a chance to pay for an ad and also to develop their menu online (Google is already here – you need to be too). And promote those web sites through restaurant guides (unique to web) and entertainment calendars.

Break online ads away from print – Stop selling “package deals” in which the online is nothing more than an add-on. Sell online as something important. Start treating it like it is important. Create a separate part of your ad sales staff who is totally devoted to online sales – this may be a loss-leader for a while, but will eventually pay off.

Ask for donations – If people value your journalism, then you should ask them to help support it, but not through subscriptions in the traditional sense. Use the NPR/PBS model. Set up a “donate” button on your site and use it to help fund journalism on your site.

Work with the ad department – this is probably most controversial, but I’m going to say someone needs to be talking to the ad folks to sell ads along all those cool multimedia products, all those databases, all those interactive graphics. You’ve got a great package about the local college basketball team? Let someone sell a sponsorship. You’ve got a fascinating graphic about politics and health? Call the ad dept. and see if they have a sponsor. I’m not saying you should compromise your editorial independence, but you should clue in those in the revenue-generating part of your operation so they can help you all keep your jobs.

Again, not that much new – but I don’t see a lot of this going on. Maybe I’m missing it. If I am, please send me some links and I’ll be happy to point them out.

thoughts?

Reblog this post [with Zemanta]

6 Comments »

links for 2009-01-18

January 18, 2009 in industry news

Comments Off

CICM internship update

January 18, 2009 in CICM shop talk, internships

Thanks to those students who have submitted applications and essays to become the spring 2009 CICM intern. We will announce the intern applicants on Wednesday, with their essays available for readers, and a poll to let you help decide who will become the intern (although the final decision will be mine, along with Chris and Ralph). The winning applicant will be announced next Monday.

Comments Off

Deadline midnight Pacific tonight for CICM intern applications

January 16, 2009 in CICM shop talk, internships

Not the ICM InternHey folks, there’s less than 24 hours left to apply for the CICM internship. We’ve already received several applications, and you too could be on that list! Deadline is midnight Pacific time tonight! Details:

The pitch: How would you like to learn new media skills while having a positive impact on the college media environment? Join us for a semester of new media opportunity as the first intern for the Center for Innovation in College Media for Spring 2009.

What you’ll do: Help maintain the Innovation in College Media weblog by producing relevant content that highlights what college media are doing in a changing media environment. The possibilities for editorial production are limited only by your imagination and energy. Some of the possibilities:

  • Podcast interviews with media movers and shakers.
  • Reviews of college media online initiatives.
  • Maps and databases of college media online sites.
  • Live video streams of conferences and/or interviews.
  • Round-ups of relevant new media writing.
  • And more.

Skills: Social media savvy (Twitter, friendfeed, etc.), video and audio (soundslides, mogulus or ustream), blogging (WordPress), college journalism (worked as a college journalist, familiar with college media environment).

Location: Wherever you are. I operate from Charleston, IL, Chris Carroll operates from Nashville, TN, but you can operate from anywhere you have a computer and Internet access.

Start/End Dates: Start date is toward the end of january. end date is end of April.

Hours: As far as hours, it’s really open-ended. You can do some awesome work with minimal hours, or a lot of hours and a minimum of ROI (return on investment). Seriously, it’s all up to you. My goal is for you to succeed.

Pay: We don’t have a lot of money, but we can offer a $500 stipend and a heckuva recommendation letter from yours truly when you’ve finished the race. We’ll make a badge available as well that you can post on your blog or web site.

About the site: ICM is part of the non-profit Center for Innovation in College Media, and is read by numerous college journalists, advisers, and industry folks.

How to apply: Send a copy of your resume and a 250-word essay (or post on your weblog, even better) explaining what ideas you have for the site to me at scmurley@gmail.com. Be forewarned – I will be posting a poll for readers to vote on who is the best potential intern (results will be viewable only by me) with the winner posted here in the future.

Deadline for applications: Jan. 18, 2009

Comments Off

RevolutionTwo themes now no longer free

January 15, 2009 in blogging

Well, that was fun while it lasted. Back in late 2008, Brian Gardner announced that he would be offering RevolutionTwo WordPress themes, unsupported, for free.

As of Jan. 1, 2009, we find out that this new business model was actually an “experiment,” and the themes are no longer available for free download at the RevolutionTwo web site. Here, you can see Gardner’s explanation of this change.

Reblog this post [with Zemanta]

7 Comments »

links for 2009-01-15

January 15, 2009 in industry news

1 Comment »

A lesson from sproutbuilder pay-for-play scheme

January 14, 2009 in software

One of the thing that has always worried me about certain web 2.0 companies that I recommend is the ability of a service provider to “own” your content. This appears to be what’s going to be a major headache with sproutbuilder now that they are beginning to charge for their service. To wit:

Q. Does the paid version mean I can download my sprouts and flash files to host them myself?
A. No, due to the way Sprout Builder‘s system is structured and this is the way most web-based apps work. We host and deliver all your assets and sprouts so that you don’t have to.

and

Q. What happens to my existing Sprouts if I decide not to pay for service?
A. If you decide not to pay for service, you will no longer be able to log in to Sprout Builder. To regain access to Sprout Builder and your existing Sprouts you will have to subscribe to service.

They don’t really say what will happen to your existing sprouts. Will they be available for viewing? Who knows.

It’s a high-tech form of extortion, in a way. They should at least allow you to download your previous sprouts so you can wash your hands of them and host the flash-based applications on your own site.

My question: who will be the first to sue them over copyright for access to their intellectual property. Yeah, this is serious business, folks.

Reblog this post [with Zemanta]

3 Comments »

SproutBuilder: you are dead to me

January 14, 2009 in software

Image representing Sprout as depicted in Crunc...Image via CrunchBaseA while ago, I recommended SproutBuilder as a great way for college journalists to build interactive web apps for free. It reduced the heavy learning curve of Flash and allowed you to embed the Sprouts on your web site with minimal effort.Now, no more. From an e-mail I received this afternoon:

Over the last year Sprout has provided you with a free solution for creating interactive Flash content and widgets. Like many technology companies, we offered our service for free while we worked on our products, spoke with customers and developed our go-to-market strategy. Now that we have developed a solution worthy of creative professionals at the best agencies in the world, it is time for us to monetize. Starting in early February, we will begin charging for our service. We hope that you have found value from Sprout Builder and will continue to use our services.

First off, I hate it when people do the bait-and-switch – offer something for free then cut you off and demand payment for the same services.

And second, we find out that SproutBuilder was being a little disingenous with their pricing, according to a (probably soon to be changed) version of their FAQ:

3. Is there a cost? What if I want to try it out?

It is free. Here are the steps, if you want to try it out:

1. Click on the blank slate under “create a new project”. 2. Type in a “title”, “project description” and select the “canvas size” (size of the page). 3.Click on “create project”, which will take you to the “stage” to create your first sprout.

Of course, this is a lie. As they state in their new “pricing faq“:

Q. Why is Sprout deciding to charge for services now?
A. Sprout has always been very clear on our Web site that we will be charging for services in the future. In order for the company to continue to grow and evolve, we must begin charging for our services.

O RLY?

The pricing levels are ridiculously high ($13.95/mo. for a basic account [three projects] is more than I pay for hosting per month with 8 databases and more storage and bandwidth than they’re offering) – especially in this economic environment. Here’s more on the new pricing plan.

So I can no longer recommend SproutBuilder for college journalism outfits. Guess it’s time to go back to learning Flash, folks.

UPDATE: Way down at the bottom of the SproutBuilder pricing faq (via the @sproutbuilder twitter feed, which is – rightfully – getting hit with a major PR problem right now), there’s this small bit of porridge for the education/non-profit crowd:

Q. Is there special pricing for educators or non-profits?
A. Yes, please contact us at pricing@sproutbuilder.com for information on how educators, design students and non-profits can use Sprout Builder at a discounted rate. You will need to prove that you qualify.

Of course, they don’t say how much that discount is (another thing I hate – lack of transparency in pricing structures), so I still can’t recommend using the service.

(h/t Andrew Dunn via Twitter)

Reblog this post [with Zemanta]

7 Comments »

My daily plea for intern applicants

January 14, 2009 in CICM shop talk, internships

Applications are due Friday. Read more here.

Some of the things we’ve got planned for this semester include webinars with new media movers and shakers, the second annual CICM online contest, and more stuff. You can be a part of this and get your place in helping college media into the future!

There’s a countdown clock at the top of the center column of this weblog right now. That’s because there is now ONE WEEK for you to get your application in for the CICM Spring 2009 Internship. Emily Kostic is the first applicant (way to go, Emily!). And I promise you will never do what the intern in the picture above is doing!

Check out the details:

The pitch: How would you like to learn new media skills while having a positive impact on the college media environment? Join us for a semester of new media opportunity as the first intern for the Center for Innovation in College Media for Spring 2009.

What you’ll do: Help maintain the Innovation in College Media weblog by producing relevant content that highlights what college media are doing in a changing media environment. The possibilities for editorial production are limited only by your imagination and energy. Some of the possibilities:

  • Podcast interviews with media movers and shakers.
  • Reviews of college media online initiatives.
  • Maps and databases of college media online sites.
  • Live video streams of conferences and/or interviews.
  • Round-ups of relevant new media writing.
  • And more.

Skills: Social media savvy (Twitter, friendfeed, etc.), video and audio (soundslides, mogulus or ustream), blogging (WordPress), college journalism (worked as a college journalist, familiar with college media environment).

Location: Wherever you are. I operate from Charleston, IL, Chris Carroll operates from Nashville, TN, but you can operate from anywhere you have a computer and Internet access.

Start/End Dates: Start date is toward the end of january. end date is end of April.

Hours: As far as hours, it’s really open-ended. You can do some awesome work with minimal hours, or a lot of hours and a minimum of ROI (return on investment). Seriously, it’s all up to you. My goal is for you to succeed.

Pay: We don’t have a lot of money, but we can offer a $500 stipend and a heckuva recommendation letter from yours truly when you’ve finished the race. We’ll make a badge available as well that you can post on your blog or web site.

About the site: ICM is part of the non-profit Center for Innovation in College Media, and is read by numerous college journalists, advisers, and industry folks.

How to apply: Send a copy of your resume and a 250-word essay (or post on your weblog, even better) explaining what ideas you have for the site to me at scmurley@gmail.com. Be forewarned – I will be posting a poll for readers to vote on who is the best potential intern (results will be viewable only by me) with the winner posted here in the future.

Deadline for applications: Jan. 18, 2009

6 Comments »

Podcast at CoPress is up

January 14, 2009 in College Media

This Week in CoPress, the podcast I host (I ask the questions and edit the audio) is up and available for listening. This week: Rick Martinez at Florida International about a new CMS they’ve developed using Ruby on Rails. You can listen to it here.

Comments Off

← Previous Entries
Next Entries →