The document discusses the Christian Science Monitor newspaper which switched from a daily print newspaper distributed via mail to a primarily web-based publication in 2009. It summarizes the newspaper's history and declining print circulation. It then outlines the newspaper's strategy to increase its online presence and page views, including increasing update frequency, using search engine optimization techniques, monitoring Google Trends, and incorporating social media. The strategy led to an increase in the newspaper's online page views and digital audience but also created a conflict with the newspaper's traditional "Monitor journalism" mission and approach.

1. Stopping the presses:
Lessons from the
Monitor
Dr. Jonathan Groves, Drury University
Dr. Carrie Brown-Smith, University of Memphis

2. History
 Founded in 1908
 Funded largely by the
Christian Science
church
 Daily newspaper,
distributed via mail
 Switched to Web-only
daily, print weekly
March 2009
John Yemma
Editor

3. Declining influence
Circulation
220,000 in 1970
↓↓
52,000 2008

4. Culture
 Mission: “To injure no man, but to bless all mankind.”
 Deep commitment to “Monitor journalism”
 “Solutions-based” journalism
Key underlying assumption:
Web-first is undermining the craft of journalism
and is fundamentally in conflict with Monitor journalism

5. Timeline
December 2009:
Decision
July 2010:
Implementation
January 2011:
Confirmation
9.5 M page
views
25 M page-view
milestone
19.4 M page
views/ 8.8 M
uniques
*

6. Fundamental conflict:
The success of page
views
vs.
The Monitor ideal

7. Four-pronged strategy
 Increase the frequency of updating
 Use Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
 Monitoring Google Trends for hot topics
 Use social media to reach new audiences

8. Update frequency
 Have reporters write two shorter stories (500 words)
 Use blogs to get information out more quickly
 One edit instead of two
 Use lists to summarize and synthesize

9. Riding the Google wave
 Don’t just use keywords; use keyword phrases
 Google Trends
 Use Google News and Yahoo! News to identify topic
 Repeat phrases in headline and blurb
Once the Monitor owns a topic,
ride the Google wave

10. Repeated phrase

11. Incorporate social media
 Use blogs to create a network of interested
constituencies
 Have reporters use Facebook, Twitter accounts
 Create a Digg team to build communities
 Expand brand presence on all social media

12. Page views
Source: Quantcast.com

13. Conclusions
 Eliminating print daily made changing routines
possible
 After almost two years, still conflicted
 Success breeds hesitant acceptance
 Threat/reality ignites change