3. Print isn’t dead 76 percent of college students have read their college newspaper in the past month 92 percent for those campus papers that publish on a daily basis 76 percent of faculty members have read their publication in the last month 51 percent have read it in the last week Source: Alloy Media + Marketing, College Newspaper Audience study, MORI Research
6. Study your Web traffic Identify peak traffic times Days Hourly Adjust time of updates Create a daily plan, not including breaking news Identify top stories, origination of traffic Share traffic with staff
7. Time management Get on a schedule Set aside specific times each day to update online content Posting earlier is as good, if not better than, later Eases nightly/weekly print deadlines, too
8. Reconsider workflow Stagger deadlines Enter stories directly into CMS Give staff online accounts to enter content there first Adjust copy editing schedule Avoid the online news dump once a day/week
9. Before & After Source: News Journal, American Press Institute
11. Change newsroom layout Open newsroom = Better communication Walls down • Online in the center One assignment desk Source: American Press Institute
12. Rethink assignments, deadlines Assign newsroom shifts for staff members Require that every assignment have unique print, online component Post online stories immediately — make traditional deadlines disappear Move to assignment desk with rolling deadlines
13. Make content distinct Online should not mirror print Play up the appropriate medium Rotate online content… you have everything to choose from on homepage Experiment to see what your audience is interested in
14. Easy ways to freshen your Web site Rotate content Repurpose, repackage popular, evergreen content Play up blog posts/RSS feed Consider a Twitter feed on homepage Consider plan during breaks; move up blogs
15. Listen to your audience Converse with audience all day Use social media tools Read comments carefully Follow traffic Search for sources using Facebook, Twitter, etc. Take advantage of real-time search
16. Redefine jobs Make section editors responsible for posting content in real-time Online editor manages daily update schedule (weekends, too) Automate evergreen content updates Be competitive: Celebrate being first
17. Print tips Set up templates for common pages Save creative resources for open pages: Page 1, Sports cover, etc. Always have evergreen content ready to go Adopt a nightly checklist
19. “Journalistic quality has always involved a combination of speed, thoroughness, authority, discovery, seriousness, humor and many other things that sometimes conflict with each other. The trick is to find the right balance.” — Jonathan Landman, New York Times deputy managing editor in charge of Web operations Source: Britannica.com
Editor's Notes
Feeding two beasts but w/ the 930 deadline loomingYour challengeProduce original content – photos, stories, graphics on a regular basis Edit contentDesign and produce pagesMeet deadlineProduce interactive content: map, video, audio slideshowPublish content onlineUpdate Web site through dayBlogShare content via social mediaWorry about the next day and the next hourCollaborate on new projectsWork with staffGeneral site maintenanceNot to mention, ethical questions, coverage questions
Why can’t we just focus on the Web?Because of revenues – often 90% of revenue made in printWe have an audience Students are still picking up the print edition – we are niche pubsAlloy stats of readershipConduct your own readership survey to find out what matters to your audience
Simple as using Google analyticsHelp you set daily goals on how many updates should be done throughout the day
Top sitesGoogle analyticsHow are people getting to your content… through search or are they going there?How many new visitors do you get? KeepWhat time of day should you be updating your siteWe start at 9-3 busiest w/ spikes:112Somewhat again at 11 p.m.
Use print to feed your online news content, and use online tools to make better print. But make sure both products are distinct so they can be sold separately for advertisers while still finding a way to be "web first" in mentality.Listen to your audience online using social media tools. Converse with them and let them help you create better news stories. Learn about new source ideas, and bounce angles off of them.Asking questions