Exclusives

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  • Digital DMA: Video, Mobile Drive Roanoke's Digital Scene

    Nearly a third of Roanoke, Va., residents aren't online, but it isn't for a lack of first-rate digital offerings, including some of the slickest multimedia production to be found on any newspaper website, plus apps, blogs mobile sites and more. The Roanoke Times, WSET-TV and other local players are gearing up for a predicted 89% boost in digital revenue in this sleepy southern town.  More | Add comment

  • AppCheck: Twitter-Centric Ky Cager App Gets In Game

    In Kentucky, college basketball is king and the University of Kentucky Wildcats are an obsession. Into that environment steps a new narrowly focused free app from Schurz Communications: Catalist, which montors Twitter for all things Wildcats, gathering tweets from players, coaches and even recruits. More | Comments (1)

  • Site Specific: CBS Local Deal Opens Doors For Pureplay

    Examiner.com, the Clarity Digital Group-owned local-content network, has opened up new audiences with a recent deal to provide its vetted user-created content on niche topics to CBS Local. The deal also creates new revenue streams for the network, adding to what is already drawn from display ands and sponsored content. More | Add comment

  • Executive Session: APM Aims For Digital Local News Lead

    Public radio has established a beachhead in local digital news, hoping to fill the territory left vacant, in part, by the shrinking of daily newspapers. David Kansas, COO and senior VP of American Public Media, spoke to NetNewsCheck about the company’s local journalism efforts, including its Public Insight Network and its recent merger with Spot.us, a crowd-funding hub for journalists. APM is also eyeing opportunities stemming from the expansion of digital media technology in the automobile. More | Add comment

  • Online Metrics Take A Step Closer To Standardization

    Plagued by inconsistent measurement systems, the industry is seeking to standardize online audience measurements. The IAB, ANA and 4As are working on the Making Measurement Make Sense initiative that could hellp boost digital and cross-platform ad growth. More | Add comment

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Special Reports

  • Daily Deals: Local media companies are turning to white-label platform providers so that they can build their own brand in the marketplace and potentially make more money.
  • State of the Industry 2010: Everybody wants Local Online Advertising these days, but the leading analysts don't see eye to eye on how big the market is.
  • Local Mobile Ads 2010: Traditional media of all stripes call mobile a "must" for their future, and are trying a wide range of strategies to move there
  • Marketplaces 2010: Finding strategies for local mobile, search and deals.

Industry Calendar

February 2012
Mo
We
27-29
SNPA, Inland Press Association, Local Media Association, and Texas Press Association.
Key Executives Mega-Conference
San Antonio, TX
March 2012
Tu
Th
13-15
American Cable Association
ACA’s 19th Annual Summit
Washington, D.C., DC
April 2012
Fr
13
National Association of Broadcasters
NABShow
Las Vegas, NV

Net Essentials

Latest News

Fri, Jan 27, 2012

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Editor on duty: Eric Smith, 908-616-3043
MinnPost Ends 2011 In The Black
Nieman Journalism Lab, Jan 27, 2012, 3:23 PM EST
The nonprofit news site ended 2011 with a modest surplus — just over $21,000 — the second consecutive year MinnPost has ended in the black, showing that a nonprofit site can support itself. Link | Add comment
Facebook Readies IPO Filing For Next Week
The Wall Street Journal, Jan 27, 2012, 3:10 PM EST
The social network could file papers for an initial public offering as early as next week and is seeking a valuation of between $75 billion to $100 billion, according to a report in The Wall Street Journal. Link | Add comment
Twitter To Censor Tweets By Country
ABC News, Jan 27, 2012, 2:30 PM EST
Twitter has announced a new plan that will allow it to censor users' tweets on a country-by-country basis if governments object to them. The social media platform said the policy is an attempt to keep doing business in country's that do not welcome all expression. Link | Add comment
AllNovaScotia Broke 'Rules,' Found Success
Nieman Journalism Lab, Jan 27, 2012, 1:12 PM EST
Canada's AllNovaScotia.com has become a dominant force in the province despite not following the rules of online success: Its paywall is impenetrable, it has no social media presence, no multimedia, rarely uses links and doesn't cover crime or sports. Link | Add comment
Earnings call
Covenant Crisis Looming At Media General
TVNewsCheck, Jan 27, 2012, 10:26 AM EST
In its earnings call Thursday, company execs say they are hoping to modify the agreements for its $658 million in debt. If it can’t successfully renegotiate the covenants, Media General could be at risk of bankruptcy. It’s a threat that some analysts have been discussing quietly since last year. Link | Add comment
Commentary
Problem With Seperate Digital Sales Teams
Mel Taylor Media, Jan 27, 2012, 3:48 PM EST
Mel Taylor on the problems with the strategy of hiring a separate digital sales staff: "This strategy is not only a money loser, but it’s a massive time suck too. Newspapers waste precious resources on trying to make this work, while pure-plays like Reach Local, Google and the Yellow Pages actively steal local dollars right from under [their noses]." Link | Add comment
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Commentary
Aggregation Is Deep In Journalism's DNA
Nieman Journalism Lab, Jan 27, 2012, 4:11 PM EST
David Skok, citing Time's start as an aggregator nearly 90 years ago, says aggregation and their desire to march up the value chain are nothing new: "We shouldn’t be surprised in the recent developments at the Huffington Post and Buzzfeed — nor should we be surprised when, in the coming months and years, other sites disdained by some make similar moves." Link | Add comment
Commentary
Consolidation Means Growing Up For Deals
Street Fight, Jan 27, 2012, 2:45 PM EST
Steven Jocbs on what Gilt Groupe's recent round of layoffs could mean for the daily deals industry: "It appears for now, that the honeymoon period is over, and the deals space is finally coming back to the hard reality of the street. The industry isn’t dying; it’s finally maturing." Link | Add comment
Twitter, Summify And Local Relevance Layer
Street Fight, Jan 27, 2012, 3:19 PM EST
Alex Salkever on the significance of Twitter's purchase of Summify: "For people craving local content, layering together these multiple functionalities could create a hyperlocal overlayer that is more relevant, more readable, and less noisy." Link | Add comment
Commentary
Can Good Journalists Be Good Capitalists?
Steve Outing, Jan 27, 2012, 10:11 AM EST
Steve Outing: "More new graduates will want to build new journalism businesses, because they’ve grown up to see lone bloggers starting on a shoestring build sizable media enterprises." Link | Add comment
Newsonomics of global media imperative
It's Time For Media Firms To Think Global
Nieman Journalism Lab, Jan 27, 2012, 10:11 AM EST
Author Ken Doctor: "It’s a stark fact for what once were nationally defined media businesses: If you don’t go global, you’re at an increasing disadvantage to your competitors — and who isn’t a competitor for audience or advertising? If you stay nationally focused, you’re trying to wring as much revenue out of a much smaller market, while competitors are building their top line and their capability to innovate with global revenues." Link | Add comment
ESPN Sees Mobile As 'First Screen'
MediaPost, Jan 27, 2012, 7:32 AM EST
Michael Bayle, VP/GM of ESPN Mobile, said the sports giant sees mobile as the starting point for its programming: "What’s taking preference now is to try to get as ubiquitous as possible. Program and design from the mobile standpoint first, then extrapolate what could be applied for the PC, television and print experience." Link | Add comment
Facebook Hires ME, Is News Product Next?
The Atlantic Wire, Jan 27, 2012, 7:59 AM EST
The social network has tapped Bloomberg's former social media director Dan Fletcher to be its managing editor setting off another round of speculation as to what Facebook is planning for the newsroom URL's the company registered earlier this month. Link | Add comment
How Daily Mail Became Web's Biggest Paper
GigaOM, Jan 27, 2012, 8:22 AM EST
The Daily Mail employed five key tactics to reach No. 1 on the Web, including being relentless, being broad, using linkbait, staying free and using its financial muscle. Link | Add comment
How CNN Verifies Its iReport Content
Poynter, Jan 27, 2012, 7:24 AM EST
CNN's 5-year-old iReport citizen journalism platform puts its user-generated content through several layers of vetting, including contacting the contributor and verifying information, before it is used on any of the news organization's properties. Link | Add comment
The Secret To Going Viral: It's About Culture
The Atlantic, Jan 27, 2012, 7:01 AM EST
Jared Keller: "The key ingredient to virality isn't the number of share buttons or Twitter followers you have, but your sensitivity to culture, that body of nuances that go beyond demographic breakdowns." Link | Add comment
Facebook 'Subscribe'
On FB, Be Topical, Ask Questions, Win Fans
Nieman Journalism Lab, Jan 27, 2012, 7:13 AM EST
Write about current affairs, add in a little commentary (or a question), and include a link. Those are three of the takeaways from data that Facebook has released about its "Subscribe" feature. Link | Add comment
Media Buyers:
Plenty Of Ads Left For Streaming Super Bowl
PaidContent, Jan 26, 2012, 4:46 PM EST
While some advertisers have bought into digital packages for the Super Bowl's first live video presentation on personal computers, tablets and mobile phones, many have not shown the same enthusiasm for the live stream as for the TV broadcast. Link | Add comment
Commentary
Supply, Demand Are Out Of Media's Hands
GigaOM, Jan 26, 2012, 4:46 PM EST
Mathew Ingram: "The bottom line is that whatever control media companies and advertisers once had over the supply-demand equation is gone ... The easiest way to move forward is probably to forget that such an equation ever existed — and to focus on figuring out what success looks like in the new media universe." Link | Add comment
In China, Human Costs Are Built Into iPad
The New York Times, Jan 26, 2012, 4:46 PM EST
The gadgets fueling our digital world are often born of the labors of workers toiling in harsh conditions —with serious, and sometimes deadly, safety problems — in factories in China. Link | Add comment

More News

CBSSports.com Reporter Fired For Paterno Report
Poynter, Jan 27, 2012, 2:55 PM EST
Using Open APIs To Improve Election Coverage
Poynter, Jan 27, 2012, 2:51 PM EST
NYTCo Faces Leadership Vacuum As Rev Falls
Bloomberg, Jan 27, 2012, 1:15 PM EST
Connected TVs
Boxee Starts Shipping Boxee Live TV
NY Convergence, Jan 27, 2012, 10:24 AM EST
Netflix Worried About TV Everywhere
The Next Web, Jan 27, 2012, 10:13 AM EST
NYT Releases Code To Help Journos Collaborate
Poynter, Jan 27, 2012, 8:23 AM EST
Millennial Launches App Retargeting Program
MediaPost, Jan 27, 2012, 8:09 AM EST
FB Wanted Non-Disclosures Before Press Event
KPLU, Jan 27, 2012, 8:02 AM EST
Spotify Hits 3M Subscribers Worldwide
Financial Times, Jan 27, 2012, 7:41 AM EST
Coke Integrates Live-Stream, Social For Super Bowl
MediaPost, Jan 27, 2012, 7:35 AM EST
A Salute To The API (And Hope For Its Future)
The Buttry Diary, Jan 27, 2012, 7:27 AM EST
Netflix Shares Surge On Subscriber Growth
MediaPost, Jan 27, 2012, 6:45 AM EST
Ron Paul Loses Round Against YouTube User
MediaPost, Jan 27, 2012, 6:43 AM EST
AU To Offer Master's In News Entrepreneurship
PBS MediaShift, Jan 26, 2012, 4:33 PM EST

Today's Top Stories

Classifieds

The Market

Symbol Last Change (%)
Nasdaq 2816.55 +11.27 (+0.40%)
NYSE 7876.61 -7.29 (-0.09%)
S&P 500 1316.33 -2.10 (-0.16%)
Updated 01/27 7:55p ET Quotes delayed at least 20 mins.
Source: Financial Content
Opinions
Features
Ideas
  • For Future Of News, Killer App Is Credibility

    Robert Hernandez, an assistant professor of professional practice in journalism at USC Annenberg: "With technology empowering everyone with the ability to create and to distribute, I predict — and wish — that in 2012 the new dominating factor will be Credibility. Actually, earned Credibility."

  • Layoffs, Cutbacks Lead To News Deserts

    Tom Stites: "Desertification is on the march, claiming more and more communities as newspapers continue to wither and few Web efforts manage to replace more than a fraction of the original reporting that newspapers have abandoned."

  • Moneyball: Fixing Newspaper Web Sales

    Mel Taylor: "Today's Newspaper industry is like that once great, but now struggling baseball team playing on a new, hyper-competitive field called the Internet. The veteran print team is stuck in a rut using the same, tired strategy that did serve them well for years, but no longer. Today, they get trounced by those with more money and muscle."

  • You Should Only Work This Hard If You Own The Business

    Howard Owens, digital media pioneer and author of HowardOwens.com, writes on Patch editors: "But here’s the thing about the work load for Patch editors: They’re not owners. They are expected to do all of the things they would have to do if they owned their own web sites, but merely in service of building wealth for AOL shareholders. Sure, work hard and keep your job is a nice benefit, and as a former corporate employee I think employees have an ethical obligation to help build shareholder value. That’s what they’re paid to do. ... However, if what we’re hearing is true about the Patch workload, I can only ask: Why are you doing it?"

  • The Metric For Missed Expectations

    Matthew Shanahan: "Here’s the problem: [Click-through rates don't] take into account audience engagement, not to mention the fact that other advertisers are competing for the click-through on the same page."

  • Debate Over Naming Commenters Rages On

    Eric Pfanner on real-name commenting policies: "The complications are enormous. Even self-contained Internet services like Facebook have had difficulty enforcing 'real name' systems. To achieve this on the borderless Internet would be impossible."

  • Communities Lose Out When Papers Close

    Author Ken Doctor on MediaNews Group's decision to consolidate its Bay Area newspapers: "It isn’t simply the sad loss of middle-class journalism jobs, as lamentable as that is, just as so many other good jobs that have disappeared in recent years. It’s a community loss, and points to the wider impact of news cuts on the society in which we live. That’s often forgotten as we focus too narrow on industry loss."

  • Why AOL Should Double Down On Patch

    Maxwell Wessel, member of Harvard Business School think tank Forum for Growth, on AOL's Patch: "Patch is AOL's last, best chance to build a growth engine. Investors shouldn't be calling for AOL to back off the business. They should be calling for AOL to double down ... by increasing commitment."

  • News Orgs Should Use Innovation As A Tool

    Frédéric Filloux: "News organizations ... should view innovation as their main weapon against direct competitors and emerging players such as tech startups."

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