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  • Special Report: Apps

    The app genie is out of the bottle. Local news organizations have moved past the stage of merely having an app and are moving on to the tricky challenge of monetizing those apps, and to do that, they will have to build on the momentum of local mobile search, unlock the power of geolocation and push for better app metrics. Part one of a two-part series. Tomorrow: Part two of the special report will focus on content. More | Add comment

  • Digital DMA: WVBT Raises Ante In Norfolk Digital Battle

    In a market that spreads across 10 cities and has a heavy military presence, two newspapers rule the digital roost, but the area’s TV stations, which expect to see a 65% rise in online revenue by 2015, are trying out new ways to bring more visitors to their websites. Among them is LIN TV-owned WVBT, which has launched an online-only show about the local entertainment scene. More | Add comment

  • AppCheck: Cocktail Compass Pours A Round Of Revenue

    The Portland Mercury's Cocktail Compass barfinder app is not only helping users find nearby watering holes and drink specials but it's also helping the alt weekly use its extensive trove of bar listings to generate new revenue streams. More | Add comment

  • Site Specific: Classifieds, Video Help Seven Days Thrive

    Burlington, Vt.-based alt weekly Seven Days built a decent online following on the strength of its quirky, personality-driven video series "Stuck in Vermont," and has turned the site into a money maker primarily from display ads and classifieds. More | Add comment

  • Exec. Session: Alt Weeklies Tap Roots To Drive Web Rev

    Alternative newsweeklies may have gotten off to a slow start on the digital front, but according to Tim Keck, publisher of Seattle's The Stranger and Portland, Ore.'s Mercury, such newspapers can draw on their iconoclastic voice, strong local entertainment coverage and close relationships with local businesses, to take the online lead in their communities and build their online revenue. More | Comments (1)

  • Agile Alt Media Adapting to Digital Challenges

    Like all media entities, alternative newsweeklies have taken their hits over the past few years but now they are taking advantage of their flexibility and experimenting with social media, video and blogs in an effort to catch up in the digital world, and in some markets, challenge the local daily for dominance. 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

  • Apps: The app genie is out of the bottle. Local news organizations have moved past the stage of merely having an app and are moving on to the tricky challenge of monetizing those apps, and to do that, they will have to build on the momentum of local mobile search, unlock the power of geolocation and push for better app metrics.
  • 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.

Industry Calendar

2月 2012
27-29
SNPA, Inland Press Association, Local Media Association, and Texas Press Association.
Key Executives Mega-Conference
San Antonio, TX
3月 2012
13-15
American Cable Association
ACA’s 19th Annual Summit
Washington, D.C., DC
4月 2012
13
National Association of Broadcasters
NABShow
Las Vegas, NV

Net Essentials

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commentary
Hyperlocal Advertorials Need Transparency
Street Fight, Feb 20, 2012, 3:44 PM EST
Journalist and attorney Brian Dengler: "As long as hyperlocals are transparent about the advertorial nature of some content, hyperlocals can benefit from a source for content, a community connection, a community story, and potential revenue opportunities." Link | Add comment
New Haven Independent Reboots Comments
Nieman Journalism Lab, Feb 20, 2012, 3:39 PM EST
The news site debuted new rules and a new approach to keep comments civil: "We will be culling comments that not only violate the rules but that violate the spirit of the rules; that denigrate personalities; that are attempting to use the Independent to spar with those who disagree with them, or to try to settle scores." Link | Add comment
O'Shea: Reports Of CNC Demise 'Sloppy'
Chicago News Cooperative, Feb 20, 2012, 2:58 PM EST
Jim O'Shea, editor and CEO of the Chicago News Cooperative, today in a letter to readers announcing the suspension of operations wrote that the CNC will continue to seek a way to preserve its journalistic assets and also criticized early reports about the news organization's demise: "Early stories and twitter posts on our problems were inaccurate. The reporting was sloppy and simply reinforced in my mind the need for solidly reported, well-edited journalism, the kind that professional CNC journalists have been doing on our website and in The New York Times since November 2009" Link | Add comment
Commentary: the Chicago News Cooperative
Jarvis: Journalists Don't Know Business
BuzzMachine, Feb 20, 2012, 8:42 AM EST
Jeff Jarvis: "I'm not against not-for-profit, charitably supported journalism any more than I'm against pay walls. ... But I do not believe that begging for money from foundations, the public, or especially government is the solution to journalism's problems." Link | Add comment
Chicago News Cooperative Shuts Its Doors
Chicago Reader, Feb 20, 2012, 8:08 AM EST
James O'Shea, founder and editor of the Chicago News Cooperative, told his staff Friday afternoon that on Feb. 26 the CNC would shut down. The news site is closing its doors after a MacArthur Foundation grant fell through because of a delayed IRS ruling on the CNC's nonprofit status. Link | Add comment
St. Louis Beacon Tries Out iBooks Author
Nieman Journalism Lab, Feb 17, 2012, 2:50 PM EST
The nonprofit news site is one of the first to try Apple's new app to compile its writing, photos, videos and more into an ebook on last year's Midwestern floods called Meandering Mississippi. Link | Add comment
Bay Citizen Aims To Regroup, Turn Page
The Wall Street Journal, Feb 16, 2012, 3:42 PM EST
San Francisco-based nonprofit news site The Bay Citizen which recently announced its intent to merge with another Bay Area-base nonprofit, the Center for Investigative Reporting, is looking to use the move as a chance to regroup and ensure the survival of its mission to deliver civic and community news. WSJ subscribers can read the full story here. Link | Add comment
CIR Wins MacArthur Foundation Grant
NetNewsCheck, Feb 16, 2012, 3:34 PM EST
The nonprofit Center for Investigative Reporting was awarded $1 million for producing disseminating multimedia stories that engage the public and spark policy change. Full Story | Add comment
Commentary
Investing In Better Tech May Beat More Staff
Street Fight, Feb 16, 2012, 12:33 PM EST
Tom Grubisich: "Fast-improving digital technology can lead to better content, more engaged users and open the way to new advertisers, including sponsors. Technology is also less expensive than staff." Link | Add comment
Bob Garfield: 'Future Isn't In Hyperlocal News'
Borrell Associates, Feb 15, 2012, 3:36 PM EST
Bob Garfield, host of NPR's "Media Matters": "The future isn't in hyperlocal news per se as a standalone operation. in my opinion, the answer is going to be in consolididation."
Link | Add comment
New Haven Indie Takes Stand On Comments
Nieman Journalism Lab, Feb 15, 2012, 2:22 PM EST
Nonprofit news site the New Haven Independent last week decided to suspend comments over the lack of civility from readers. Northeastern University journalism professor Dan Kennedy: "What made Bass’s decision especially disconcerting is that the Independent enjoyed a well-deserved reputation for the way it managed comments, building a genuine community around its journalism." Link | Add comment
Bay Citizen, CIR Announce Intent To Merge
The Bay Citizen, Feb 8, 2012, 7:12 AM EST
The Bay Citizen and the Center for Investigative Reporting have signed a formal letter of intent to merge the two Bay Area nonprofit news organizations, the companies announced Tuesday. Both sides now have 30 days to independently decide whether to approve a final merger. If approved, management of The Bay Citizen will be turned over to the CIR.   Link | Add comment
Bay Citizen Explains Outage
The Bay Citizen, Feb 6, 2012, 8:20 AM EST
Peter Lewis, managing editor of The Bay Citizen, in a note to readers said the local news site's outages on Friday were due to problems with the server that manages its incoming traffic followed by a surge in visitors. Link | Add comment
Site Specific: Capitol Hill Seattle Blog
Tech Upstart Backs Into Hyperlocal Coverage
NetNewsCheck, Feb 6, 2012, 6:57 AM EST
Capitol Hill Seattle Blog founder Justin Carder wasn’t planning on building a media business when he launched his Seattle-based hyperlocal site in 2006, but the blog quickly picked up a healthy stable of display ads — despite Carder’s disdain of ad salespeople. Full Story | Add comment
NewsCheckMedia Expands Server Capacity
NetNewsCheck, Feb 1, 2012, 7:38 AM EST
NewsCheckMedia quadrupled its server capacity last evening to ensure smooth operations even during periods of peak traffic. The expansion, completed by midnight on Jan. 31, came just hours after the company’s two continuously updated news websites, NetNewsCheck.com and TVNewsCheck.com, experienced brief outages resulting from too many readers trying to access a story, Agile Alt Media Adapting to Digital Challenge. As always, the tech team at Rackspace did us proud in getting the sites back online after only a few minutes and in upgrading our capacity just a few hours later. Congratulations to NetNewsCheck Editor Michael Depp on a terrific story. We promise the next one won't bring the house down. | Comments (1)
Association of Alternative Newsmedia Conference
Agile Alt Media Adapting to Digital Challenges
NetNewsCheck, Jan 31, 2012, 6:58 AM EST
Like all media entities, alternative newsweeklies have taken their hits over the past few years but now they are taking advantage of their flexibility and experimenting with social media, video and blogs in an effort to catch up in the digital world, and in some markets, challenge the local daily for dominance. Full Story | Add comment
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
Digital DMAs
Video, Mobile Drive Roanoke's Digital Scene
NetNewsCheck, Jan 26, 2012, 6:48 AM EST
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.  Full Story | Add comment
How Rick Perry Put Texas Trib On The Map
Nieman Journalism Lab, Jan 25, 2012, 6:56 AM EST
The nonprofit news site received record page views and new funding after the Texas governor announced his ultimately unsuccessful bid for president. Texas Tribune CEO Evan Smith: “There’s no question Rick Perry was good for business. Even if his presidential campaign wasn’t successful these last five months, we were.” Link | Add comment
Lessons For Hyperlocals In Defamation Suit
Street Fight, Jan 23, 2012, 2:09 PM EST
A federal judge in Kentucky earlier this month refused to throw out a defamation claim brought by a Cincinnati Bengals cheerleader against gossip site TheDirty.com. Attorney Brian Dengler: "The opinion serves as a lesson for hyperlocal news publishers. ... Immunity likely is lost once publishers become involved in selecting or editing user content, or if the publishers add their own negative comments." Link | Add comment
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The Market

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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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