a silent revolution. embedded publishing and its consequences for the newspaper sector
DESCRIPTION
Presentation given at the European Media Management Association (EMMA) conference. Paris, February 13th and 14th, 2009. Paper abstract: Embedded publishing refers to the rising phenomenon of organisations and individuals who have started publications in support of their primary goal. This ranges from blogging politicians to professional football clubs offering web television to their fans. Their products, which are often offered to the audience free of charge, might pose a serious threat to incumbent media. Because these new publishers now are their own media outlet, they become less dependent of the traditional media for getting their messages across. This paper presents an analysis of eight Flemish and Dutch embedded publishers and conceptualises the results of this case study. Subsequently, it offers five strategies for especially the newspaper industry to deal with this new development.TRANSCRIPT
A Silent RevolutionEmbedded publishing and it’s
consequences for the newspaper sector
Sander Spek, Jan Bierhoff
INM-EC/DC
Zuyd University
The Netherlands
Flemish E-publishing Trends
• Strategic research
• Multi-disciplinairy
• Focus on production, content,and user
• Validation tracks– www.fleet-research.be (en)
– www.fleet-project.be (nl)
Agenda
• Embedded publishing
• Embedded publishers: cases studies
• Motives
• Characteristics
• Implications and strategies
Embedded publishers?
• Organisations and professionals that publish on a regular basis and a significant scale…
Embedded publishers?
• Organisations and professionals that publish on a regular basis and a significant scale…
• …but that don’t do so for the publishing itself. It’s just a mean, in support of a main goal.
Embedded Publishing
Source-generated Content
Business goals
Political goals
Public safety
Science
Or higher goals
What is happening here?
• Why are these organisations and persons doing this?
• What does it mean for traditional independent media?
Motives
Motives
First of all:
Because now they can
Motives
Secondly:
Discontent about the
current media
Discontent
• Unfair business model
• Media coverage of themselves
• Media coverage in general
• But also happy customers
Characteristics
Control-driven
Characteristics
Stake-driven
Characteristics
Instrumental
Characteristics
Freedom of format
Characteristics
Refuge for
talent
Characteristics
Incremental
(incidental?)
growth
Five strategy options
1 – Counter
• Focus on own strength,and the flaws of EP
• Be the independent andqualitative alternative
• Innovate content and form
2 – Allow-in
• Open up
• Yet separate
3 – Collaborate
• Joint venture
• Selected partners
• Blending of editorialand commercial content
4 – Facilitate
• The brand as a platform
• Portal function
• Focus on skills of packaging contentand reaching large audiences
5 – Service
• Provide journalistic services toembedded publishers
• Focus on skills of content creation
Conclusions
• EP is a silent revolution
• EP is growing and becomingmore of a threat to incumbentmedia
• Newspapers need to comeup with strategies. We’vepresented five models.