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Digital-First PublishingRachele Kanigel

San Francisco State University

ACP/CMA National College Media AssociationNovember 1, 2012

Don’t worry about notes

This presentation is available at

http://www.slideshare.net/rkanigel/DigitalFirstPublishing

The old way

News happens

The old way

Journalists report

The old way

Newspapers publish the news according to their daily,

weekly or monthly publishing cycle.

The new way

News starts to happen

The new way

Reporters tweet and post news alerts to Facebook, the

newspaper website, mobile phones

The new way

Readers respond with comments, information, eyewitness accounts.

The new way

Journalists collect this information into Storify, live blogs, maps and graphics, as

well as traditional news stories.

Is that how you’re doing it?

Some things to think about with digital publishing

Different audience than print (more alumni, community readers, strangers)

You can publish immediately

You’re producing content for a variety of devices – laptops, desktops, cell phones, tablets

Readers are accessing you from different places –on campus/off campus, on public transit, at work, at home, in public places

What do digital readers expect?

Speed – up-to-the-minute reports

Frequency – continuing updates

Engagement – ways for them to get involved and join the conversation

Entertainment – digital readers want news and information to be fun

Service –info that is useful, action-oriented

Shareable Content– info worth passing on to others

Digital journalist’s toolbox

Text stories

Multimedia (video, slideshows, audioslideshows)

Social media (Facebook, Twitter)

News briefs/alerts

Social media aggregation tools (Storify)

Liveblogging tools (ScribbleLive, CoveritLive)

Interactive maps

Timelines

10 Tips for improving digital content

1. Train your staff

Make sure everyone understands the expectations and schedule for digital

publishing

10 Tips for improving digital content

2. Assign someone to be breaking news editor

Make sure your staff knows the chain of command for reporting breaking

news

10 Tips for improving digital content

3. Post early and often

Use tweets, alerts, briefs, instant photos and other short bits of

information to tell the story as it unfolds

10 Tips for improving digital content

4. Don’t wait till you have the whole story

Post what you know when you know it

10 Tips for improving digital content

5. Serve your readers

Give them what they want and need to know

10 Tips for improving digital content

6. Engage readers

Reach out to them, ask questions, seek feedback and submissions

10 Tips for improving digital content

7. Think critically

Ask: What is the best way to tell the story – photos, maps, text, video,

liveblogging, Storify, etc.?

10 Tips for improving digital content

8. Promise -- and deliver

Tell readers what you plan to offer them and then follow through

10 Tips for improving digital content

9. Work in concert with print

Online content should complement print content,

not be identical

10 Tips for improving digital content

10. Experiment

Try new things

This slideshow is available at

http://www.slideshare.net/rkanigel/DigitalFirstPublishing