inner circle 2015 introduction

INNER CIRCLE 2015

ENTERPRISING | ENGAGING | ENTERTAINING | ENLIGHTENING

INTRODUCTION


Inner Circle 2015 strategy

Where we started Inner Circle was established in

2011, to best practices for all of GateHouse’s

newsrooms. It was focused on base-level standards

—how often websites should be updated and how to

promote print content.

New guidelines, goals In 2015, Inner Circle

initiatives will complement and improve our products

with content that is enterprising and local.

INTRODUCTION


Inner Circle 2015 strategy

Field feedback This year, we engaged a group of

GateHouse editors from newsrooms of various sizes,

to offer feedback on the new program. We made

significant changes based on their input.

Four key areas The 2015 program encompasses

four key areas — reader engagement, content

initiatives, multimedia and social media. Within those

categories are a number of expectations.

INTRODUCTION


Opportunities with new program

(1) More engagement with readers Inner Circle 2015 offers new ways to solicit

and use reader content, as well as use reader feedback to direct coverage

changes

(2) New social and multimedia expectations will drive better content

Expectations in this area have been expanded, particularly for our larger

newsrooms with more page view potential

(3) A focus on better content will differentiate our newsrooms In-depth news,

entertaining and informative listicles and a focus on getting more community

faces online and in print will generate renewed interest in our products

INTRODUCTION


Opportunities with new program

(4) Provide newsrooms choices We need more customization with Inner Circle

and we have identified categories where newsrooms can make decisions on

where to focus.

(5) Allow room for error In the past, newsrooms were required to succeed in

every initiative to achieve Inner Circle certification — in 2015, newsrooms will be

able to miss at least one requirement, and still be certified.

INTRODUCTION


2014 expectations for

all newsrooms

• Web updates

• Photo Galleries

• Seen-on-Scene galleries

• Videos

• Facebook

• Twitter for reporters

• Community blogs

• Coming in print promotion

• Only online promotion

2015 expectations for

all newsrooms

• Photo Galleries

• Videos

• Facebook

• Twitter for reporters

• Local lists

• Seen-on-Scene galleries

• In-depth news

• Reader engagement initiatives

New expectations based on newsroom size

• FOIA projects • Google+ • Entertainment video

• Regional projects • Pinterest • Twitter for newsrooms

NEW EXPECTATIONS


READER ENGAGEMENT

• Goal: Create a newsroom culture that embraces

contribution and feedback from readers

MULTIMEDIA

• Goal: Drive traffic to your website with a variety of

informative, entertaining photo and video galleries

CONTENT INITIATIVES

• Goal: Enrich our products with local, quality reporting

and engaging content that connects with readers

SOCIAL MEDIA

• Goal: Drive engagement and page views on our

websites; interact with readers in a meaningful way; and

to find sources for subjects for upcoming or ongoing

reporting

READER ENGAGEMENT


FORMER EXPECTATION: Community blogs

NEW EXPECTATION: Newsrooms will choose from a

selection of four initiatives to satisfy the requirement, based

on their size.

(1) Community blogs

(2) Reader advisory boards

(3) Storify

(4) Reader-contributed photo pages

• 1-8 staff: 1 selection

• 9-24 staff: 2 selections

• 25+ staff: 3 selections

READER ENGAGEMENT


Community blogs

Newsrooms recruit

residents to write once

weekly on specific topics,

creating a community of

voices on our websites.

Expectations by

newsroom size:

1: 1 blog

2-3: 2 blogs

4-8: 2 blogs

9-13: 3 blogs

14-18: 4 blogs

19-24: 4 blogs

25+: 5 blogs

Reader boards

Newsrooms recruit

residents to take part in

monthly reader advisory

boards. The newspaper

then publishes key

improvements or

changes that came as a

result.

Expectations:

Expectations are the

same for all newsrooms

— meetings held once a

month, followed by a

published column

detailing changes.

Storify

For stories with nation-

or region-wide appeal,

newsrooms create

Storify packages using

content from local

residents’ social media

accounts.

Expectations by

newsroom size:

1: 2 per quarter

2-3: 2 per quarter

4-8: 2 per quarter

9-13: 4 per quarter

14-18: 8 per quarter

19-24: 1 per week

25+: 1 per week

Reader content

Newsrooms solicit

content from by readers

for anchored display in

print and online. The

initiative differs from our

previous callout, in that it

makes obtaining content

the requirement.

Expectations:

Expectations would be

the same for all

newsrooms — a

package of four or more

content items in print

and online each week.

1-8 staff: 1 selection | 9-24 staff: 2 selections | 25+ staff: 3 selections

MULTIMEDIA


FORMER EXPECTATION: Photo galleries, news video,

Seen-on-Scene*

NEW EXPECTATION: In addition to photo galleries and

news video, larger newsrooms will also be expected to

produce entertainment videos

• Photo galleries

• News video

• Entertainment video

* Included in 2015 as a content initiative

MULTIMEDIA


Photo galleries

Create a consistent array

of photo galleries on our

websites to attract more

page views and

interaction

Expectations by

newsroom size:

1: 1 per week

2-3: 1 per week

4-8: 2 per week

9-13: 5 per week

14-18: 5 per week

19-24: 6 per week

25+: 7 per week

News video

Create a consistent

array of videos on our

websites to attract more

page views and

increase time on site

Expectations by

newsroom size:

1: 1 per week

2-3: 1 per week

4-8: 2 per week

9-13: 3 per week

14-18: 4 per week

19-24: 5 per week

25+: 7 per week

Ent. video

Provide informative

but entertaining clips

focusing on local

dining, music and

performances

Expectations by

newsroom size:

1: n/a

2-3: n/a

4-8: n/a

9-13: 3 per quarter


19-24: 1 per week

25+: 1 per week

Photo galleries and news videos for everyone | Entertainment video for larger sites

SOCIAL MEDIA


FORMER EXPECTATION: Facebook, Twitter for reporters

NEW EXPECTATION: Same for small newsrooms; larger

newsrooms will be expected to create a presence on an

additional social platform

(1) Facebook

(2) Twitter for reporters

(3) Twitter for newspaper

(4) Google+

(5) Pinterest

• 1-8 staff: Facebook and Twitter for reporters

• 9+ staff: Facebook, Twitter for reporters AND one

additional category

SOCIAL MEDIA


Facebook

Build on existing

requirements, with

larger newsrooms

required to post

more frequently

without creating

user exhaustion

Expectations:

1: 2 per day

2-3: 2 per day

4-8: 4 per day

9-13: 6 per day

14-18: 6 per day

19-24: 8 per day

25+: 8 per day

Twitter for

reporters

Build on existing

requirements, with

larger newsrooms

required to post

more frequently

Expectations:

Reporters should

tweet twice daily,

seven days a

week. Scheduling

tools such as

Hootsuite may be

used on non-work

days.

Twitter for

newspapers

Generate more

pageviews through

greater interaction

Expectations:

1: 1 per day

2-3: 2 per day

4-8: 3 per day

9-13: 4 per day

14-18: 4 per day

19-24: 6 per day

25+: 8 per day

Google+

Take advantage of

known SEO

benefits by

promoting content

on Google+

Expectations:

Newsrooms of all

sizes must post

seven times per

week

Pinterest

Build an

audience and

promote content

on the social

media platform

that has already

outpaced Twitter

in terms of

popularity

Expectations:

Newsrooms of all

sizes must pin

seven times per

week

All newsrooms do Facebook and Twitter for Reporters. 9+ pick one more.

CONTENT INITIATIVES


FORMER EXPECTATION: None

NEW EXPECTATIONS: In-depth news, lists and Seen on

Scene galleries are required of all newsrooms.

Newsrooms with staff of 25 or more will also require FOIA

projects and regional projects.

CONTENT INITIATIVES


In-depth news

Create compelling,

enterprising news that

provides more than a

rehashing of an event or

press release – stories

that take a proactive

approach, provide

answers, or prompt

action on an issue

Expectations:

1: 1 per week

2-3: 1 per week

4-8: 1 per week

9-13: 2 per week

14-18: 2 per week

19-24: 3 per week

25+: 5 per week

Lists

Create quality, clickable

presentations that will

generate page views

and provide useful,

interesting or

entertaining information

to readers in a digestible

format

Expectations:

1: 4 per quarter

2-3: 4 per quarter

4-8: 4 per quarter

9-13: 4 per quarter



25+: 8 per quarter

Seen-on-Scene

Photo galleries taken

at community events,

where two or three

people are posed for

the camera. Galleries

must be local, rather

than syndicated

across multiple

publications.

Expectations:

1: 1 per month

2-3: 1 per month

4+: 1 per week

CONTENT INITIATIVES


NOTE: Both initiatives are required only for newsrooms of 25+ staff.

Project reporting

Staff in multiple

newsrooms work together

to create a regional project

or series; individual

newsrooms can also

localize quarterly Pinnacle

projects

Expectations:

Projects must be produced

once per quarter; each

project must have a local

component unique to the

publication

FOIA projects

Newsrooms use

information obtained from

one or more Freedom of

Information requests to

write a story or series.

Expectations:

One FOIA submission

request per month, and the

resulting story, story

budget or denial letter

Initiative weighting


The revised Inner Circle’s expectations will be weighted by category, and the

score needed for certification will vary depending on newsroom size.

Reader engagement: 10%

Content initiatives: 40%

Social media: 25%

Multimedia: 25%



1-8 staff:Reader engagement 10% (1x10%)

Content initiatives: 40% (3x13.3%)

Multimedia: 25% (2x12.5%)

Social media: 25% (2x12.5%)

Total initiatives: 8

Score needed for certification: 85%

Newsrooms can miss any one initiative and still be certified.



9-24 staff:Reader engagement: 10% (2x5%)

Content initiatives: 40% (3x13.3%)





A newsroom of 9-24 staff could still be certified after missing EITHER:

• One content initiative

• One social media and one reader engagement initiative

• One multimedia and one reader engagement initiative

• Both reader engagement initiatives



25+ staff:Reader engagement 10% (3x3.3%)

Content initiatives: 40% (5x8%)





A newsroom of 25+ staff could still be certified after missing EITHER:

• One content initiative

• One social media initiative

• One multimedia initiative

• One social media and reader engagement initiatives

• All reader engagement initiatives

Additional resources


GHNewsroom.com• Weekly Seen-on-Scene ideas

• Weekly list ideas

• Weekly video ideas

• Facebook and Twitter tips and best practices

• Information on Inner Circle evaluations

News & InteractiveCarlene Cox

Director of Newsroom Development

[email protected]

(630) 310-9567

mailto:[email protected]

INNER CIRCLE 2015


inner circle 2015 introduction

Documents

engaging content

readers inner circle

reader content

inner circle initiatives

entertaining photo

better content expectations

inner circle certification

newsrooms choices