Social Media & Newspapers

seachto7

Hi all,

Delving into this area, and looking for some opinions. I don't really have one as such, as I haven't researched this area properly.

But how do you think Irish media has embraced the shift to online?

What do you see as crucial to be on top of if you want to survive as an online publication?

IRE60

There a potential thesis in my possible answer, so I’ll keep it short!

The Question is blurred a little: Have they embraced social media? or have they embraced online?

It depends on the intrinsic value you place on social media to a news publication (probably better redefined as news organisation). Personally, it’s a driver and a good source of getting the news out there. Will it make or break them – probably not, but in these times they cant be without it.

The ‘gold’ – and without sounding like Matt Cutts(!) – is their content. Recently the CEO of USA today say they went going behind a paywall yet – because they weren’t unique enough. If I can get news (courts politics etc) here for free, why pay for it there?

Unique content and sought after unique content is one of the pillars of a decent online catchment.

Have any of the Irish Publications got that – I can think of two time of late (plenty more – but these spring to mind). The Anglo tapes story and the Savita Halappanavar story. Outside that I’d struggle to find really big stories not replicated in numerous media offerings.

Portability: I think that papers will be (partially) saved by the tablet – if they actually construct sites for that platform. I mentioned in another corner of the web that the Indos website is tragic rendering in a tablet – so that’s an aromatic turnoff. Compare it to the irishmirror.ie whose site is quick fire in a tablet – Trinity Mirror having had a long term plan for the tablet/iPad etc for over a year now for all their regional variations.

Before they concentrate on getting likes/shares/tweets – they should clean up their back yard.

Quick graph on current social status of three irish papers - just to give you a glimpse of the numbers

seachto7

Thanks very much for that! I am hopefully going to get to a stage where I can do a thesis on it

I take it you took those stats from Facebook?

Is there a way to delve into stats like these even more?

IRE60

"Is there a way to delve into stats like these even more?"

What more are you considering?

jmcc

IRE60 wrote: »

"Is there a way to delve into stats like these even more?"

What more are you considering?

Sources. Are they Facebook likes, Facebook fans, Twitter followers or Pintrest etc?

Many newspapers seem to use Twitter as the more recent equivalent of an RSS feed. They tweet their latest stories with a link. There is very little two-way interaction.

The Irish Times hired David Cochrane (formerly of Politics.ie) to deal with their online community stuff. However most of the articles have either no comments or few comments outside the trollbait commentaors (O'Toole and Waters). The Indo/Sindo seems to have the same group posting over and over again. Maybe Astroturf/sockpuppet posters.

Regards...jmcc

IRE60

jmcc - sorry! Fans

C

jmcc

IRE60 wrote: »

jmcc - sorry! Fans

C

It is not really a good metric because they may be fans but they may not even visit the website daily. Good Social Media marketing drives traffic.

The problem with a lot of newspapers is that Social Media shows up the limitations and errors of their journalists. That's often why comments are disabled on some articles. (The difference between the IT and the Journal is immense. The readers of the Journal engage with the journalists and the articles.) Social Media is also far more highly fragmented (or more precise) than print readership. A fan might only like a specific section or journo in a newspaper and that's all they might read regularly. A print reader will generally buy the newspaper even if they don't read it all.

Conceptually newspapers are one way channels. They often don't have the resources to engage in proper two-way communications. Social Media, when it works well, involves two way communications.

Regards...jmcc

seachto7

Hi guys, Thanks for the feedback. I was looking at the comscore site, and it has some good whitepapers on UK and US media. Is there anything available for Irish media?

IRE60

Search: Comscore is well worth keeping an eye on - they infrequently do something on Ireland like a recent analysis here
http://www.ilevel.ie/media-blog/digital/irish-online-newspaper-readership

Outside that there is little and dont expect the publishers to give you any information, audited info that is.

JMCC: I'd agree that the fans is a crap metric- but one all the same - what traffic it deliverers we will never know. In terms of thee social media - turning twitter or facebook into a one way street is not the answer. Not trying to defend them but there are two reasons the communication is one way, a) staffing: keeping on top of the comments etc would need an army of people - which they dont have b) legals: papers sh1t themselves when it comes to the "golden arches"
I worked in the systems end of a publication back a while (pre twitter etc!). Every night at around 9 someone from a very large legal firm would come into the office and we have proofs of any of the main pages (1 to 14/16) for them to scan for legals. And as the night unfolded they got more and more pages. fcuking nightmare. Many a row! But that the level of fear that prevails.
Just on online etc - the NRS was released on Wednesday in the UK. Its interesting research as it combines face to face readership survey with comsccore data. Online and offline readership for the national titles.
The big takeaway is that the extension of the "brand footprint" adding together both media varies dramatically. Tabloids look resigned to history is their print readership continues to decline and the takeup of the online product remains in single digits.
Have a peek here:
http://www.ilevel.ie/media-blog/print/uk-newspaper-readership-2013-q3

jmcc

IRE60 wrote: »

JMCC: I'd agree that the fans is a crap metric- but one all the same - what traffic it deliverers we will never know.

I think that the newspapers would know from the analytics, C,
There referrer from Twitter or FB would be apparent in the logs and it would be relatively easy to calculate.

In terms of thee social media - turning twitter or facebook into a one way street is not the answer. Not trying to defend them but there are two reasons the communication is one way, a) staffing: keeping on top of the comments etc would need an army of people - which they dont have b) legals: papers sh1t themselves when it comes to the "golden arches"

I see Siliconrepublic spamming every press release and story on Twitter. Also the main newspapers have their own Twitter accounts. The number of followers they have could be used as rough indications as to the popularity of various sections. As you know, I have a very low opinion of some of the numpties who claim to be "technology" journalists but you can see a direct link between those who are clueful and the level of interactions. Good journalists are a part of the sector on which they cover. Bad journalists, like the unmentioned above are considered jokes in the sectors that they purport to cover. But then most Irish media really hasn't a clue about the internet and the web and the people providing coverage of this sector really are just Arts graduates (if that) with no specialist knowledge in business or technology. As they age, they may get promoted and as such the cluelessness spreads upwards. I think if most newspapers could replace these bozos with advertising, they'd do so in a heartbeat. It might seem like a rant but it gets to the core of the issue with the Irish media - the lack of good and original content. Good and original content is talked about and discussed at length. And Social Media is actually where that should happen. One person in a clique might read an article and then tell other members of the clique. If it is done well, it may go viral.

I worked in the systems end of a publication back a while (pre twitter etc!). Every night at around 9 someone from a very large legal firm would come into the office and we have proofs of any of the main pages (1 to 14/16) for them to scan for legals. And as the night unfolded they got more and more pages. fcuking nightmare. Many a row! But that the level of fear that prevails.

Well the libel (defamation now) laws are there to provide a living for the otherwise unemployable. Ireland has a toxic legislative framework in this respect. Most good stories about the low people in high places never make it to the Irish print media because of the abuse of the defamation legislation to protect the guilty. Lawyering or legalling is a necessary expense for Irish media operations.

The biggest problem with the Irish media and online communities is that they don't have any. Sure people comment on articles but there is no connection between these people other than their comments on an article. Some of these people might turn up again commenting on the articles of a particular journo but beyond that, there is no real attempt at building communities.

Regards...jmcc

seachto7

So, what is the best way for newspapers to approach online in Ireland then?

IRE60

Just as an aside - the indo issued an eABC cert today (no fanfair) - basically they get 354k a day unique visitors. The cert lacked any information bar that - no geo breakdown and, more importantly, no mobile/desktop data