Why Newspapers Are Betting on Audience Participation [Losing readers & revenue, newspapers copy FR]

The NY Times - Business Section ^ | July 4, 2005 | KATHARINE Q. SEELYE

[summer]

..."Get me rewrite" will in effect be a menu option, a way for unhappy readers to go online and offer their own versions of articles they do not like. Their hope is to convert the paper, through its Web site, www.news-record.com, into a virtual town square, where citizens have a say in the news and where every reader is a reporter.

This feature, part of a planned overhaul of The News & Record's Web site that is to begin next week, is a potent symbol of a transformation taking place across the country, where top-down, voice-of-God journalism is being challenged by what is called participatory journalism, or civic or citizen journalism.

Under this model, readers contribute to the newspaper. And they are doing so in many forms, including blogs, photos, audio, video and podcasts.

Whether such efforts can revive revenue for newspaper publishers is an open question. But with gloomy financial forecasts and declines in circulation, some papers are starting to see participatory journalism as their hope for reconnecting with their audiences.

In some cases, like Backfence.com, in suburban Virginia, citizens are the only contributors, and the "newspaper" is an unedited Web site. In Bluffton, S.C., Blufftontoday.com is made up largely of reader contributions, but some of the content is also published in a colorful tabloid newspaper and distributed free to residents. In Colorado, The Rocky Mountain News is creating 39 local Web sites under the umbrella of YourHub.com, with most of the material intended to come from readers....

[summer]

From elsewhere in the article:

Nearly all newspapers have been troubled by a range of substantially similar worries: the loss of 18-to-34-year-old readers; the loss of trust in conventional news media; and the emergence of technology, especially blogs, that make it easy for ordinary people to barge into the old media's one-way conversation.

Lex Alexander, an investigative reporter and editor who is overseeing The News & Record's transition, said all the long-term trends for the newspaper were troubling unless it did something different.

The paper, with a circulation around 100,000 that has not increased significantly for almost two decades, has been open about its audience-participation plans, discussing them with readers and seeking direction from them along the way.

Very interesting article. "Citizen reporters" seem to be on their way to actually being a part of local newspapers -- but, frankly, I do not want to contribute my work, for free, to newspapers in order to help their sagging revenues. Their financial problems do not motivate me.

[summer]

FYI.

[Atlas Sneezed]

Let's see. You can read news articles written by reporters, and read opinion pieces, then read what other readers think of them, and post your own comments.

Where have I heard of this before????????

[norraad]

Freerepublic has it all over the old rags.

To me Freerepublic is the newspaper you can talk back to.

It's so cool, that when I'm reading somewhere else, I get mad 'cause I can't post a comment!

Who else has this going on with them and what name should we give this phenomenon?

[1Old Pro]

Where have I heard of this before????????

Sounds like a brilliant idea. But it does sound strangely familiar to me as I've been post on boards for over a decade. The liberal MSM is really slow to "get it".

[Alberta's Child]

This is exactly why the NY Times and TIME magazine are sniffing glue if they really think there's such a thing as "journalist confidentiality" in our legal system. We've gotten to the point where an ordinary citizen can function in a way that is no different than a newspaper or television reporter, which effectively means that nobody could ever be compelled to testify in a court case as long as they write a story about the case and post it on one of these websites.

[longtermmemmory]

Why would I want to participate in a left wing defined forum where only left wing articles are allowed for discussion?

FR is vastly superior.

[Jack Deth]

Who else has this going on with them and what name should we give this phenomenon?

Conjunction Junction?

Jack.

[EQAndyBuzz]

"Very interesting article. "Citizen reporters" seem to be on their way to actually being a part of local newspapers -- but, frankly, I do not want to contribute my work, for free, to newspapers in order to help their sagging revenues. Their financial problems do not motivate me."

Well they have already stated that unless you work for the MSM you are not a journalist.

[summer]

This is the part I found most interesting:

In some cases, like Backfence.com, in suburban Virginia, citizens are the only contributors....

[RegulatorCountry]

The News & Record? Ha. They're flogging a putty-butted leech of an aged out, red-diaper baby's little blog aggregation page as if it's the second coming or something. In my own opinion, of course, LOL. Blogregation... the perfect occupation for the perfect example of a Randian second-hander... living off the wit and wisdom of others, while offering them nothing in return.

[summer]

To me Freerepublic is the newspaper you can talk back to.

There are two other aspects I like about FR, and that is (1) its "real time"/live action quality, and (2) its unique ability to influence everything else in the blogosphere. Local newspapers online lack those qualities.

[summer]

They're flogging a putty-butted leech of an aged out, red-diaper baby's little blog aggregation page as if it's the second coming or something

LOL...I agree with everyone here saying the MSM has been slow to catch onto the web, but I also think it quite amazing they are now FORCED to take notice, because of the losses they are suffering. So, I really DO think citizen reporters are on their way to entering the MSM, whether the MSM likes it or not. Look at that horrible show now on CNN, "Inside the Blogs." Here is CNN, the world news "leader," now reporting on the news made by us peons. LOL... :)

[longtermmemmory]

How long will the editorial left wing prima donnas allow any substantive discussion?

They will be reduced like left wing talk radio. Screeners will keep out all but the most supportive of the article.

[summer]

How long will the editorial left wing prima donnas allow any substantive discussion?

I think you are making a very valid point, because I have actually read a lot of left wing sites, and none of them come anywhere close to having substantive discussions likes the ones on FR. There is way too much screening and censorship on left wing sites -- and it's always against their OWN left wing members! Good grief, how could anyone else, like me, an indpendent, ever get anywhere on a left wing site? As soon as you ask a question, you're gone.

I have learned a lot being on FR and I think it is truly one of the best sites on the web because of all the differing views here on many topics.

[summer]

FR is vastly superior.

I agree. There are many kinds of conservatives! And I have seen all kinds of articles posted here.

Also, I think it is just terrible that some news organizations will no longer allow their articles posted here, especially The Chronicle of Higher Education. Haven't they ever heard of free speech? Or the Fair Use clause? What are they afraid of?

By denying FR posters the opportunity to discuss their articles, these news organizations are reinforcing some very negative stereotypes about themselves, and missing out on what is sometimes very unpredictable commentary.

[RegulatorCountry]

"Well they have already stated that unless you work for the MSM you are not a journalist."

...and, most tellingly, if you're a reporter, you're not a "citizen."

[TaxRelief]

It's really all about "controlled discussions". They choose the topics and the acceptable responses. Yup, it's another power play.