Open Journalism & the Open Web

@Mai - I hear you. We're going to work on that a bit for the next course. Appreciate that feedback. Be sure to fill out the survey folks: https://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?formkey=dGY2SmtSR2JuNG5YcERWU29pVk1UMEE6MQ

OK, I'm out

Half my time has been just figuring out how it all works!

I agree, Nancy.

yes, and I'm a noob

The last two assignment has been very program heavy

Steep learning curve on some of the tools

Me too.

Yes, that would be a relief...still working on my other two!

OK

Folks: I'm not 100% sure if there's an assignment this week (maybe a relief for many of you!), but we'll check with Owen and post an update later today.

Can someone explain Josh's comment? (Josh?) I missed this part of the discussion about Chicago News Coop: That Chicago News Co-op project sounds like pay to play? You don't get to contribute your idea unless you pay to contribute????

Phillip, np= no prob :-D

Very good info, thanks much

Yep: Was a *great* lecture. :)

That was so interesting!

bye everyone!

thanks, later

thanks !!

@Mai great question :)

Thanks Phillip for asking it for me!

thanks nancy! that has been on my mind a lot, so I'm glad it got answered.

that was great

cool question Mai

That Chicago News Co-op project sounds like pay to play? You don't get to contribute your idea unless you pay to contribute????

Thanks!

@Mai - I'll try to slip that in, if there's time! :)

I want to ask Owen about the sales people will have to change in the way to sell to accommodate these biz models. To jump on Steve's question-- most local news outlets are funded by ad salespeople justifying to biz of taking out an ads because of readership. Is there a difference in selling an "experience" as opposed to selling an "ad"?

Many of these examples -- holding lectures, conferences, or creating memberships with perks for members -- also require extra costs internally to manage these programs and therefore seem to require a certain size of organization. For smaller size media outlets (i.e. 150,000-200,000 uniques/month) that may not be able to generate enough revenue to cover the costs of new employees to run these programs, do you recommend some of these strategies more than others?

Why all the focus on ad revenue, speaking of which? I see that the point of Patch.com is so that AOL can own local ad networks. BUT, what if all those journalists teamed up to create their own newswire? Talk about added value. There are throngs of journalists out there who could band together and compete with the AP.

Is personalization a big thing for news industries to go after? I've kind of assumed it was a possible revenue stream, for example, doing a broad, "free" look at something and then charging for specific information the user really wanted, but I'm not as sure any more.

k

@Mai -- shoot

I'm typing it up

I got one

Other questions? Going once... going twice...

@Steve - Got it. :)

I'd like to get Owen's thoughts on how all the revenue pieces fit together. We have a single, major revenue source, advertising, that is declining. It looks like we'll have to assemble a lot of different approaches to make up for that. I wonder if he thinks any of these new revenue ideas will approach the scale of broad-based advertising.

@Marlon: Great, thanks, in the queue.

it seems like open web concepts like semantics, standards, and user control of information will undermine the current monopoly that content providers currently seem to have on things like personalization, findability, etc...is making money off those services a sustainable business model long-term?

And, if you'd like to ask yourself, please note that too. :)

Okay folks -- In the interest of getting to ask a couple of your question to Owen -- please queue them up now! :) Post your questions here and I'll ask as many as we have time for ...

@Phillip @David interesting ideas

I think pricing needs to take into account the value of the content to the audience targeted & then what the market might bear .... 'fraid lots of news startups are picking price point out of air, setting expectations for others ....

@David: interesting idea; access to your own data...

Phillip, I have mixed feelings, in some ways there should be tracking and data sharing, but make it reciprocal, so I can see it and edit it , then it's fair

@David, @Mai: How about a small fee to remove tracking & data sharing?

I think a hybrid of social network-selected stories from across news orgs in an easy-pay unbrella site with no extra advertising could work best.. it'd be pretty transformative if it was broadly affordable

Yeah, I think the no-ads thing is a BIG appeal. I know that I subscribe to a couple of various websites because of the promise of no ads.

I think $3/month is reasonable, "anyone" could afford it (presuming they have a credit card, for example). i've always balked when paper-delivery pricing is suggested. but will there be no ads ? and will I have complete control over it? and will it become very fragmented depending on what the paying viewers are interested in?

But should that be the way the price is set? What if they're willing to pay more? What factors should go into the pricing? That's a discussion I'd love to get started :)

+1 for Jason's thought. Yep I mean people are willing to spend that much EVERY day for coffee..so yeah, makes sense.

@AmyJo, happy to do it. @Jason, yes, I think that is a factor.

@Steve thanks for the link!

Also guessing that $3/month is so insignificant that people don't think twice about spending it/letting it renew.

the news would definitely by shaped by those with money

@AmyJo, Balboni has had to drop the price several times. From a Poynter story: He envisions significant improvements to Passport, accompanied by a price cut. GlobalPost launched Passport last year at $199 a year, cut it to $50, and now will reintroduce it at $29.95. The site is also introducing monthly pricing for the first time, at $2.95." http://www.poynter.org/column.asp?id=131&aid=187376

Curious about pricing strategy. Why $2.95 and not $10.95 or $99.95?

They may be linked there; I may have missed it. but thanks for the slideshare URL

Sorry, wrong link: http://www.slideshare.net/openjournalism

@Steve: Re: slides, they *should* be linked from the lecture follow-up pages, but -- if not -- they're here also: http://www.slideshare.net/openjournalism/business-model-for-journalism-by-owen-youngman

That sounds like a challenge! :)

np

@nancy: Sorry!

:-)

Phillip, your 'hand' is on the slide that I'm seeing.

Kevin Kelly's article - http://www.kk.org/thetechnium/archives/2008/01/better_than_fre.php

Today's slides on slideshare: http://www.slideshare.net/openjournalism/business-model-for-journalism-by-owen-youngman

No problemo! :)

sorry bout that!

Perfect!

@sarahheartsthenews still there in the corner. down a bit more! :)

is it off? I can't see it ...

Okay, i'm in.

@sarahheartsthenews Can you slide it off the slides?

sorry about the hand!

lol. i heart owen.

@Mai: just started. Try again?

*laugh*

crud! having a hard time calling in....am I missing much?

awesome

@Sarah: Can you move your little mouse hand off the slides? :)

lol

Right

@Steve: Slides from previous lectures?

Logistical Q: I haven't seen the slides posted on the course page. Have I missed it somewhere?

yay, i made it on time!

https://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?formkey=dGY2SmtSR2JuNG5YcERWU29pVk1UMEE6MQ

If you arrive early, or have a few moments to spare:
We've put together a survey in order to gain feedback about the course thusfar. It's open-ended; we're hoping you'll take a minute to let us know of any concerns, ideas or things that were especially helpful.
https://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?formkey=dGY2SmtSR2JuNG5YcERWU29pVk1UMEE6MQ