Web Publishing Roll Up: Twitter, Mobile Equality and YouTube for Reporters

There's no rest for the weary when it comes to web publishing. From Twitter to mobile news to YouTube, the news industry has many issues to consider when evaluating their presence in news media.

Let's Begin with Twitter. 

Many newspapers already have Twitter feeds with hundreds of thousands of followers. But they're only now just figuring out what it all means. Editor & Publisher recently reported about the ways newspapers are using Twitter to get news out and how they are using others' to get news in.

Joe Strupp says that "most newspapers are not requiring reporters to use Twitter, but several are taking full advantage of it." Following the twitter feeds of other organizations can signal breaking news way before it hits the wires, giving news media ample time to follow a lead.

As well, news outlets, the like the New York Times and the Washington Post tweet regularly about headlines, upcoming online chats and other newsworthy shout-outs that may re-direct readers back to their site.

Mobile Equality

Speaking of the New York Times, recent reports indicate that they are likely to begin charging users to access their news on mobile devices before they do so on their websites. Readers using the iPhone can access the newspaper for free while the publisher charges a fee to access their content on Amazon.com Inc.’s Kindle portable reader.

However, the idea for charging a mobile fee to iPhone customers isn't about equity; it's more about trying generate revenue as advertising sales and circulation continue to decline.

Political Majority

Yet, as much as sales may be down, numbers are up. A new Pew Internet & American Life Project poll suggests that more Americans are going online than ever to access political news. Well, sure more people are online, in general than during any past administration, but we'll take it where we can get it.

Last fall 44% of Americans got political news online, double the number who used the internet for political news in 2000. In fact, the internet is now on par with newspapers as a major source of campaign news for Americans.

A quarter of all adults (26%) got most of their election news from the internet, compared with 28% who got their election news from newspapers. Fully 60% of Americans who use the internet got political news online in 2008.

Reporters' Center for the Citizen Journalist

YouTube has launched a new channel dubbed Reporters' Center which aims to be a portal for aspiring citizen journalists. The new resource features a host of top journalists and media experts sharing instructional videos with tips and advice for better reporting. Those with news-reporting experience are encouraged to share tips for inclusion on the site. Since launching, the site has 2,970 subscribers.

Chronicles of the Future of Newspapers

And now back to our regularly scheduled programming of preaching about the future of newspapers.

Judge Richard Posner suggests that linking to copyrighted material should be outlawed. A United States Court of Appeals judge in Chicago, Posner commented on his blog about the future of newspapers. He says the one way to save the industry is to expand "copyright law to bar online access to copyrighted materials without the copyright holder’s consent, or to bar linking to or paraphrasing copyrighted materials without the copyright holder’s consent."

comments

Useful article?

 Email It      

Follow @cmswire

Related Articles:

Tags: copyright, future of newspapers, mobile, new york times, pew internet and american life project, publishing roll up, twitter, washington post, web publishing, web publishing roll up, youtube

There's no rest for the weary when it comes to web publishing. From Twitter to mobile news to YouTube, the news industry has many issues to consider when evaluating their presence in news media.

Let's Begin with Twitter. 

Many newspapers already have Twitter feeds with hundreds of thousands of followers. But they're only now just figuring out what it all means. Editor & Publisher recently reported about the ways newspapers are using Twitter to get news out and how they are using others' to get news in.