Best Practices in the US Digital News Ecosystem: My Personal Listing (III)
During my seven weeks in New York, I interviewed scholars and professionals from a variety of media companies – a total of 25 conversations. Now I have my personal view of what’s going in the U.S. media landscape. The best way to show what I have learned is to present my personal list of best practices.
Here are seven examples that show the variety of products you can find in the American market. This may also provide some ideas for news publishers or entrepreneurs in other countries.
#1: Quartz
Its best product is the daily newsletter, including original and other media content. Its design is elegant and easy to read. From its journalism style, I highlight the ‘Obsessions’, providing new topics to the current agenda setting. It’s experimenting with data: Quartz Index and Atlas.
The revenue model is basically advertising, especially its sponsored content, which has interesting forms: articles, in its news app and the Quartz index.
#2: ProPublica
I would emphasize its work on data journalism. I select this piece about drug prescriptions. It is an example of investigative journalism, where collaboration is essential. This story was co-published with NPR, the Boston Globe and the Tampa Bay Times. From this, you can proceed to the whole project: Dollars for Docs. ProPublica’s data is providing the news outlets with a new revenue stream with the Data Store.
#3: Vox.com
I choose this example for the storytelling. I saw it within the conversations. The emphasis is on the basics of journalism and explanation becomes its main feature. Vox’s motto is ‘We Explain the News’. Its headlines use explained as a reminder. It emphasizes this idea with its card stacks. Listening to its founders (Ezra Klein and Melissa Bell), it is clear that belonging to a media digital group helps them to explore and target the audience. Advertising is still the core revenue stream.
#4: Vice News
It offers a new tone for journalism. Although it mainly targets millennials, it explores different ways to get the user’s attention: short and long pieces (text and video). It has digital platforms, but the company has a special bet: television. Vice’s daily show on HBO will debut Oct. 10.
#5: BuzzFeed News
Although it may seem surprising, BuzzFeed, the viral video company, is developing a comprehensive strategy to position itself in the information landscape. It translates its video strategy to news. It is reorganizing internally to provide more information content and is experimenting with the news. Buzzfeed already addresses new themes in helping set the information agenda. We should monitor its evolution because it may soon become one of the largest, most active players in the information landscape.
#6: Business Insider
I include this example because it helps me to highlight a growing trend in the digital media landscape: the purchase of news startups by media conglomerates. In this case, the German publishing giant Axel Springer. Business Insider has initiated a multilingual content expansion (10 different language editions). Its revenue streams include advertising, but also two complementary businesses: events (IGNITION) and market business intelligence (BI Intelligence).
The New York Times is leading digital transformation among legacy media. Its strategy covers different areas. I choose three elements that seem relevant to me: the use of podcasting, virtual reality and expanding revenue streams. In the first category, I highlight the case of ‘Modern Love’, a weekly column with a podcast in collaboration with WBUR Boston radio station. Virtual Reality is experimentating with new ways of storytelling through its app. The Times is looking for new ways to monetize its brand and content. Examples are: travel (Times Journeys) and conferences.
These seven examples provide a snapshot of what is going on the U.S. news digital landscape. These are the best practices to highlight as of October 2016. It remains to be seen whether they will remain the same in the coming months.
My final post will focus on the local media ecosystem, rich in diversity and new news digital outlets.
You can read the previous posts here: first about concepts learned during my CUNY summer residence and second about players and trends in the US news ecosystem.
