Such news feeds or services illustrate the much larger problem in the discussion about revising the business model for newspapers and news distribution in this Internet age. Many newspaper executives are focused solely on figuring out ways to charge for content and ways to distribute online editions. This great Seattle Times editorial discusses all these problems and suggests that the process of news gathering should serve as the news industry's focus.
Yes, the real focus of newspapers trying to revise their business models should be on what matters most -- the content. Why are some blogs attracting hundreds, even thousands, of unique visitors every day? The answer isn't how the content is presented on these blogs, or even that the content is free. It's that the blogs are interesting! The best blogs such as this one are updated throughout the day, and the content of the best blogs is well written.
Here are five key elements present on the best blogs that newspapers should adopt:
1. Two-way communication between the writer and the reader. Reporters wouldn't be obligated to respond to every comment posted, but how about trying to respond to at least a few. How hard is that to do? Somewhere along the way newspaper reporters detached themselves from their readers -- the very people who are responsible for the newspaper's existence in the first place.
2. Links to similar stories being published elsewhere on the Web. What's wrong with acknowledging that other publications are providing their own perspectives on whatever the subject is that's being written about. One of the great advantages to consuming news on the Web is the ability to read stories written by a variety of reporters living in different locations and working for different publications. Don't be afraid to link to others' work. There is no reason newspapers can't show us what the "competition" is writing about by providing links to those other newspapers' stories.
3. Show us reader comments on the very first page of your Web site. That accomplishes two important tasks: One, it lets us see what other readers care about and how they are reacting to the news, which can only enhance our news consuming experience by providing more viewpoints; and two, it helps bridge that invisible barrier between reporters and readers, which will enhance the sense of community that newspapers used to provide when everyone read them around the breakfast table.
4. Tell us, the readers, about the people writing the stories. I'm talking about doing more than just those reporter blogs that metro newspapers such as this one feature on their Web sites. Yes, reporter blogs shed some light on who the person is behind the byline, but we would like to know more. Where else has the reporter worked, what is the reporter's educational background, what are the reporter's interests, what blogs/newspapers does the reporter read? Those pieces of information make the reporter more human, and believe it or not, people are interested. Think about why Facebook is HUGE. Could it be those status updates or surveys people fill out?
5. Don't worry about the presentation. Worry about giving us well-written and well-edited content. All the best audio, video and graphics in the world cannot make up for a site that is lacking in the content area. Why is the Drudge Report so popular and perhaps the most well known blog? Is it because the blog is so well designed? No. Web design does matter and people must be able to navigate a site. However; providing readers with a large selection of interesting stories is even more important, and that is why a blog like the Drudge Report works so well. We want quality content that will interest us. If we have to pay for it, so be it. But before we shell out money for Web content, we need to know we're getting a quality product.
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