Four big changes coming to Scooping the News

Several weeks ago, we hinted that major changes would take place this summer here at Scooping the News. One major change -- our expansion onto YouTube -- started taking shape Friday with this video. Another major change -- the presence of a search option -- debuted this evening in the top sidebar on the right side of Scooping the News' main page.

Two other major changes will take place this summer on Scooping the News, and we would like to tell you a little bit about them. These will not be the last changes to occur on Scooping the News -- since we strive for constant growth and innovation -- but these moves toward providing more original content will dominant most of our summer work.

First, we will provide more in-depth commentaries on the newspaper industry in our daily blog. There will still be plenty of industry news and links to relevant reports, but we will also provide our own thoughts and opinions about the various issues shaping the future of newspapers. You can expect to see more of our entries with lists. Readership surges when such entries appear.

Second, we will continue to work on our monthly power rankings of U.S. daily newspapers -- the one feature that sets us apart from all other blogs. Not only will these rankings appear on the fourth Friday of every month, but Scooping the News readers will get an expanded look at these rankings that will only be available on YouTube. The rankings shed light on the industry's future.

Thanks for reading Scooping the News, thanks for following us on Twitter, and finally, thanks to all of you for watching episode one of Scooping the News on YouTube.

The newspapers in danger of going out of print

Today marks the debut of Scooping the News on YouTube. This feature will showcase our power rankings for U.S. daily newspapers published each month, which reflect which newspapers are performing the best in attracting and keeping readers both online and in print. May's rankings can be found here, but only on the video below can you see a list of newspapers most likely to shut down or go online only next.

Scooping the News' YouTube channel debuts today

Scooping the News' channel on YouTube will debut this afternoon with a recap of this month's daily newspaper power rankings and with a special feature available only on YouTube. Below is a recap of this month's power rankings. All U.S. daily newspapers with a print circulation of at least 250,000 are ranked, and we announce the top 10 the fourth Friday of every month.

May Power Rankings -- Top 10 Daily U.S. Newspapers

1. The Wall Street Journal (3.06)
2. The New York Times (1.63)
3. USA Today (1.46)
4. The Star-Ledger (1.19)
5. The Washington Post (1.16)
6. New York Daily News (1.15)
7. Los Angeles Times (1.02)
8. Detroit Free Press (0.87)
9. The Boston Globe (0.81)
10. Chicago Tribune (0.71)

Scooping the News' monthly power rankings for U.S. daily newspapers provide a composite score that takes into account a newspaper's total print and online circulation figures and that newspaper's growth or lack of growth in both areas. A newspaper's composite score reflects both stability in terms of readership base and whether there is growth or a decline in that readership base.

Newspapers are then ranked according to their composite score. The higher the composite score, the higher the newspaper's power ranking. If one newspaper is ranked above another one, the one ranked higher possesses more stable readership and better growth patterns. In essence, the monthly Scooping the News power rankings reflect which U.S. daily newspapers are performing the best in attracting and keeping both print and online readers.

Print circulation figures come from the Audit Bureau of Circulations and online readership figures are reported by Nielsen Online. Scooping the News' formula for calculating a newspaper's composite score is (online readers in millions multiplied by .1) + (percent change in online readers from one year ago divided by 100) + (print readers in millions multiplied by .1) + (percent change in print readers from one year ago divided by 100).

5 reasons online advertising won't save newspapers

Print newspapers always relied on advertising as their primary source of revenue -- not circulation -- and the Internet effectively put an end to print advertising. Companies wanted a more immediate and more innovative advertisement, and they wanted to reach as large an audience as possible. The Internet answers all their needs. Print newspapers can no longer compete for advertising dollars. Yet, some industry executives still see advertising as a key. They're wrong.

When it comes to advertising with news organizations, companies shifted their advertising efforts from print to online during the last decade. This shift left print newspapers without a much-needed source of revenue, because the money brought in from advertising paid the salaries of both the reporters and the crews needed to operate printing presses. Newspapers realized they needed to improve their Web sites and make up for the loss in print advertising revenue.

Although newspapers improved the quality of their online ventures during the last decade, a new problem emerged in online advertising. Online advertising depends on the number of clicks an ad receives on a Web site. The more clicks an advertisement receives on a Web site, the more money is made by the company advertising a product. If visitors don't click on ads, companies don't make money. If companies don't make money, they're less likely to advertise. Thus, online news sites are less likely to bring in revenue via advertising.

Online advertising revenue won't save newspapers from going online-only or shutting down. Online advertising revenue isn't going to prevent more layoffs, salary cuts or bankruptcy filings. Online advertising revenue isn't going to save the newspaper industry. How do online news sites such as msnbc.com, FOXNews.com and CNN.com thrive? For one, they get advertising dollars from television efforts. Newspapers don't have that. Newspapers must downsize their print efforts, improve their online products and find new ways to raise revenue.

Here are five key pieces of evidence that prove that online advertising revenue isn't going to save the newspaper industry:

1. Newspaper readers no longer have to flip through pages of advertisements to find stories that interest them. This means advertisers no longer have "a captive audience," as this outstanding article in BusinessWeek notes. The biggest challenge in online advertising is to get readers to actually click on an advertisement.

2. Charging readers fees to access online stories is working at newspapers, and it's guaranteed money instead of hoping for clicks. The Wall Street Journal is proving that charging access fees will not lead to a decrease in readers. Several newspaper chains are going to adopt fees later this year because they realize advertising isn't going to provide a boost.

3. Google and Craigslist are now the leaders in advertising and newspapers are unable to compete with these two Web giants. As this research-based article in The Business Insider correctly notes, the rise of Google and Craigslist spelled the end for the newspaper industry's days of being able to operate based primarily on advertising revenue.

4. The numbers don't lie: It's a fact that companies are spending less and less money each year on newspaper advertisements. This advertising expenditure data from the Newspaper Association of America demonstrates how much revenue is declining each year. This data is a clear indication of why the future of advertising revenue for newspapers is bleak.

5. Advertisements on newspaper Web sites often leave those who actually do click on them very disappointed. Read about this blogger's experience at The Future of Print, and think about your own experiences. You may never have clicked on an advertisement, or maybe you've clicked on one and never want to do so again.

Five predictions for newspaper industry (update)

Almost one month ago, Scooping the News announced our five predictions for the U.S. newspaper industry in 2009. We received e-mails about our prediction that Denver will still be home to an online-only newspaper when 2010 rolls around. E-mailers said no online-only effort would last in Denver. Looks like they're wrong; there may be two online-only efforts.

Today we revisit our five predictions, which can always be accessed under Scooping the News Features to the right of this blog post. Let's see how close some of these predictions are to coming true and how far off we might be with others.

1. USA Today, which stands to soon become the nation's No. 2 most circulated paper behind The Wall Street Journal, will either charge customers for access to some areas of its Web site or have a plan in place to start doing so in 2010. In the last three weeks, both News Corp. and McClatchy have announced plans to start using micropayments on their newspapers' Web sites. We still feel USA Today will do the same.

2. Despite InDenverTimes.com not meeting its subscription goals, Denver will still be home to an online-only daily newspaper when 2010 rolls around. Not only is InDenverTimes.com sticking around, but more ex-Rocky Mountain News staffers are launching the online-only Rocky Mountain Independent this summer. Whether you call these online-only efforts newspapers or magazines, they are one and the same -- online news sources.

3. With Senate hearings on the future of newspapers scheduled to begin May 6, the federal government will offer some sort of bailout plan this year for newspapers. Now that the stock market is improving, real estate is improving and the publicity from the Senate hearing on newspapers has died down, we no longer see the government stepping up and helping to preserve the nation's newspaper industry. The bailout craze is ending.

4. The Lexington Herald-Leader, which has already endured three rounds of layoffs in the last year, will again experience yet another round of layoffs later this year. We still believe this will happen. Even bigger changes may come about at the newspaper. Unfortunately for Scooping the News readers, we will not comment on what those bigger changes might be at this time. We'll provide you the latest news as soon as it happens, though.

5. You will not see any other metro dailies try out what the Chicago Tribune realized was a massive mistake -- let readers review outlines of unpublished stories. This prediction is coming true. No other metro dailies have launched such an effort since the Tribune's debacle. The Tribune deserves credit for being one of the most innovative newspapers -- even if it sometimes fails -- and it's ranked No. 7 in our power rankings.

Newspapers to study Twitter to boost ad revenue?

New Web phenom reduces need for television set

WSJ ranks #1 in readership stability, growth

Editor's Note: The U.S. daily newspaper power rankings will appear the last Friday of each month. Newspapers are ranked according to their composite score in parenthesis.

May Power Rankings -- Top 10 Daily U.S. Newspapers

1. The Wall Street Journal (3.06)
2. The New York Times (1.63)
3. USA Today (1.46)
4. The Star-Ledger (1.19)
5. The Washington Post (1.16)
6. New York Daily News (1.15)
7. Los Angeles Times (1.02)
8. Detroit Free Press (0.87)
9. The Boston Globe (0.81)
10. Chicago Tribune (0.71)

Scooping the News' monthly power rankings for U.S. daily newspapers provide a composite score that takes into account a newspaper's total print and online circulation figures and that newspaper's growth or lack of growth in both areas. A newspaper's composite score reflects both stability in terms of readership base and whether there is growth or a decline in that readership base.

Newspapers are then ranked according to their composite score. The higher the composite score, the higher the newspaper's power ranking. If one newspaper is ranked above another one, the one ranked higher possesses more stable readership and better growth patterns. In essence, the monthly Scooping the News power rankings reflect which U.S. daily newspapers are performing the best in attracting and keeping both print and online readers.

Print circulation figures come from the Audit Bureau of Circulations and online readership figures are reported by Nielsen Online. Scooping the News' formula for calculating a newspaper's composite score is (online readers in millions multiplied by .1) + (percent change in online readers from one year ago divided by 100) + (print readers in millions multiplied by .1) + (percent change in print readers from one year ago divided by 100).

PREVIEW: WSJ #1 in newspaper power rankings

Editor's Note: This update will appear the last Friday of each month, but we're giving you a little taste of what you can expect in tomorrow's edition of Scooping the News.

Scooping the News' monthly power rankings for U.S. daily newspapers provide a composite score that takes into account a newspaper's total print and online circulation figures and that newspaper's growth or lack of growth in both areas. A newspaper's composite score reflects both stability in terms of readership base and whether there is growth or a decline in that readership base.

Print circulation figures come from the Audit Bureau of Circulations and online readership figures are reported by Nielsen Online. Scooping the News' formula for calculating a newspaper's composite score is (online readers in millions multiplied by .1) + (percent change in online readers from one year ago divided by 100) + (print readers in millions multiplied by .1) + (percent change in print readers from one year ago divided by 100).

Newspapers are then ranked according to their composite score. The higher the composite score, the higher the newspaper's power ranking. If one newspaper is ranked above another one, the one ranked higher possesses more stable readership and better growth patterns. In essence, the monthly Scooping the News power rankings will reflect which U.S. daily newspapers are performing the best in attracting and keeping both print and online readers.

In the first-ever Scooping the News power rankings published online Friday, The Wall Street Journal will be ranked No. 1 with a composite score of 3.06. This should come as no surprise to Scooping the News readers, since we've published several blog posts in the past month noting how The Wall Street Journal is growing both in print and online readership. For the complete power rankings, read Scooping the News on Friday.

Bob Woodward's take on future of newspapers!

Five ways layoffs, low revenue hurting newspapers

Many newspapers across the country are on the brink of one of three fates: (1) They are preparing to reduce the number of days they print the newspaper each week; (2) they are bracing for an online-only future without any kind of printed product; or (3) they are on the verge of shutting down.

Prior to reaching one of those three fates, newspapers are enduring as many rounds of budget cuts, job layoffs and size reductions as possible. That is resulting in metro dailies with poor editing (even in their editorials), wire stories occupying 75 percent of the story space, and the elimination of features that actually made newspapers a product you retained for a day or two.

The following are five ways newspapers are hurting from budget cuts and reductions in staff. These are apparent in many newspapers across the country and you could probably find examples of these effects in your own printed edition this morning. It's almost become a game to look for the most glaring editing mistakes.

1. The lack of quality editing is apparent every day in print newspapers. Unfortunately, budget cuts are hitting editing departments in a manner that is significantly damaging the quality of the final printed product. It's easy to correct mistakes online, but errors in the printed product are left for everyone to notice. When major and easy-to-catch mistakes appear, it hurts a newspaper's reputation. This example of The Baltimore Sun firing 61 editors is is similar to actions being taken by other newspapers. Also, read about how 75 percent of U.S. editors acknowledge that layoffs are affecting the quality of journalism.

2. The lack of staff-written news stories leaves nothing but generic wire clips. Try this: Every day go through your newspaper and locate all the news stories (don't include columns). Next, check the bylines and see how many list a wire service only or a wire service below the reporter's name. Count and compare the number of wire stories to staff-written copy. You'll find 75 percent of the news stories come from wires, meaning we're all getting the same generic content you could find anywhere on the Web. One newspaper is going against that trend. Also, read about how the loss of beat reporters will impact other news sources.

3. The shrinking size of print newspapers means we're spending less time reading them. And if we're spending less time reading it, that means the newspaper is having less of an impact on its audience. Slowly but surely, subscribers will realize they can save their money. Instead of buying a shrinking product, they can go online and get their news for free. The less time one spends with a newspaper, the less important it may become in the reader's mind. Forbes.com calls this phenomenon "The Incredible Shrinking Newspaper."

4. The reduction and elimination of sections means less information is provided. Have you tried finding the business section in your print newspaper recently? Here's a hint: It will probably be just one page buried in the back of a section such as sports. The sad result of smaller newspapers is that we are left with less sections, less stories and ultimately, less information. It becomes less of a newspaper and more like a paper advertisement for the news. Think about that. Look at your newspaper. It still has a masthead. It still has reporters. Yet you're being directed to the Web for more news, blogs and those stock reports you used to see in print. Here is why business sections might still be important.

5. The disappearance of movie show times means newspapers go into the recycling bin quicker. This morning, no movie show times appeared with the movie listings in the printed version of the Lexington Herald-Leader. Instead, one-eighth of a page is filled with a huge box listing all the movies showing at eight theaters in the Lexington metropolitan area. A message at the bottom reads, "Times and shows vary. Please call theatres for complete listings and times." Why print a list of the movies being shown if you're not going to print the times? If you print the times, then people may hang on to the printed edition a bit longer. Read how newspapers are no longer providing "social currency" such as movie show times.

Debunking "Kindle will save newspapers" theory

When Amazon recently debuted their larger version of the Kindle designed specifically for better newspaper and magazine reading, several reports published online and in print viewed Kindle as a solution of sorts for the newspaper industry's problems. Many of these reports considered the Kindle one of these buzz devices guaranteed to bring back old readers and attract new ones.

This "Kindle will save newspapers" theory explains since news consumers prefer portable, electronic reading devices (laptops, iPhones, etc.) over traditional formats such as printed publications, then one can predict that newspapers will attract groups of readers who prefer to consume such news on their Kindle. If that prediction comes true, then revenue will jump, right?

Wrong. You see the Kindle is not going to be a big revenue generator for newspapers. Why? Because Amazon takes a 70 percent cut of all money generated through newspaper subscriptions on the Kindle. Yes, you guessed it. That leaves newspapers with just 30 percent. As Editors Weblog points out here, The New York Times only gets $4.20 out of a $14 monthly subscription.

If you're wondering, it only costs $1.99 a month to subscribe to Scooping the News on your Amazon Kindle. Click here for more information about that.

NY Times Web traffic down, Wall Street Journal up

Editor & Publisher released its list of the top 30 most visited U.S. newspaper Web sites for the month of April earlier today, and according to statistics reported by Nielsen Online, the biggest news is that traffic on The Wall Street Journal's Web site is up 160 percent from last April. The newspaper remained in second place with 12.4 million unique visitors in April.

The most visited U.S. newspaper Web site belonged to The New York Times yet again with 16.5 million unique visitors last month, but that marks an 8 percent decrease in traffic from the same time a year ago. Rounding out the top five most visited U.S. newspaper Web sites are USA TODAY, The Washington Post and the Los Angeles Times.

For the complete top 30 list, click here. Also, remember you can always find a link to the latest list under the Newspaper Resources section on Scooping the News' main page.

1981 online newspaper report: "We're not in it to make money," said San Francisco reporter

Eight years before America Online became the first widespread U.S. Internet service provider and 17 years before Google launched, this California television station broadcasted a report on two San Francisco newspapers launching online editions.

VIDEO: Journalists will survive newspaper decline

Arizona's oldest daily going online only; Web version to feature opinion stories, but no news

Tucson Citizen employees learned that their Gannett-owned newspaper is going online-only starting Sunday, following a four-month attempt to sell Arizona's oldest daily that is published continuously. The Web-only version will feature just opinion pieces, meaning no news or sports stories, according to Renee Schafer Horton of the Tucscon Citizen.

It is not clear just how many of the newspaper's 65 employees will be part of the online-only venture, reports Editor & Publisher. If you're wondering how much metro dailies go for nowadays, including archives, the Internet domain name and information about subscribers and advertisers, Gannett wanted $1 million for the Tucson Citizen, according to Editor & Publisher.

The 138-year-old newspaper did have a joint operating agreement with the Arizona Daily Star, a Lee Enterprises newspaper. That joint operating agreement will also conclude Saturday, when the final print edition rolls off the presses. 

STN Follower of the Month -- Caroline Zilk

Editor's Note: Starting today, Scooping the News will feature one of our followers every month. The only requirement is that the individual must be a follower of Scooping the News. Click here to become one.

This month's follower comes from Michigan and can tell you all about turning Pop-Tarts into a meal. Read more about Caroline, then tell her hello in the comments.

Follower of the Month: Caroline Zilk

Occupation: I just accepted my first full-time journalism position with the Alpena News in Northeast Michigan. I'm going to design pages, photog & work on the website (http://www.thealpenanews.com).

Blog/Web site: http://www.geocities.com/carolinezilk, http://www.carolinezilk.blogspot.com

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/carolinezilk

My plan for saving newspapers: I don't have a plan for saving newspapers. I'm an extremely creative journalist, but I really don't like dealing much with the business side of things. I want to keep creating dynamic new online content . . . and I want someone else to figure out how to make money through the web! I do not think online advertising and/or not-for-profit models seem to be the way to go right now, but only time will tell.

Favorite newspaper: There are too many! I love reading Der Spiegel and the Guardian for European news. Washington Post multimedia is awesome. I also love picking up a print copy of my hometown paper, the Arkansas Democrat Gazette when I'm home in Little Rock.

One food I can't live without: Frosted blueberry poptarts are essentially part of my identity. I've eaten them for breakfast my entire life. They also make a great snack or even a MEAL if I'm busy in the newsroom. They taste great toasted or untoasted, day or night. If I have time I also love to boil artichokes. I love those so much that I even wrote a story about them for Ode Magazine's website.

Favorite Blog/Web Site: Again, there are WAY too many. I spend a lot of time on twitter, facebook, youtube and flickr. Dailybooth.com is my new favorite social networking website. My favorite blog is called United We Blog! for a Democratic Nepal, which is maintained by a wonderful Nepalese journalist named Dinesh Wagle. Journalism and free speech/press issues in Nepal and other South Asian countries are of great interest to me. I think more people should be informed about the problems going on there.

The lead in a story about me: Right now it would read something like, "Recent Missouri School of Journalism grad lands a GREAT job near the GREAT lakes."

Thanks, Caroline! I can definitely understand when it comes to how good Pop-Tarts taste for breakfast toasted or untoasted. Enjoy your new job!

Future of online newspapers found at Scoop44

While Scripps unveiled a fresh look for one newspaper Wednesday that showed progress in designing Web sites that are at least easy to navigate, a relatively new online-only newspaper named Scoop44 combines both great Web design and outstanding content. Scoop44 should be a model for all newspapers in terms of reporting and presentation; the reporters aren't afraid to criticize both political parties and the Web site embraces new technology.

What is one of the more remarkable facts about Scoop44? Well, it's not being written or edited by seasoned veterans. Instead, it's being produced by college and high school students both in the U.S. and abroad. The editor-in-chief, Alexander Heffner, is a Harvard undergrad with experience writing for Columbia Journalism Review. He's one star of many on the Scoop44 team, which began quietly last year as Scoop08.

Why should you start reading Scoop44 today? For starters, it is already competing with the nation's top newspapers as a unique online voice for news on politics, culture and foreign affairs. The opinions and perspectives provided on Scoop44 are diverse, educated and a bit different from the editorials and columns found in major metro dailies. Scoop44's Web site is better designed than many metro dailies' online homes.

The best quality of Scoop44 is that these writers care about their craft and are dedicated to carrying out the principles of good journalism -- fact-based reporting with multiple credible sources providing opinions on both sides of an issue. Scoop44 will soon expand its coverage and add blogs, podcasts, e-mail alerts and live online chats thanks to a two-year grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation totaling $242,800.

Watch Scoop44's editor correct this CNN reporter:

MediaNews OKs micropayment model for 54 dailies

Denver-based MediaNews Group, owner of 54 daily newspapers in the U.S., plans to charge readers for access to some content on its Web sites. At present, all content on newspaper Web sites owned by the chain is free, but the company says that practice cannot continue. The chain includes such metro dailies as the Denver Post and the Salt Lake Tribune.

This development follows news last week that The Wall Street Journal is going to a micropayment system and news this week that The New York Times will start charging Web readers for access to premium content. The Wall Street Journal is leading the way toward the industry adopting a new business model with its recent success in charging online readers.

As more newspapers announce ideas for generating revenue from readers, what about the more lucrative source of revenue -- advertising? While micropayments will generate some additional revenue, the real money to be made is in advertising. So, as micropayment news keeps coming, one can't help but wonder what newspaper chains will do about advertising?

Could McClatchy become the next newspaper chain to come out with a micropayment plan -- where readers are charged for access to individual stories? One McClatchy daily -- the Lexington Herald-Leader -- has endured three rounds of layoffs in the last year and reduced some employees' salaries. The Lexington Herald-Leader named Peter Baniak, 37, its new editor Tuesday.

No. 1 U.S. newspaper will not go non-profit route

The nation's leader in online readership, The New York Times, is closer to announcing a new business model following months of industry discussion about various ideas ranging from an iTunes-type system for purchasing articles (which The Wall Street Journal might enact) to newspapers becoming non-profits. The New York Times is going to ask some readers to pay.

On the same day The New York Times launched a new Adobe-powered electronic reader, the newspaper conducted a strategy session. As the session was taking place, New York Times staff members were tweeting about the newspaper's plans for the future. The biggest news from the session is that the Times is saying "no" to non-profit status and "yes" to sort of charging readers.

Here's the deal: It appears the fees will not keep anyone from reading the articles on the paper's Web site -- all the current content will remain free -- and that readers will choose whether they want to become "members" that pay money and gain access to special content. Reporter Michael Luo described it on Twitter as "some kind of premium, concierge type membership."

The New York Times plan sounds similar to the online operations of The Wall Street Journal, where anyone can read the top news stories but you must pay to access other content. That plan will change to a micropayment system where readers pay for individual articles later this year and the newspaper's owner -- News Corp. -- plans to enact user access fees at more papers.

The New York Times presents Newspaper 2.0

New York Times R&D Group: Newspaper 2.0 from Nieman Journalism Lab on Vimeo.

Rookie newspaper reporters' five misconceptions

As a full-time general assignment newspaper reporter at the Georgetown News-Graphic for three years, I worked in a newsroom with one managing editor, one copy editor, one sports editor and just one other reporter. We published three times a week, and I was required to have three articles in each issue. During the course of three years, I actually wrote more than 1,600 articles.

While I had six years of school newspaper experience and two internships with weekly newspapers heading into the News-Graphic job, I really had no idea what exactly being a full-time general assignment reporter meant. I also had no idea there would be such high turnover in that other reporter position. During my three years, I easily saw more than 10 reporters come in and out of that one other position. Some lasted three days, others lasted three weeks. A few last three months, but none lasted as long as myself.

Placed in such a position, I often found myself "training" the new reporters. The managing editor at the time, who informed me he couldn't "teach" new reporters, often gave me the task of showing these new reporters around town, introducing them to sources and instructing them on the news writing process at the paper. At a paper with only two news reporters (me being one of them), I saw five rookie reporters come through that other position. Many of them brought several misconceptions about the newspaper business into the job with them. 

Here are the five biggest misconceptions that the five rookies I worked with brought to the News-Graphic with them. Maybe some rookie reporters or individuals aspiring for a career in journalism will see these and learn from them. Readers should feel free to discuss these five misconceptions. I often found myself lecturing to these rookies and telling them to get rid of these misconceptions. Some listened, some didn't. All eventually quit or exited in some other manner.

1. Reporting the news is a nine to five job. This is simply not true, and it's a harsh realization for new reporters. The news doesn't stop happening every day at 5 p.m. and then start up again the next day at 9 a.m. Also, the news doesn't stop happening at 5 p.m. Friday and resume at 9 a.m. Monday. News happens all the time, and reporters must be prepared to cover night meetings and attend events on the weekends. If you think it's a nine to five job, you're going to be unhappy and will never make it in the field. Oh, and you will have to work holidays. News doesn't stop happening on the holidays, and newspapers are still published in print and/or online during the holidays.

2. Rookie reporters can write columns and editorials. Sorry, but as a first-year news reporters, you're going to be out there covering stories and not sitting in air-conditioned room writing opinion columns all day. Don't even think you're going to be writing editorials. There is a reason they're called editorials. Too many new reporters at the News-Graphic had this notion that hard work wouldn't be one of the job requirements. When they discovered that being a reporter required them to go cover city commission meetings late at night, they couldn't hack it.

3. All those college lectures about accuracy weren't important. Actually, those were the most important lectures in all of your journalism classes. You should listen and put those lessons into practice. Journalists' primary job is informing others about the news using factual information and quotes from sources. Always present both sides of an argument, always double check all your information (including the spelling of names) and always use more than one source in a story. Never assume anything. Your integrity is based on your accuracy. No newspaper enjoys printing corrections. Trust me, someone will notice your mistake and call the newspaper. No mistake goes unnoticed. People are more likely to call to complain about a mistake than they are to call to praise your work.

4. The news will come to me. I don't have to cultivate sources or call anyone. It's up to you to find the news. Nine times out of ten, the news doesn't just show up at your desk. If you don't possess interpersonal communication skills, or your shyness will prevent you from approaching people you don't know, then journalism isn't the job for you. Guess what? When you first start reporting, your sources will not trust you. Even after three years, some will still not trust you. The only way to build trust is to cultivate sources by calling them, visiting them, and simply just talking to them on a routine basis.

5. I'm perfect already. I know how to be a reporter. My editor will clearly realize that. Whether you're the best writer or the worst writer coming out of journalism school, you still have a lot to learn about interviewing skills, crafting good leads and knowing what makes a story and what doesn't. There will be a learning curve, whether you interned at the Boston Globe or the Jonesborough Herald and Tribune. I applied to the former and interned at the latter. You must be able to handle criticism, and you must realize that the editors above you possess experience and the skills needed to run a newsroom. It doesn't hurt to listen to them. In fact, you should listen to them. You will become a better reporter, and there is always room for improvement. Never rest on your laurels.

Murdoch: Advertising slide over, Web fees coming

News Corp. Chairman Rupert Murdoch says the decline in advertising revenue is over. This comes after the news that his key print asset, The Wall Street Journal, saw an increase in circulation during a six-month period when many other papers slid. The Wall Street Journal's success with access fees on its Web site means fees are coming for other News Corp. papers.

Also, despite a year where "newspapers are dying" stories have flooded the Internet and public discussion, Murdoch is spreading the news that newspapers do indeed have a future in the U.S. media landscape. Murdoch adds that the current business model is "malfunctioning" and part of fixing that is charging for content online that consumers would normally pay for in print.

The Web site access fee idea is being met with skepticism. Scooping the News sees this as a necessary change that must be made in the online newspaper industry. We do not view such fees as the key to raising revenue. Newspapers must cut fixed costs (printing presses) and improve online content. That will attract a larger audience, which will generate more advertising revenue.

5 blogs on newspaper Web sites to check daily!

Scooping the News gave you our list of five great blogs that focus on the newspaper industry this past Tuesday, now we give you five outstanding blogs from newspaper Web sites. Each one of these blogs brings unique discussions and commentaries to the table, and each one of them possesses a sense of character that makes them a great read each and every day. Enjoy!

1. The Big Picture -- One of many reasons why The Boston Globe is an important landmark in the ever-changing 21st century newspaper landscape. This blog tells stories through eye-catching photographs that are always accompanied by a brief description of the events taking place in the images. Alan Taylor is the man behind this blog.

2. Washington Wire -- The best blog on the Internet for political news in short, easy to digest snippets packed with all the facts and details you need to know about. The Wall Street Journal's Capital Bureau packs quite a bunch with expert insight and in-depth analysis. More proof that The Wall Street Journal is the best U.S. newspaper.

3. The Dish Rag -- Elizabeth Snead writes this informative discussion about the latest events in the world of arts and entertainment and the people who participate in them. Stories on this blog range from sad to uplifting, and Snead doesn an excellent job at updating this Los Angeles Times blog throughout the day.

4. Abstract City -- Christoph Niemann is the artist behind this New York Times blog. Yes, I said artist because this blog is unlike any other you'll find on a newspaper Web site. Niemann's illustrations provide stories mixed with humor, social commentaries and interesting questions. A comic for the future.

5. Pop Candy -- This USA TODAY blog by Whitney Matheson is an examination of pop culture where readers are completely involved in the discussion. Talk about interactive. This is a site geared toward having fun while learning all about the movies, TV shows and musicians you care about.

What you haven't read from Senate hearing

Scooping the News took the time to review the full text of all remarks and testimony given Wednesday during the U.S. Senate subcommittee on communications, technology, and the Internet hearing on "The Future of Journalism," and now we offer you key quotes that didn't quite make all the television and newspaper coverage that flooded the Web following the hearing.

"The future of journalism is digital.  We are fast migrating from a world where news is cranked out daily over a regional printing press to one where news is distributed digitally over the infinite networks of the Internet.  There is much to celebrate and explore in this change—access to an endless array of ideas and opinion and minute-by-minute updates on newsworthy events—but there is also is cause for concern." -- Statement of John D. Rockefeller, IV

"A much smaller but important factor for online newspapers to consider in today's digital age is the fundamental design and presentation of their content. Publishers should not discount the simple and effective navigational elements the Web can offer. When a reader finishes an article online, it is the publication's responsibility to answer the reader who asks, 'What should I do next?' Click on a related article or advertisement? Post a comment? Read earlier stories on the topic? Much like Amazon.com suggests related products and YouTube makes it easy to play another video, publications should provide obvious and engaging next steps for users. Today, there are still many publications that don't fully take advantage of the numerous tools that keep their readers engaged and on their site." -- Marissa Mayer, Vice President, Search Products & User Experience Google Inc.

"Despite all the current hand wringing about the dire state of the newspaper industry -- well-warranted hand wringing, I might add -- we are actually in the midst of a Golden Age for news consumers. Can anyone seriously argue that this isn't a magnificent time for readers who can surf the net, use search engines, and go to news aggregators to access the best stories from countless sources around the world -- stories that are up-to-the-minute, not rolled out once a day? Online news also allows users to immediately comment on stories, as well as interact and form communities with other commenters." --  Arianna Huffington, Co-founder and Editor-in-Chief The Huffington Post

"The great upheaval the news industry is going through is the result of a perfect storm of transformative technology, the advent of Craigslist, generational shifts in the way people find and consume news, and the dire impact the economic crisis has had on advertising. And there is no question that, as the industry moves forward and we figure out the new rules of the road, there will be -- and needs to be -- a great deal of experimentation with new revenue models. But what won't work -- what can't work -- is to act like the last 15 years never happened, that we are still operating in the old content economy as opposed to the new link economy, and that the survival of the industry will be found by "protecting" content behind walled gardens. We've seen that movie (and its many sequels, including TimesSelect). News consumers didn't like them, and they closed in a hurry. And the answer can't be content creators attacking Google and other news aggregators. No, the future is to be found elsewhere. It is a linked economy. It is search engines. It is online advertising. It is citizen journalism and foundation-supported investigative funds." -- Arianna Huffington, Co-founder and Editor-in-Chief The Huffington Post

Visit this Web site to read the full text of all remarks and testimony given during the hearing Wednesday. You can also watch the archived video of the hearing at that Web site.

Video demontrates importance of newspapers

Dallas Morning News design editor Chuck Stewart created the following video and posted it on YouTube:

Kindle designed for newspapers to be launched today; new e-reader isn't key to raising revenue

All indications are that Amazon plans to unveil an even newer version of its electronic reading device named the Kindle this morning. This version is especially suited for newspaper and magazine reading because its screen is larger in size than previous editions of the device. OK, so this might help Amazon sell a few Kindles to those who just want them for reading newspapers.

I suspect the main reason people purchase Kindles is for reading books when they just don't have the time to go the nearest bookstore or to wait for Amazon to ship a copy. The Kindle is great for reading books and newspapers wherever you happen to be in the world. Earlier this year, Scooping the News tested out the portable device during an 8,000-mile trip (read more).

At the end of the day, can this really be a boost to the newspaper industry's main problem -- a lack of advertising revenue? No. Making the Kindle screen a bit larger so that it appears more like that traditional newspaper you can hold in your hands will do absolutely nothing to help raise revenue for newspapers. Then again, that's not the real purpose for this new version anyway.

No matter what you read after this new Kindle is released this morning, just remember this is a move designed to help Amazon sell more electronic readers. You see, Amazon is convinced that electronic readers are the future of how we will consume news and literature. Scooping the News believes consumers in the future will use an array of devices for getting their news.

Five great blogs focused on the newspaper industry

While Scooping the News focuses on providing commentaries, industry news and interviews with current and former newspaper editors on the topic of how new technology and consumer demands are shaping the industry, there are other high quality blogs out there with a focus on newspapers. Today, we would like to recommend five of them that are rather exceptional.

1. Newspaper Death Watch -- By far the most comprehensive listing of U.S. newspapers that are either shutting down or going online only. This blog is a daily digest that features commentary on all the changes taking place in the newspaper world. If any other blog hopes to compete with this one in terms of tracking which papers are shutting down or going online only, good luck!

2. News after Newspapers -- Updated about once a week, this blog features by far the most in-depth examinations on the Web of the online news market and the role played by newspapers in that market. The blogger, Martin Langeveld, now calls the Nieman Journalism Lab home, but this blog features his posts that concern newspapers. Langeveld is clearly a newspaper expert.

3. Reflections of a Newsosaur -- Without a doubt, this blog offers the best in-depth commentaries on all the issues facing the newspaper industry today. The blogger, Alan D. Mutter, knows his stuff, backs up his claims and covers the stories that all current and former newspaper employees should know about and care about. For great insight, this is the blog.

4. That's the Press, Baby -- The best source for information and commentaries about the future of copy editing in the newspaper industry. Updated about twice a week, this blog features extensive entries on topics such as why newspapers need to charge for content and what purpose newspapers still serve. This blog is full of opinions and references to other blogs.

5. The Future of Newspapers -- Twice a week, readers of this blog get insight into the future of the newspaper industry from a newspaper columnist who does his homework. While his blog entries may be lengthy, there are original thoughts and references to relevant online sources that make this worth reading. What makes this unique are the blogger's interesting stories.

Five realities newspapers hate to acknowledge

1. Newspapers provide very little information we can't get elsewhere. Engagement/wedding announcements? Try all the various wedding Web sites. Classified advertisements? Try any number of Web sites. You see, newspapers used to have a lock on information we couldn't get anywhere else. Now there is very little information we can't obtain somewhere else. New Web sites arrive each day to carve out a piece of the pie once owned solely by the print media. Just review a week's worth of your local newspaper and you'll find at 75 percent of the news stories are wire stories. Wire stories are available on the Web.

2. Newspapers are not willing to give anything to get anything. They want more readers, right? Well, instead of focusing on providing fresh content from journalists with investigative skills and original story ideas, newspapers are charging customers more for printed issues and considering charging for access to their Web sites. Unless newspapers can coordinate their access fees plan with local TV news Web sites and all the people blogging about their news so that they're all charging for stories, then what's to stop someone from paying access fees and then releasing the news to everyone else for free on a blog. The access fees idea will never work as a widespread practice unless you can get all bloggers to lock down their Web sites. Newspapers should focus more on what new content they can provide that might attract readers.

3. Newspapers are even getting scooped by Twitter users now. Several huge news stories in the last year have been covered first by Twitter users. The highest profile story was the "Miracle on the Hudson," and a Twitter user scooped newspapers and the rest of the media by bringing the world that news first. If newspapers are willing to acknowledge that they now have more competition than ever before for breaking news stories, then that will be a start. The second step will be for newspapers to fully embrace Twitter. Yes, we've read the statistics that thousands of newspaper reporters have Twitter accounts. Yet, are they really free to use them?

4. Newspapers still don't have a concrete plan for saving the industry. It's been almost three months since the sad fate of the newspaper industry graced the cover of TIME, and since then very few plans have been tossed around that have actually gained widespread industry support. The industry's leaders (USA Today, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times) are all sitting back and hinting at possible future plans but not really enacting any of them. How much longer can the industry wait before plans are set into motion and big changes sweep across the newspaper landscape?

5. Newspapers can only cut so much staff and reduce so many salaries. McClatchy newspapers such as the Lexington Herald-Leader have already endured at least three rounds of layoffs in the past year and now salaries are starting to be cut. Newspapers are shrinking in size. Instead of reducing the high fixed costs that burden the industry (such as those brought on by running massive printing press operations), newspapers always shrink in size, raise prices, cut staff and lower salaries first. When they've done all they can in those areas, newspapers either shut down (Rocky Mountain News) or move online only with the skeleton crew of reporters remaining (Seattle Post-Intelligencer). Instead of being reactive, how about being proactive for once?

New midnight deadline for Boston Globe looming

Although an original deadline came and passed, Boston Globe staffers may still have a job after the new deadline passes tonight. The New York Times Co. wants the Globe's unions to make considerable concessions totaling $20 million or else the major metro daily will be shut down.

As this blog is being written, negotiations are ongoing between the unions and The New York Times Co. In the most recent story posted by the Globe, the guilds are quoted as being "optimistic" that the paper's owners are committed to reaching a deal that will save the newspaper.

MUSIC2: Henley plays "Dirty Laundry" for Clintons in 1993, says the song's for them!

MUSIC: Elvis' daughter covers Henley's media song

Five 2009 predictions for the newspaper industry

With this article about printed newspapers declining quicker than anyone expected, and this article about the Boston Globe's deadline (which is today) to cut expenses or be shut down, Scooping the News would like to give your our five predictions that we strongly believe will come true by the end of this year in the newspaper industry.

1. USA Today, which stands to soon become the nation's No. 2 most circulated paper behind The Wall Street Journal, will either charge customers for access to some areas of its Web site or have a plan in place to start doing so in 2010. Our reason for believing this: USA Today's new publisher, David Hunke, hinted at such a move in an article published this week.

2. Despite InDenverTimes.com not meeting its subscription goals, Denver will still be home to an online-only daily newspaper when 2010 rolls around. We believe this based on the latest research indicating that online newspaper readership is up and the fact that some of these ex-Rocky Mountain News reporters are determined to succeed.

3. With Senate hearings on the future of newspapers scheduled to begin May 6, the federal government will offer some sort of bailout plan this year for newspapers. Why do we believe this? Well, it took some time, but politicians and government leaders are starting to notice the industry's problems and they're taking an interest in saving it.

4. The Lexington Herald-Leader, which has already endured three rounds of layoffs in the last year, will again experience yet another round of layoffs later this year. Like many McClatchy newspapers, this metro daily is seeing its staff size shrink considerably and that means three-fourths of the news articles printed in each edition are wire stories.

5. You will not see any other metro dailies try out what the Chicago Tribune realized was a massive mistake -- let readers review outlines of unpublished stories. The reason we believe this: It's NEVER a good idea to let sources or people interviewed for a story read that story before it goes to print. The Tribune realized it's also not a good idea to let the public do that.