Problems in Print: Michael Wolff on the Digital Media Business Model

In a tense debate on CNBC about the future of media, Mike Wolff explains to the CNBC anchors that there is a new journalistic business model replacing the old one.

“I’m trying to put newspapers out of business…hello, people don’t want to just read The New York Times anymore (Michael Wolff, Founder of Newser.com).”

Wolff, who founded the news aggregator Web site Newser.com, began his career in print writing for The New York Times. He isn’t trying to hurt anyone’s feelings or start any feuds; Mike Wolff is being honest.

Newser.com, and other digital news aggregates, is the future of journalism and the future is now.

Sure, those who make a living through re-purposing other news stories from the day will be criticized, but the truth is, people are going to these Web sites and reading the RSS feeds. Users are reading the news snippets that Newser.com creates.

The New York Times has announced it will begin charging frequent users for access to the Web site.

Who knows if this pay wall will prove lucrative? Wolff is simply saying he would never pay for news when so much of it is out there that journalists would gladly let aggregates publish.

The Huffington Post will launch an RSS of college news and blogs.

I think this is a great idea because a lot of today’s college students are being taught the importance of digital media and how to use it effectively. College students are going to be the future of this new media business model and The Huffington Post is smart to include them.

The decision to either aggregate or report (or attempt both) will undoubtedly work itself out as things progress. For now, though, print news seems to be somewhat of a sinking ship.

“The hard work of actual reporting … is going to be changed by technology, by the use of better tools, by not repeating the work that everybody else does (Michael Wolff).”

Without the knowledge of digital media, not everyone will survive.

Lincoln Park Muggings: Summer 2009

My apartment is located in Lincoln Park. I’m near the zoo, I’m near the beach and I’m also near all of the muggings that occurred in the late summer of 2009.

I built a map of the locations of the muggings and, the reality is, it could easily be me at any time if I’m not careful (and if the next serial attacker decides to attack females in their twenties instead of males).

• The victims of the summer 2009 muggings were men in their twenties and walking alone.
• Attackers were on foot, also male and described to be in their twenties.
• They attacked victims from behind, asked for their wallets and proceeded to beat the victims.
• Two of the victims were hospitalized.

Success in Online, Multimedia Journalism: FLYPmedia.

FLYPmedia.com. At first glance, I didn’t realize that there is so much more to FLYP than the polished, interactive articles centered on the homepage. There are many other great articles under FLYP+, BLOGS and TOPICS.

I also find it unfortunate that there are so few comments on these feature stories.

Portrait of a Working Marriage only has three comments. With so much detail, multiple sub-headlines and embedded multimedia throughout the piece, I feel that it should generate much more discussion.

These featured articles that link off of the homepage are not updated often but this is understandable due to the level of detail and interactivity involved in each piece. The length of these stories suggests reading at one’s leisure.

Possibly the reason people come to FLYPmedia.com is to avoid commenting. The escape that this online magazine provides may be just what the doctor ordered and readers come here to feel entertained, not challenged.

Other storytelling Web sites may generate more discussion simply because readers sift through RSS feeds until they find a headline that peaks their interest.

While sifting through the top Chicago stories on WindyCitizen.com I came across a link to a controversial story about a news anchor for the TV station I currently intern for.

While the WindyCitizen.com RSS feed has three comments regarding the story, the link to the story on Robert Feder’s blog at blogs.vocalo.org generated a plethora of comments and discussion.

Reading these comments made it difficult for me to refrain from posting my own thoughts. Therein lies the romance of digital journalism. It generates discussion and includes anyone and everyone because of user-generated content.

Unlike the masterpiece that is FLYPmedia.com (which seems to scare off commentators), other online storytelling Web sites generate more discussion because of their niche.

FLYPmedia.com takes on a lot of widespread, broad topics but The Consumerist finds it’s niche with consumer-driven news stories.

With topics like How To or Customer Service, users specifically go to The Consumerist for discussion-driven topics.

While newspapers gauge success by circulation and revenue, and online storytelling Web sites find success in page views and advertising, FLYPmedia.com has multimedia success that simply cannot be measured in the same way.

FLYPmedia.com is a fresh escape from day-to-day online arguing and no one can argue that.

Now Everyone Can Be A Journalist! …Or Can They?…

‘Keep your enemies closer’ is a phrase that describes the current stage of the relationship between hyperlocal and newspaper journalists.

Trying to beat one-another out, point for point, is not the way one of UWire’s top 100 young journalists, Sean Banda, says things ought to be done.

“…hyperlocal sites have a closer ear to the ground and can often sniff out larger trends or issues. Newspapers should partner with hyperlocal sites to take ownership of issues that require in-depth reporting…hyperlocals can get a name in the byline (emediavitals.com).”

This sounds a lot like hyperlocal journalists doing the grunt-work while newspapers and traditional journalists take the glory, using their salaries to create something more elaborate and in-depth.

But Banda isn’t advising digital journalists to abandon their posts and “sell-out”  their trendy leads to the enemy. He’s simply saying: get your website in the byline while you still can.

Pretty soon digital journalism will be THE journalism, so get as many newspaper-to-internet converts over to your website before there are too many outlets to choose from.

I contest that one “must-have” trait was left out of Mashable’s 8 Must-Have Traits of Tomorrow’s Journalist by Vadim Lavrusik. Yes, most aspiring journalists (or those who would like to keep their jobs) realize they should be fluent areas such as business, programming and multimedia.

But what about when there are so many hyperlocal websites to choose from that not one can attract new attention? Sure, some sites will die off, that’s Darwin’s work in action.

I think a “must-have” is giving your community-specific, hyperlocal beat some sort of mass appeal. It would be thrilling to have a Chicago-based, hyperlocal news website that every Chicagoan visits daily.

Wouldn’t it be even better to have a Chicago-based, news website that somehow gave San Franciscans a reason to stop by, too?