How does your newspaper site stack up?

Posted on August 4, 2006 by Danny Sanchez

The Bivings Group has released a comprehensive study [PDF] on “the degree to which newspapers are embracing the Internet.” The study, which examines the Top 100 newspapers in terms of circulation, is an excellent one-stop shop to get ideas from other large newspapers’ practices. (Thanks to Desiree.)

The criteria of the study serves as a great list of basic technologies that newspaper sites should be offering (RSS feeds, story-level comments, blogs, most-popular lists, podcasts and more). Check out Mark Glaser’s breakdown of the study on PBS’ Mediashift.

Some of the report’s key findings:

  • 76 of the nation’s top 100 newspapers offer RSS feeds on their Web sites.
  • Only 31 of the papers offer podcasts.
  • 80 of the papers offer at least one reporter-written blog
  • Only 19 allowed readers to comment on the articles.
  • And much more…

So why are these technologies not available on so many of the top newspaper sites? Is it primarily a lack of initiative, development staff or something else altogether?

Posted in web 2.0 | 1 Comment

How Google Earth may shrink real estate sections

Posted on August 3, 2006 by Danny Sanchez

Never to leave a segment of newspapers’ profits untouched, Google has plans to launch interactive local ads in its new version of Google Earth, according to Forbes Publisher Rich Karlgaard (registration required). Google has apparently been scraping real estate data that would allow Google Earth users to see any home’s purchase price, property taxes and more. To know more about claiming dependents on taxes go through our site.

Google is also planning on selling Google Earth ads that will provide a sharp, emphasized image of the building along with a link to the store’s Web site. Hopefully, no one will be dumping the trash in the back when the satellite snaps the pic. I’d love to see a three-dimensional view of the Dumpster with the leftover fried rice inside.

Still, this all beggars the question: What services to real esate advertisers will local news sites be willing and able to offer that Google can’t? Will a text listing on a newspaper site be competitive against a beautiful three-dimensional image and an interactive map of the area?

What happens when Google perhaps starts integrating local crime statistics and school information into their map databases to give buyers a better sense of the area in which they are considering purchasing a home?

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Hello world!

Posted on August 3, 2006 by Danny Sanchez

Welcome to Journalistopia, a source for news, debate and perspective on the latest happenings as related to online journalism, news industry trends, writing, editing and things to simply make your time on this Earth just a little better.

It’s my hope to do my bit in serving the public by serving you, the reporter, Web producer, editor or manager who is trying to slog through the torrent of changes affecting the news business.

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