The St. Petersburg (Fla.) Times and Congressional Quarterly in Washington, D.C., rolled out PolitiFact.com, featuring a “truth-o-meter” that scores the truthfulness of specific claims by the presidential candidates.
“PolitiFact offers readers the choice of quick scorecards or longer stories explaining the issues and rulings,” said Mike Riley, senior vice president and editor of CQ Publications. “It is driven by an extensive database that allows users to search for candidates’ records of accuracy based on their names, issues, or the rulings of the ‘truth-o-meter.’”
PolitiFact journalists also publish an “attack file” that lets readers fact-check the attacks candidates make against each other.
Saturday, December 1, 2007
Report: Online profits soar as overall margins sink
N&T Staff Report
Newspapers’ online profits soared in 2007 even as the industry’s margins fell overall, according to a new study from Borrell Associates Inc.
The report said that although the industry’s operating profit is now hovering at about 23 percent, mature online operations are generating 40 percent and higher profits, “suggesting that achieving a critical mass of online ad revenue translates to profit at a much higher rate than print ad revenues.”
Still, online revenues represent only a tiny percentage of a paper’s total ad sales, Borrell said in the study, “Benchmarking Newspaper Online Revenues — International Survey 2007.” The report includes research conducted in 2006 and 2007 for the World Association of Newspapers’ Future of Newspaper Project.
Borrell said few newspapers’ Internet operations generate more than 10 percent of their total revenues, and that outside of the United States and Scandinavia, the amount generated from Web sales is usually closer to 5 percent (see related story, page 17).
The study said 2006 was a time that newspapers adjusted their business strategies to position their online businesses to be more in line with their print operations.
U.S. and Canadian newspapers took these steps as their share of local online market revenues grew from 15.3 percent in 2004 to 37.9 percent in 2006, Borrell said.
Among other study results:
• Sites created by newspapers are locally oriented or built around specific classified verticals like real estate, cars and recruitment.
• In the United States, online revenue now accounts for an average of 5.5 percent of newspaper’s total ad revenue and is on track to hit 10 percent by 2008-2009.
• In Canada, the average is about 3.5 percent for metro dailies, but only half of that for community papers.
• Recruitment remains the dominant online classifieds vertical.
A free copy of the executive summary can be downloaded at www.borrellassociates.com/Reports.aspx, or the full report can be purchased for $995.
Newspapers’ online profits soared in 2007 even as the industry’s margins fell overall, according to a new study from Borrell Associates Inc.
The report said that although the industry’s operating profit is now hovering at about 23 percent, mature online operations are generating 40 percent and higher profits, “suggesting that achieving a critical mass of online ad revenue translates to profit at a much higher rate than print ad revenues.”
Still, online revenues represent only a tiny percentage of a paper’s total ad sales, Borrell said in the study, “Benchmarking Newspaper Online Revenues — International Survey 2007.” The report includes research conducted in 2006 and 2007 for the World Association of Newspapers’ Future of Newspaper Project.
Borrell said few newspapers’ Internet operations generate more than 10 percent of their total revenues, and that outside of the United States and Scandinavia, the amount generated from Web sales is usually closer to 5 percent (see related story, page 17).
The study said 2006 was a time that newspapers adjusted their business strategies to position their online businesses to be more in line with their print operations.
U.S. and Canadian newspapers took these steps as their share of local online market revenues grew from 15.3 percent in 2004 to 37.9 percent in 2006, Borrell said.
Among other study results:
• Sites created by newspapers are locally oriented or built around specific classified verticals like real estate, cars and recruitment.
• In the United States, online revenue now accounts for an average of 5.5 percent of newspaper’s total ad revenue and is on track to hit 10 percent by 2008-2009.
• In Canada, the average is about 3.5 percent for metro dailies, but only half of that for community papers.
• Recruitment remains the dominant online classifieds vertical.
A free copy of the executive summary can be downloaded at www.borrellassociates.com/Reports.aspx, or the full report can be purchased for $995.
Daily News joins Yahoo HotJobs
The (New York) Daily News is the latest newspaper to partner with Yahoo and use features offered by the Newspaper Consortium.
The Daily News is the largest to join the group, which was launched over a year ago and now includes 21 newspaper companies, representing close to 400 dailies, said Yahoo.
Under terms of the deal, the Daily News will use Yahoo’s display advertising technology and be represented nationally by Yahoo sales staff, while Daily News’ sales staff will represent Yahoo locally. The paper’s local content will also be transmitted across Yahoo’s network.
To date, Yahoo HotJobs has launched 160 newspaper co-branded job sites that serve 377 newspapers.
The Daily News is the largest to join the group, which was launched over a year ago and now includes 21 newspaper companies, representing close to 400 dailies, said Yahoo.
Under terms of the deal, the Daily News will use Yahoo’s display advertising technology and be represented nationally by Yahoo sales staff, while Daily News’ sales staff will represent Yahoo locally. The paper’s local content will also be transmitted across Yahoo’s network.
To date, Yahoo HotJobs has launched 160 newspaper co-branded job sites that serve 377 newspapers.
NAA: Newspaper online audience continues to grow
Two reports from the Newspaper Association of America confirm the industry’s growing online audience and continued audience reach of Web and printed products.
The first report, the NAA Fall 2007 NAbase study, showed newspaper Web traffic climbing 9 percent to 59.6 million in July 2007, compared to the year-ago period.
NAdbase coincides with the release of “Newspaper Footprint: Total Audience in Print and Online,” an NAA analysis of Scarborough Research newspaper audience data.
The 11-page analysis indicates that 77 percent of adults read a newspaper in print or online each week. The analysis also provides a breakdown of various readership data in a number of areas, ranging from online purchasing decisions to household income and education level.
“As the newspaper industry moves toward measurement data reflecting the medium’s total reach and audience, this analysis is evidence of newspapers’ broad appeal in a highly competitive media marketplace,” said NAA President and Chief Executive Officer John F. Sturm.
Some highlights from the analysis include:
•Eighty-five percent of individuals with a household income of $100,000 or more read a newspaper in print or online each week.
• Nearly nine in 10 adults (89 percent) with a post-graduate degree read a newspaper in print or online each week, as did 84 percent of college graduates.
•Newspapers’ weekly footprint reached 82 percent who made online purchases in the last year.
•Newspapers’ weekly footprint reaches 84 percent of adults with a home valued at $300,000 or more.
The first report, the NAA Fall 2007 NAbase study, showed newspaper Web traffic climbing 9 percent to 59.6 million in July 2007, compared to the year-ago period.
NAdbase coincides with the release of “Newspaper Footprint: Total Audience in Print and Online,” an NAA analysis of Scarborough Research newspaper audience data.
The 11-page analysis indicates that 77 percent of adults read a newspaper in print or online each week. The analysis also provides a breakdown of various readership data in a number of areas, ranging from online purchasing decisions to household income and education level.
“As the newspaper industry moves toward measurement data reflecting the medium’s total reach and audience, this analysis is evidence of newspapers’ broad appeal in a highly competitive media marketplace,” said NAA President and Chief Executive Officer John F. Sturm.
Some highlights from the analysis include:
•Eighty-five percent of individuals with a household income of $100,000 or more read a newspaper in print or online each week.
• Nearly nine in 10 adults (89 percent) with a post-graduate degree read a newspaper in print or online each week, as did 84 percent of college graduates.
•Newspapers’ weekly footprint reached 82 percent who made online purchases in the last year.
•Newspapers’ weekly footprint reaches 84 percent of adults with a home valued at $300,000 or more.
NAA: Newspaper online audience continues to grow
Two reports from the Newspaper Association of America confirm the industry’s growing online audience and continued audience reach of Web and printed products.
The first report, the NAA Fall 2007 NAbase study, showed newspaper Web traffic climbing 9 percent to 59.6 million in July 2007, compared to the year-ago period.
NAdbase coincides with the release of “Newspaper Footprint: Total Audience in Print and Online,” an NAA analysis of Scarborough Research newspaper audience data.
The 11-page analysis indicates that 77 percent of adults read a newspaper in print or online each week. The analysis also provides a breakdown of various readership data in a number of areas, ranging from online purchasing decisions to household income and education level.
“As the newspaper industry moves toward measurement data reflecting the medium’s total reach and audience, this analysis is evidence of newspapers’ broad appeal in a highly competitive media marketplace,” said NAA President and Chief Executive Officer John F. Sturm.
Some highlights from the analysis include:
•Eighty-five percent of individuals with a household income of $100,000 or more read a newspaper in print or online each week.
• Nearly nine in 10 adults (89 percent) with a post-graduate degree read a newspaper in print or online each week, as did 84 percent of college graduates.
•Newspapers’ weekly footprint reached 82 percent who made online purchases in the last year.
•Newspapers’ weekly footprint reaches 84 percent of adults with a home valued at $300,000 or more.
The first report, the NAA Fall 2007 NAbase study, showed newspaper Web traffic climbing 9 percent to 59.6 million in July 2007, compared to the year-ago period.
NAdbase coincides with the release of “Newspaper Footprint: Total Audience in Print and Online,” an NAA analysis of Scarborough Research newspaper audience data.
The 11-page analysis indicates that 77 percent of adults read a newspaper in print or online each week. The analysis also provides a breakdown of various readership data in a number of areas, ranging from online purchasing decisions to household income and education level.
“As the newspaper industry moves toward measurement data reflecting the medium’s total reach and audience, this analysis is evidence of newspapers’ broad appeal in a highly competitive media marketplace,” said NAA President and Chief Executive Officer John F. Sturm.
Some highlights from the analysis include:
•Eighty-five percent of individuals with a household income of $100,000 or more read a newspaper in print or online each week.
• Nearly nine in 10 adults (89 percent) with a post-graduate degree read a newspaper in print or online each week, as did 84 percent of college graduates.
•Newspapers’ weekly footprint reached 82 percent who made online purchases in the last year.
•Newspapers’ weekly footprint reaches 84 percent of adults with a home valued at $300,000 or more.
Tribune, Gannett to expand Metromix
Gannett Co. Inc. and Tribune Interactive, a division of Tribune Co., announced a joint venture to expand a national network of local entertainment Web sites under the Metromix brand.
The newly formed company, Metromix LLC, will focus on launching Metromix.com in the nation’s top-30 markets plus other key metro areas in the coming months. It will be equally co-owned by the two parent companies.
Additional terms of the venture were not disclosed.
Metromix currently is available in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and other large Tribune markets. Each Metromix site is a guide to area restaurants, bars and clubs, events, concerts and movies. Users are typically 21 to 34 years old.
The newly formed company, Metromix LLC, will focus on launching Metromix.com in the nation’s top-30 markets plus other key metro areas in the coming months. It will be equally co-owned by the two parent companies.
Additional terms of the venture were not disclosed.
Metromix currently is available in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and other large Tribune markets. Each Metromix site is a guide to area restaurants, bars and clubs, events, concerts and movies. Users are typically 21 to 34 years old.
N.Y. Times Co. adopts Facebook Ads
The New York Times Co. said it signed on with the new Facebook Ads system, which allows users to learn about content generated by The Times, The Boston Globe and papers operated by the New York Times Regional Media Group.
The NYTimes.com Facebook page, www.facebook.com/nytimes, allows users to interact and affiliate with The Times in the same way they interact with other user profiles.
The Boston.com page, www.facebook/boston, also went live as did the Gainesville (Fla.) Sun’s http://gatorsports.com/facebook site.
Additionally, NYTimes.com and some of the Regional Media Group properties beginning with Gainesville.com, Gainesvillesun.com and Gatorsports.com will participate in a program called Beacon.
Beacon gives Facebook members the option to share travel rating data with their Facebook friends.
Boston.com will also participate in the coming months.
Meantime, The Washington Post last month released newsTracker, an application that lets Facebook users quickly search for news about topics they deem important.
The Post developed the software, which monitors news from The Post and some 400 other worldwide news sources, according to Rob Curley, vice president of product development for Washington Post Newsweek Interactive.
A posting on Curley’s Web site said WPNI developed the software to capitalize on the growing popularity of the social networking site, which has more than 36 million users.
The NYTimes.com Facebook page, www.facebook.com/nytimes, allows users to interact and affiliate with The Times in the same way they interact with other user profiles.
The Boston.com page, www.facebook/boston, also went live as did the Gainesville (Fla.) Sun’s http://gatorsports.com/facebook site.
Additionally, NYTimes.com and some of the Regional Media Group properties beginning with Gainesville.com, Gainesvillesun.com and Gatorsports.com will participate in a program called Beacon.
Beacon gives Facebook members the option to share travel rating data with their Facebook friends.
Boston.com will also participate in the coming months.
Meantime, The Washington Post last month released newsTracker, an application that lets Facebook users quickly search for news about topics they deem important.
The Post developed the software, which monitors news from The Post and some 400 other worldwide news sources, according to Rob Curley, vice president of product development for Washington Post Newsweek Interactive.
A posting on Curley’s Web site said WPNI developed the software to capitalize on the growing popularity of the social networking site, which has more than 36 million users.
Des Moines Register ready for political spotlight
By Marcelo Duran
Associate Editor
As Iowa ramps up the pressure on New Hampshire to become the site of the nation’s first presidential election battleground, the Hawkeye State’s largest daily newspaper is also beefing up its political coverage.
The Des Moines Register (daily, 146,050; Sunday, 233,229) is literally crammed with features and projects profiling the presidential candidates as the state gears up for the Jan. 3 caucus, said Michael Corey, digital projects editor at DesMoinesRegister.com.
Among the features is “Insight into the Candidates,” which gives presidential aspirants the ability to talk about their campaigns and their personalities.
“We asked candidates some questions that are not necessarily issues-focused,” Corey said about the project. “We are trying to get out their personalities a little bit” in order to let consumers understand who the candidates are when “they’re not scripted and not on talking points.”
The videos are arranged so that users can view them by specific question or by specific candidate. The paper filmed the candidates as they traveled to Des Moines to meet with The Register’s editorial board.
“Getting 10 minutes with each candidate is not an easy thing to do so we’ve been very happy to have done that,” Corey said. s
The politics section of the site has been running a number of different features since May to inform the readers of the presidential candidates’ comings and goings in the state.
Early planning
Getting started early was critical, Corey said.
“If you get started early it’s a lot easier to maintain your coverage. You’re not having to build it when things get really crazy. When we first set up the site we were setting up a lot of the features way in advance before most people became really engaged.”
Among the features: Google Maps, to allow users to track candidates’ visits.
“We also allow people to comment on all of the stories and we have blogs where people can leave comments,” he said. “A lot of our centerpiece work has been getting people information about the issues.”
The site also features a database that lets users measure candidates on their positions on various issues.
“You can pick as many or as few issues as you want and see them head-to-head,” he said.
Corey said the site is much more automated than it was during the last presidential election.
“A lot of the features today take more work to set up, but once they are up and running they are a lot more automatic to maintain,” he said.
The political coverage is part of a redesigned DesMoinesRegister.com site that was beefed up with the addition of Pluck Corp.’s SiteLife app to handle forums.
Politics at a glance
Listed below are the various features offered by DesMoinesRegister.com’s political page in its coverage of next month’s Iowa presidential caucus.
Content
• Iowa campaign events
• Search events by party, candidate, city, date
• About the Iowa caucus
• Insights into the candidates
• 5 Ways to learn about candidates
• Latest headlines
• October Iowa Poll results
• USA Today campaign headlines
• Iowa campaign donations (FEC.gov)
• Register opinion and analysis
• Analysis from The Politico
• Editorial board visits: Candidate impressions
• Carve a candidate
• Track Iowa visits
• Photos
• Video
• Blogs
• Voters’ Voice forum
Notable political sites
Listed below are honorable mentions from this year’s Knight-Batten awards for innovations in journalism in the political and elections category. The J-Lab Institute of Interactive Journalism at the University of Maryland administers the awards.
The Next Mayor:
WHYY and the Philadelphia Daily News
A classic civic journalism initiative by WHYY public television, the Philadelphia Daily News and the Committee of 70 to focus on voter issues in electing the city’s next mayor. Included were blogs, videos submitted by organizers of more than 100 candidate forums, 1,260 videos submitted on YouTube, neighborhood reporting of citizen issues, and a news archive of all candidate coverage.
2008 Campaign Tracker:
washingtonpost.com
Washingtonpost.com created this database driven tracker and Google Map mash-up to provide users up to date information about each of the presidential candidates’ travels, fundraising, comparisons with other candidates and other campaign-related information. Intended for use not just by readers, but also by other journalists and organizations.
Election Coverage 2006-2007:
Mediaphormedia (Lawrence, Kan.)
Online coverage of local and state elections using the best benefits of news on the Web. Each candidate had a page with multiple forms of media covering all aspects of the campaign and election-night happenings.
Charleston Voters’ Guide 2007:
Charleston (W. Va.) Gazette
The Charleston Gazette created a Google Map mash-up that allows users to localize the ward-level candidate and election information for the 2007 city council election. The Gazette created this feature in preparation for the upcoming 2008 elections.
Associate Editor
As Iowa ramps up the pressure on New Hampshire to become the site of the nation’s first presidential election battleground, the Hawkeye State’s largest daily newspaper is also beefing up its political coverage.
The Des Moines Register (daily, 146,050; Sunday, 233,229) is literally crammed with features and projects profiling the presidential candidates as the state gears up for the Jan. 3 caucus, said Michael Corey, digital projects editor at DesMoinesRegister.com.
Among the features is “Insight into the Candidates,” which gives presidential aspirants the ability to talk about their campaigns and their personalities.
“We asked candidates some questions that are not necessarily issues-focused,” Corey said about the project. “We are trying to get out their personalities a little bit” in order to let consumers understand who the candidates are when “they’re not scripted and not on talking points.”
The videos are arranged so that users can view them by specific question or by specific candidate. The paper filmed the candidates as they traveled to Des Moines to meet with The Register’s editorial board.
“Getting 10 minutes with each candidate is not an easy thing to do so we’ve been very happy to have done that,” Corey said. s
The politics section of the site has been running a number of different features since May to inform the readers of the presidential candidates’ comings and goings in the state.
Early planning
Getting started early was critical, Corey said.
“If you get started early it’s a lot easier to maintain your coverage. You’re not having to build it when things get really crazy. When we first set up the site we were setting up a lot of the features way in advance before most people became really engaged.”
Among the features: Google Maps, to allow users to track candidates’ visits.
“We also allow people to comment on all of the stories and we have blogs where people can leave comments,” he said. “A lot of our centerpiece work has been getting people information about the issues.”
The site also features a database that lets users measure candidates on their positions on various issues.
“You can pick as many or as few issues as you want and see them head-to-head,” he said.
Corey said the site is much more automated than it was during the last presidential election.
“A lot of the features today take more work to set up, but once they are up and running they are a lot more automatic to maintain,” he said.
The political coverage is part of a redesigned DesMoinesRegister.com site that was beefed up with the addition of Pluck Corp.’s SiteLife app to handle forums.
Politics at a glance
Listed below are the various features offered by DesMoinesRegister.com’s political page in its coverage of next month’s Iowa presidential caucus.
Content
• Iowa campaign events
• Search events by party, candidate, city, date
• About the Iowa caucus
• Insights into the candidates
• 5 Ways to learn about candidates
• Latest headlines
• October Iowa Poll results
• USA Today campaign headlines
• Iowa campaign donations (FEC.gov)
• Register opinion and analysis
• Analysis from The Politico
• Editorial board visits: Candidate impressions
• Carve a candidate
• Track Iowa visits
• Photos
• Video
• Blogs
• Voters’ Voice forum
Notable political sites
Listed below are honorable mentions from this year’s Knight-Batten awards for innovations in journalism in the political and elections category. The J-Lab Institute of Interactive Journalism at the University of Maryland administers the awards.
The Next Mayor:
WHYY and the Philadelphia Daily News
A classic civic journalism initiative by WHYY public television, the Philadelphia Daily News and the Committee of 70 to focus on voter issues in electing the city’s next mayor. Included were blogs, videos submitted by organizers of more than 100 candidate forums, 1,260 videos submitted on YouTube, neighborhood reporting of citizen issues, and a news archive of all candidate coverage.
2008 Campaign Tracker:
washingtonpost.com
Washingtonpost.com created this database driven tracker and Google Map mash-up to provide users up to date information about each of the presidential candidates’ travels, fundraising, comparisons with other candidates and other campaign-related information. Intended for use not just by readers, but also by other journalists and organizations.
Election Coverage 2006-2007:
Mediaphormedia (Lawrence, Kan.)
Online coverage of local and state elections using the best benefits of news on the Web. Each candidate had a page with multiple forms of media covering all aspects of the campaign and election-night happenings.
Charleston Voters’ Guide 2007:
Charleston (W. Va.) Gazette
The Charleston Gazette created a Google Map mash-up that allows users to localize the ward-level candidate and election information for the 2007 city council election. The Gazette created this feature in preparation for the upcoming 2008 elections.
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