AJR in the Classroom

Discussion questions for the April / May 2007 issue, along with suggestions for further readings on engaging readers: Gannett's experiment with hyperlocal journalism, U.S. newsweeklies' adjustments to their content and Web sites,  billionaire Philip F. Anschutz's experiment with free newspaper dailies delivered to targeted homes, and the launch of a new business monthly.

Story 1: "Really Local"  |   Story 2: "Finding a Niche" | Story 3: "Home Free"   |  Story 4: "A New Portfolio"



Gannett Newspaper Division President Sue Clark-Johnson, Photo courtesy Gannett Co. Inc.
Gannett Newspaper Division President Sue Clark-Johnson says the company's local information center approach has already been tested at 12 papers. The approach reorganizes reporters and editors into a 24-7, multiplatform operation and invites readers to contribute.(Photo courtesy Gannett Co. Inc.)

STORY 1: "Really Local: Gannett and other media companies are embracing 'hyperlocal' Web sites as a new way of engaging fleeing readers."  By Donna Shaw 

MORE INFO FROM THE STORY:  Gannett rolls out its "local information center" approach division-wide by May 1, Shaw reports. Some of its hyperlocal sites will be organized by geography, others by interest groups. One element of its program will be "crowdsourcing" -- seeking advice and expertise from readers on some stories. But that still relies on journalists to follow up on tips. John S. Carroll, former editor of the Los Angeles Times and the Baltimore Sun, calls the approach "well worth exploring" but adds papers might be better served by seeking "unique-unique" rather than "local-local." Such an approach in Carroll's home town of Lexington, Ky., for instance, would push the Herald-Leader to be the best source on University of Kentucky basketball and perhaps also thoroughbred horse breeding and the Appalachian coal business, he says.

CLASS DISCUSSION AND RESEARCH ASSIGNMENTS:

  • Break the class into small groups and ask each group to spend a week observing how a "hyperlocal site" - one of Gannett's or another mentioned in the AJR story -- operates. Students should take notes on: Who is producing content for the site: journalists or citizens? How interesting is the content? Is it reported information, observation or commentary? They should put their observations into a typed group memo, which then could be presented to the class.
  • What are some of the ethical, logistical and journalistic issues raised by hyperlocal sites, which deploy journalists and nonjournalists to find information on a topic and post it to a news Web site? Engage the class in a discussion on the pros and cons of hyperlocal sites and mobile or "mojo" journalism--which deploys reporters to file community stories from the road (see Frank Ahrens piece in The Washington Post, below). Are there alternative ways to engage and inform readers?


    • RELATED STORIES AND WEB LINKS:


    a recent Time magazine cover
    Time magazine has recruited prominent contributors, shut bureaus in Los Angeles, Chicago and Atlanta, and re-launched its Web site.
    STORY 2: "    Finding a Niche:     Is there a role for the weekly newsmagazines and their Web sites in a 24-7 news environment?"  By Rachel Smolkin  

    MORE INFO FROM THE STORY:  Tom Rosenstiel, director of the Project for Excellence in Journalism, notes that people have been predicting the demise of the newsweekly since the invention of television. But, he says, with the explosion of news and information on the Internet, the tipping point may have finally been reached. He asks: "What can you offer on a weekly basis in a 24-hour news culture?" Time Managing Editor Richard Stengel offers: "reported analysis." But clearly editors at Time, Newsweek and U.S. News & World Report also understand the increasing importance of their magazines' Web sites. Time re-launched its Web site in January, with continuously updated news, new interactive features and blogs. Newsweek's editors made changes in 2005 to emphasize the new articles it provides daily on its Web site. (See Gavin O'Malley's story, linked below.) A redesign of Newsweek.com this summer will incorporate interactive features and better search tools, Smolkin reports. And a redesign of USNews.com in February showcased a cleaner look and a daily cover story.

    CLASS ANALYSIS ASSIGNMENT AND DISCUSSION:

  • Ask students to visit Time, Newsweek or U.S. News & World Report's Web sites for a week, then write a 600- to 800-word analysis of their findings. What Web-only offerings are the sites offering--such as more frequent updates, searchable databases, blogs or multimedia? Students should be specific, giving examples. Do those offerings complement the print magazines' missions? And are those extra offerings enough to attract and retain readership?

  • Lead a class discussion: Are all nondaily news publications vulnerable in this 24/7 news environment? If so, why? If not, what makes some publications must-reads?

    RELATED STORIES AND LINKS:


    STORY 3: "Home Free:     Is delivering free newspapers to affluent homes a recipe for success in today's volatile media environment? The fate of Philip F. Anschutz's three Examiner dailies should provide a clue." By Lori Robertson 

     

    MORE INFO FROM THE STORY: Anschultz's free Examiner newspapers in San Francisco, Washington and Baltimore are delivered to homes in neighborhoods attractive to advertisers: households of 25- to 54-year-olds with kids and median household incomes around $75,000. Readers get local news sliced into short stories; advertisers get a desirable audience and a good rate. Stephen Smith, executive editor of the Washington paper, says the Examiner may never compete head-to-head with The Washington Post. But, he says, it does occasionally offer lengthier enterprise pieces. And the model "matches up with a kind of sensibility that is in part shaped by the Internet age and in part shaped by just the hurry-up pace of modern life," he says. According to newspaper consultant John Morton, it could be years before anyone knows whether or not the Examiner business model is a success.

     

    CLASS RESEARCH / ANALYSIS / DISCUSSION:

  • Make it a class project to have two weeks of one of the Examiners delivered to your school, along with the same two weeks of that city's dominant daily: in San Francisco, team the Examiner with The San Francisco Chronicle; in Baltimore, with The Sun; in Washington, with The Washington Post. Ask each student to compare the two papers on a given day, looking at how the top 10 stories in the A section, the local news section and the business section stack up. Students should list the stories by headline for each paper, compare the lengths (in inches); compare the number of sources for each story; and give each story a subjective thumbs up or thumbs down, based on journalistic goals of fairness, accuracy and objectivity and also ease of read. Students should summarize their findings in a written memo, and be prepared to present their findings and reactions to the class. Were there any surprises?

  • What are the qualities of a strong story? A strong newspaper? After doing an analysis of at least one of the Examiner papers - in its print or Web version (see link below) - the teacher could engage students in a free-wheeling discussion of whether or not the Examiner papers are upholding strong journalistic standards. Peripheral points could be addressed: Are shorter newspaper reads more desirable to young adults raised on a diet of quick reads on the Internet?

    RELATED STORIES AND LINKS:



    STORY 4: "A New Portfolio:     With print in general and business publications in particular facing stiff challenges, magazine giant Conde Nast launches a business monthly. Portfolio is banking on heavily reported narrative journalism and sophisticated design to prevail in a competitive media landscape." By Paul Farhi 

     

    MORE INFO FROM THE STORY: "Is there a market for it? I'm not sure anyone knows," Farhi quotes New York University journalism professor Adam Penenberg as saying. Magazine guru Samir Husni, chairman of the journalism department at the University of Mississippi, says the launch is intriguing because the magazine will focus on what print does best: "narrative journalism that deepens the story and photography that makes you say 'wow.' " Conde Nast, which also publishes Vogue and Glamour, which have overwhelmingly female readership, hopes the business magazine will attract a 60 percent male readership and expand the number and types of advertisers it attracts. It has reportedly bankrolled the magazine to the tune of $100 million and has brought in an editorial staff of about 70, including Editor-in-Chief Joanne Lipman, recruited from the Wall Street Journal. The company will guarantee a circulation base of 300,000 at launch, and aims to sell 650,000 monthly copies in five years, Farhi reports.

     

    CLASS ANALYSIS / DISCUSSIONS:
  • Arrange a conference call or a videoconference during class with a magazine expert - or with editors at Portfolio - to discuss the launch of this new publication, how it fits into the existing business publication market, and its chances of succeeding or failing from a business perspective and an editorial standpoint. What will make this magazine stand out from its competitors?

  • Engage the class in a discussion on how Portfolio's Web site could be leveraged to aid its mission--i.e., what could it provide to enhance a user's experience beyond the print publication's offerings? Before the discussion, ask students to look at the Beta version of Portfolio's Web site to see what they would like that isn't already there.

    RELATED STORIES AND LINKS: