lifecycle of a news story

Lifecycle of a news storyLifecycle of a news storyHow using web 2.0 tools is changing the way journalists How using web 2.0 tools is changing the way journalists source, research, present and share newssource, research, present and share news

by Alison Gow

Sourcing article Web 1.0

Reporter gets potential story via: Phone call or meeting with contact Letter to the editor Email Comment on the newspaper's web forum Item in a publication or website Video on YouTube Punter walks into office and asks to speak to a

journalist

Sourcing article Web 2.0

Reporter gets potential story via Web 1.0 and: Link posted on a social network RSS feed of news and message board posts Status update or link on a micro-blog Twitter search Search of blog post Comment on the reporter's blog Online forums

Sourcing article Web 2.0

Email/post/link via reporter/newspaper's MySpace or Facebook page

Podcast Online searches Threaded video debate An incident live-streamed onto a website

Reporter researches Web 1.0 story

Phones/meet contacts to verify information Searches internet for background/experts Finds expert and emails questions.... includes

response in written article Sets up photo opportunity with picture desk Writes article and sends to newsdesk

Reporter researches Web 2.0 story

All of the Web 1.0 ways plus: Crowdsources idea using social networks Uses blog searches and blog translators to find

posts and experts worldwide Uses own blog to post developing story and ask

for input and suggestions from readers Sets up online survey and poll (promoted via

linking from own blog, Facebook page and online forums)

Reporter researches Web 2.0 story

Posts links and questions on specialist message boards

Searches social boomarking tools for related issues

Uses video discussion site to seek views

Records telephone/Skype interview for podcast Collates findings and discusses package with

print and digital news editors Films video reporter

Begins writing detailed analytical article for print production illustrated with quality images some found by picture desk using photo-sharing Creative Commons pool

Presenting the story Web 1.0

Newsdesk checks copy, adds com-on for readers to send their views via email or letter to the editor or via the online forum

Copy sent to subs for layout on page Content and photo uploaded onto website

following morning after publication of print product

Presenting the story Web 2.0

Copy checked by newsdesk for content style and reporters email phone number blog url keywords for tagging and postcode for geo-tagging along with relevant links

Sent to subs for layout on page, multimedia package uploaded to website..

The multimedia package

Link placed to story in newspapers forum Downloadable podcast Image slideshow with reporters voiceover Video report embedded in online article Article leads the morning and midday news

bulletins on newspaper website Video report uploaded to newspaper's channel

Leveraging Web 2.0

Images uploaded to newspaper's Flickr site Readers' q&a with expert in online liveblog

hosted by newspaper Googlemap offering locator plus internal and

external links to associated issues Words links video and images combined in

Dipity timeline and embedded on website

Meanwhile... Reporter blogs on story outcome and links to

associated articles and external blog posts

Sharing the story Web 1.0

Newspaper sold on streets for around 12 hours Shovelware story and images on website's

main page until overtaken by more news Readers may find it using search facility Radio may pick up story and report (without

crediting source) Forum members debate issue briefly Readers discuss story with family, friends or

colleagues

Sharing the story Web 2.0 Newspaper sold on street for a day Online news story seo-d for heigh visibility

searches Story and links seeded on appropriate website

front page with links Headline and link to content promoted via

twitter feed RSS subscribers sent article and lnks to

associated content Article included one-mail newsletter to

subscribers, with link back to website

Leveraging Web 2.0 for sharing

Video report on website, youtube and embedded on Facebook page and reporter's in-house blog

Content again features in following day newspaper – in web blurb of top 5 most read stories

Forum moderator encourages comments and promotes topic

Content highlighted on social bookmarking sites Included in news widget feed for reporters to

add to their own web page/blog

The readers may Share the article by emailing links to contacts Post their views on external message boards

and link background Blog about the article and link Tweet and link Save it to their own social bookmarks or digg it Join the newspaper's flickr group, Facebook

page Forward e-newsletters Add the news widget

Just talk about it

What next? Web 1.0

Forum comments might be reverse published in paper via a from our forums column

A reader might ring in with a follow-up tip email write or post on the online forum

What next? Web 2.0

Reporter monitors Blog traffic for activity and routes Uses online search tools (for alerts,

messageboards, tweets and blog posts) to see who, where and how the article is being discussed

Comments and reactions arrive via reporter's blog, forums, messageboards, social networks, youtube ratings, Twitter... to name but a few

And then...

Reporter gets several potential new lines of investigation and can begin using online tools again to research these emerging stories