Newest Google app goes hyper-local

Feature on a new Google feature (offering "news near you") does a nice job of explaining the new feature, but uses the new hyper-local feature to attack newspapers for continuing their mass media approach.

Mathew Ingram writes: "News outlets have typically thought of their readers as being rooted in the ground, and thereby captive audiences. As anyone with a smartphone or an iPad knows, that's no longer the case for many people Thanks to ubiquitous connectivity and smart digital devices, they can consume news and content wherever they might be, and in some cases that's going to be locally-specific content. Google is prepared for that future, but are other news outlets?"

Hyper-local news works somewhat, but not everybody wants the same news -- or delivery platform.

A change agent talks about media change

The Christian Science Monitor, which was one of the first newspapers to dramatically remake itself decades ago, says in a headline, "Online media is replacing newspapers and TV. Is that a bad thing?" Great question, and excellent long-form look at the topic of the last few years.

Years ago, the Monitor was a good daily, print newspaper noted for its solid reporting. It was established by the Christian Science church, but never was seen as a religious newspaper. As its circulation dropped, the Monitor dropped its daily print edition, going online with a weekly print. At the same time, it shifted its emphasis from news to explanatory articles.

Given this history of making changes necessary to stay in existence, the Monitor itself is what media needs to do to survive today. The article on new media shows that online-only doesn't necessarily mean shallow or short journalism.

German leader sees digital, paper coexisting

A prominate German media leader believes tablets are a "gamechanger" for newspapers, but they won't hurt the print publications. "Is our core business to print newspapers," Mathias Doepfne says, no, "our core business is to create branded content and to monitarize it."

"We are reaching new readers with our digital offerings," he said, explaining that he doesn't see digital products "cannibalizing" print products. Asked if he sees newspapers lasting, he said they'd be here a lot "longer than people speculate." The real gamechanger he says would be electronic paper, a product that is being researched now.

His view is important since Europeans have taken over media leadership. Rather than curl up and waiting to die, as so many American media companies are, Europeans are aggressively experimenting to see what work.

Doepfne is CEO of Axel Springer AG, which owns more than 260 newspapers and magazines as well as more than 80 online publications along with radio and television stations.

Traffic down, profits up at NY Times site

Traffic on the New York Times website is down almost 20 percent, indications are, but an influential stock analyst makes the company a "buy" since the paywall seems to be working.

This is more significant than it seems since there are those -- including me -- who believe that people will pay for content if they perceive it's of value.

National Geographic wins top magazine award

National Geographic wins "magazine of the year" award. To me, it's the epitome of what makes a print magazine great. It's something to savor while reading with the combination of great photographs, great writing, and great ideas.

There are other winners as well, but the Geographic stands out.

On new media and understanding content

Interesting column from Adweek's Michael Wolff about how so many new media folks miss the boat because they don't understand media, just the technical parts. Content, he contends, drives viewers (see item on Pew survey below), which should drive dollars.
You can tell what he's getting at from the column's title, "When will the techy guys understand what business they're in?"

New report shows strength of news in driving online media consumers

Whoa! Stop the presses! Online viewers are drawn to stories about specific events!

OK, no more sarcasm. We know the strength of news. Online media consumers are no different from print or audio/video media consumers. They are attracted by big stories. Still, this Pew Report (here's a nice summary from Mark Walsh at Online Media Today) demonstrates the strength of this attraction.

One piece of news we should all be thinking about is the role of social media in driving viewers. As the report summary says, "Social media, however, and Facebook in particular, are emerging as a powerful news referring source. At five of the top sites, Facebook is the second or third most important driver of traffic." Google is tops. That means we in the professional media ignore social media at our own risk.

Read one or both of these reports to keep up on what's happening.

Obama story rings out worldwide

Like many of us, I'm fascinated with the various stories coming out of the death of Osama bin Laden. Unlike most, I suspect, I'm especially fascinated by foreign takes on the story -- for example, the death is described as a "hit" and a "slaying" in the Asia Times, terms we're unlikely to read here. Nor are we going to read much in American media like the column headed "US spins web of self-deceit," which ties Osama's death, oil, banking and governmental lies -- both in America and Pakistan -- all together.

Similarly, looking at stories in the Pakistani or Indian press is instructive, in that they, too, take radically different slants. I also regularly check stories from media in Australia, Europe (especially Britain and Germany) and other localities as well as Al-Jeezra English (where you can find this excellent column by Richard N. Haass on "Beyond Osama bin Laden," which sheds much light on the Middle East). What makes this search fascinating to me is that we now have the abilities to view these media so easily via newslink.org -- and in real time. This is the upside of the new media -- it can make us better informed.

On a related note -- from the dark side of new media, in my view -- as I was searching the Indiaworld.com site, suddenly there was a groupon for "The Best Deal in Milwaukee/Save 50% to 90% in Milwaukee" after I would "confirm your city: Milwaukee." Frankly, tracking software like this is scary, and the loss of privacy may ultimately kill the promise of the Internet.

Maxim edition is going iPad first

Maxim is taking technology to the ultimate, planning to publish its listing of the 100 "most beautiful" women in the world on iPad before the print publication.

Maxim editor-in-chief Joe Levy told the online publication minonline that the decision was a matter of using, not resisting technology. “Our digital edition gives us a chance to put the Hot 100 in the hands of our readers instantly as it breaks worldwide online. As an integrated content company, we’re eager to embrace technology, not fight it, particularly the technology our readers love most,” the site reported.

No surprise here: News drives circulation

In one of the least surprising media news stories, AP reports that demand for newspapers rose sharply after the death of Osama bin Laden. As the AP story said, "When big news breaks, newspapers are in demand despite the immediacy of online news."

The same results were reflected on a local level when, last week, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that its circulation had risen the first quarter, driven by "some changes in marketing and thousands of readers following the Packers' Super Bowl run and the budget battle in Madison."

When news breaks -- real news -- people want to read print. Maybe, instead of cutting their reporting staffs deep into the bone, newspapers should be breaking more news.

No more "Mr. bin Laden" for the Times

The New York Times drops the "Mr." from second reference to Osama bin Laden. The historic decision was made, according to a memo, last night by Managing Editor Jill Abramson and Executive Editor Bill Keller after the announcement of Bin Laden's death. Even Jeffrey Dahmer and Charles Manson retained the "Mr.," but Joseph Stalin remained "Stalin," so there was precedent for this move -- but it was still very unusual.

See how media covered Osama's death

If you haven't done it lately, today is a good day to go to the Newseum and view today's front pages from newspapers across the world. It's fascinating to see how they deal with a huge news event.

And, Huffington Post offers views of websites covering the death.