1 / 22

J-School Buzz

David Teeghman Jennifer Paull Lindsey Wolf. J-School Buzz. Overview. J-School Buzz. III. Implementing Changes Editorial philosophy Publication schedule Content Operations Multimedia Social Media IV. Sustainability New editors Transition Expansion V. Conclusion.

rhett
Download Presentation

J-School Buzz

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. David Teeghman Jennifer Paull Lindsey Wolf J-School Buzz

  2. Overview J-School Buzz • III. Implementing Changes • Editorial philosophy • Publication schedule • Content • Operations • Multimedia • Social Media • IV. Sustainability • New editors • Transition • Expansion • V. Conclusion • I. Audience Research: Web Analytics • Our audience • Most/Least popular stories • Balancing “spinach & sugar” • Social media • II. Lessons Learned • Publication • Content • Multimedia • Social Media • Criticism

  3. J-School Buzz “If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses.” -Henry Ford

  4. J-School BuzzWeb Analytics • Our study • Examined site statistics using: • Studied numbers/feedback from: • Blog post comments • Bit.ly links

  5. What we learned about our audience… J-School BuzzWeb Analytics Source: Quantcast Audience Profile

  6. J-School BuzzWeb Analytics

  7. J-School BuzzWeb Analytics Some of our least popular stories: • Starving Journalist: Comedy Coffeehouse: 29 views • Live Blog: Open Missouri Day at RJI: 36 views • Live Blog: SXSW Debriefing from RJI: 53 views • Open Missouri: Shining a Light on Missouri Government: 53 views Why did they get so little traffic?

  8. J-School BuzzWeb Analytics • Content-Sharing/Links • Huffington Post College • PBS MediaShift • Romenesko • Only Wire • Most Popular Post Elements: • Multimedia: graphics/video • Strong opinion/voice • Controversial • Updated (Process over Product) • Crowdsourcing

  9. J-School BuzzWeb Analytics • Balancing “sugar & spinach” stories • Negative feedback about lack of POYI coverage • Published more conventional “hard news” • Dismal page views • No social media traffic • News they want vs. news they need – the debate

  10. J-School BuzzWeb Analytics • Social Media • Twitter: 1,177 followers • Our most conversational medium • Facebook: 421 “likes” • Lots of “likes” on posts, decent # of comments • Slower growth, less conversation due to design/layout, convenience • Tumblr: 39 followers • Reblogs site content • Slowest growth of all social media • FourSquare: 149 friends • Minimal # of check-ins • Ultimate goal: Leave helpful “tips” that illustrate our role as the insider’s guide to the J-School

  11. J-School BuzzLessons Learned • Publication Schedule • Staff size limits publication amount (with the exception of breaking news) • How to use site stats to our advantage • Title wording can make all the difference • No one reads JSB on Saturday • Starving Journalists don’t work as blog posts • Content • Balance – hard vs. soft news • Tone – inserting voice, humor • Readers’ opinions on objectivity (or lack-thereof) • Importance of absolute transparency

  12. J-School BuzzLessons Learned • Criticism • Our 80-20 rule • Dealing with it in a professional manner • Realizing that some readers think criticizing the J-School in any way is negative • Using it to improve • Trolls • Fake Twitter accounts • Vitriolic Commenters

  13. J-School BuzzLessons Learned • Multimedia • Important from beginning • Show, don’t tell • Video pieces got a lot of backlash because they weren’t perfect – switched to infographics • Fall 2010 Enrollment Statistics: • Over 100 pages of statistics about Mizzou – made multiple graphics • Presented the information different ways to make sure it was still interesting • Posts still centered around J-School, even if they were also about other schools in Big 12 or other colleges

  14. J-School BuzzLessons Learned • Some of the most popular multimedia posts: • Where journalism students end up/came from • How much money journalism students make • How many students have jobs when they graduate, by college and sequence - lead to original contact with Huffington Post College • Least popular: • Where to park around the J-School • Race breakdown - surprised me because I thought it would bring up a lot of concern

  15. J-School BuzzLessons Learned • Social Media • No one had experience with Tumblr, unsure of what to do with it • Must be maintained/updated minute-by-minute • All J-School emails must be read for relevant info to share on social media • FourSquare – no Hootsuite-type program for managing multiple accounts • Make sure to carry on equal conversations on both Facebook and Twitter. Don’t minimize Facebook because it is less popular

  16. J-School BuzzImplementing Changes • Editorial Philosophy • Puts the “objectivity” debate to rest • Clarifies “news site” vs. “blog” • Terms of use • Publication schedule • Frequency (twice  once) • Time of day (morning, early evening) • Days of the week (Monday-Friday, Sunday)

  17. J-School BuzzImplementing Changes • Content • Disclose all biases • Be the J-School’s biggest fan as well as its biggest critic • Operations • Hired a copy editor to review ALL content • All 3 editors share responsibilities, understanding that there will be a lot of cross-over between positions • Learning when to respond to comments and criticism and when to step back

  18. J-School BuzzImplementing Changes • Multimedia • Switched to publishing infographics – videos weren’t good enough • Text that went along with the graphics adding supplementary information • Tried to make sure there was a least some sort of J-School tie with all of the graphics – our key audience • Social Media • Began posting more info on Facebook beyond just story links • J-Info tweets were scheduled as soon as the info was received • Set up access to JSB Twitter on editor’s smart phone to ensure faster responses.

  19. J-School BuzzSustainability • Fall 2011: Independent Study Credit • Publicized opportunity: • Blog post with video • Social media (JSB & Personal) • J-Info & Convergence Listserv • RJI TVs • Application process • 10 applicants granted interviews, 4 selected • Editor-in-chief: Claudia Tran • Social media editor: Mel Gibson • Graphics editor: Francis LaBelle • Video editor: Zach McGowan • Three sequences represented

  20. J-School BuzzSustainability • Transition & Training • Introductory meeting: May 3rd • “Lessons to pass on” Google Doc • Summer transition period • Less frequent publication • Opportunities to slowly take over responsibilities • Training via Skype • August 2011: New editors take over entirely • Original editors available via email & Skype for questions • New titles for current editors

  21. J-School BuzzSustainability • Launched April 17, 2011: • Executive Director: Josh Lory • Senior Content Editor: Zach Fleeman • Senior Web Editor: Thomaz DeSouza • Social Media Editor: Tyler Clark • 1st week: featured on MSNBC, Reddit • 186 Facebook “likes” • 121 Twitter followers

  22. Conclusion J-School Buzz

More Related