Managing User-generated content on media websites

1. Managing User-generated content on media websites Piet Bakker ASCoR - University of Amsterdam / Hogeschool Utrecht

2. Dutch internet use

3. Reach Dutch newspaper websites

4. Use of newspaper websites (month)

5. Newspapers, journalism, new media Three studies • Blogging on news sites (Hille & Bakker) • Visual UGC on media websites (Pantti & Bakker) • The value of UGC for news (Bakker & Pantti) Method • Interviews (36) • Websites analyzed (15)

6. Key publications Normative • Bowman & Willis, 2003; Gillmor, 2004 • Keen, 2006 Empirical • Paulussen et. al, 2007; Bergström, 2008; Chung, 2008; Domingo et. al, 2008; Hermida & Thurman, 2008; Örnebring, 2008;Thurman, 2008; Hermida, 2009.

7. A majority of editors (…) complained that getting acceptable written content - e.g. stories - from citizen journalists usually required significant investments of newsroom staff time to train, coach, educate, confirm and edit. Project for Excellence in Journalism (2008, p. 26)

8. Research questions Impact on news & journalism? • Under what conditions what kind of value for news content? • Collaboration or contribution? • If no news, then what do users contribute? Business perspective • Costs & costs savings

9. Expectations: positive but carefull • Tsunami, 9/11, London & Madrid, Van Gogh • Availability of camera equipped phones • International role model’ BBC & CNN • Expecting a dialogue with readers “when my house is on fire, I don’t see the fire brigade but someone with a camera”

10. news (leads) interesting for journalists discussions more transparancy communication with users interesting for readers journalistic benefits more visitors advertising revenues more loyal users cost saving financial benefits Free User-Generated Content

11. Comments Accountability & transparency Loyal readership Exceptional circumstances Predictable Few contributors Experiences: hopes & disappointments “Finding news is an exception.” “I’m disappointed when I have less than 30 comments for my story.”

12. NRC Handelsblad Readers “I” stories Expert blogs AT5 News pictures & video’s Usable in TV news Unieuws Closing the holes in the news-net Exceptions: NRC, AT5 & Unieuws

13. Weak spots: abuse & counterfeits Quality of content • “in terms of news it’s minimal” • Racism and abuse in comments • Anonymity Photoshop artists • “You have to be sure that it is really what it’s supposed to be”

14. Moderation & direction Different moderation regimes • Journalists moderating • Heavy users moderate • Outsourcing moderation • Closing topics for comments • Self-cleansing (complaints) • Ban & block users Alternatives • Registration • Promotion • Direction • Participating

15. Expected & fringe benefits Expected benefits • “We certainly have a community” • “It’s the accelerator for the number of visits” Non news ‘benefits’ • “Within three hours we had 700 photos” • “the ‘ikjes’ became the most popular part of the website.”

16. Free User-Generated Content news (leads) interesting for journalists discussions more transparancy communication with users interesting for readers journalistic benefits more visitors advertising revenues cost saving more loyal users financial benefits Moderation Quality Non-news

17. Implications for theory • Audience participation, interactivity & participatory journalism • U&G becoming a reality? • Technology: broadband, multimedia, comments, crowdsurfing, blogs, twitter, Youtube, Flickr, social networks • Technological determinism rediscovered

18. Discussion • Reluctant journalists? or... • The myth of audience participation • Exceptions: focus, local, personal (non-news) • The lacking business perspective