February 10, 2006
The washington post gets it II
In the internet age a newspaper has the opportunity to connect more with its readers. The New York Times has chosen to put a wall up between it and its readers called Times Select. But the Washington Post has embraced the new technology as a way of enhancing its coverage.
As I noted in September the Post has now teamed with Technorati to link to bloggers commenting on a story. This has the effect of creating a virtual "letters to the editor" section on the online story. By going to the "Who's Blogging" box you can find others who are commenting on the same story. Perhaps you can gain a new insight and improve your response. It's an excellent feature.
Now the Post has gone one step better. Say you read the story For Americans, It Can Pay to Play in Iran's Court by Karl Vick and you like it (or if you didn't like it). Guess what you can do? You can now click on Karl Vick's name and fill out an e-mail form with your comments. (Disagree if you will, but be polite and not abusive; else this access might well get shut down.)
With the advent of of WTWP radio in Washington ("NPR on caffeine" as one radio executive called it) which will feature interviews with the paper's reporters on the major subjects of the day, the Post will be exposing its reporters to an even wider audience. (Many of them already participate in Live Online! sessions at the papers website.)
While I'm not thrilled by a lot of what I read in the Post - it is too liberal for my taste - I am impressed with this outreach that it is attempting. Such efforts open the paper to greater scrutiny. By contrast to the New York Times, the Post seems to be embracing technology - both old and new - to gain greater exposure for itself and be a part of the online conversation.
Did I mention that the New York Times introduced Times Select?
Technorati Tags: Washington Post, New York Times, Technorati, Blogging, Media.
Posted by SoccerDad at February 10, 2006 1:24 AM | TrackBack
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I was very impressed by the post doing that as well. I had commented on an article and was receiving all this web traffic and couldn't understand why...
Posted by: Jewish Blogmeister at February 10, 2006 4:26 AMI agree the post has done a good job changing with the times. Whereas the Times is trying to force an old economic model on a new medium the post is expanding.
Posted by: bbscan at February 10, 2006 10:12 AMThe Post is doing some great things, including the Technorati team-up and the hot bylines.
Just wanted to mention that here in Baltimore at The Sun, we've included hot links to reporters in all stories for some time now. Currently, the links are at the very end of the story, and we're looking into the technical hurdles to get them in the byline field as well.
This is just one part of a highly-intentional feedback system we launched several years ago which has led to an untold number of valuable conversations between The Sun and our readers.
Here's an example of the reporter-link in action:
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/baltimore_county/bal-md.co.cable10feb10,0,5642144.story?coll=bal-local-baltimorecounty
And here's our main feedback page:
http://www.baltimoresun.com/contactus/
Posted by: Tim Windsor at February 10, 2006 10:15 AMThis is a lot of moaning over an optional $50 per year. The "old economic model", in which you actually have to pay for some things amidst all of the free stuff, is called "capitalism". One of its precepts is: If you don't like it, don't buy it.
Posted by: Greg Kuperberg at February 10, 2006 10:30 AMIn this case your old economic model is called greed, and the new economic model is using freedom of expression telling it like it is.
Posted by: Steevo at February 10, 2006 2:35 PMGreed! Quelle horreur! A major corporation is trying to maximize profit!
But we'll show 'em. The blogosphere will be a utopia of volunteers. From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs.
Posted by: Greg Kuperberg at February 11, 2006 12:39 AMIf the Times wishes to charge for certain premium content, I don't disagree that they have every right to do so. As you point out that's capitalism at work. But I also think that it's driving away web traffic because it discourages bloggers from writing about it.
Presumably the Times hasn't suffered much financially because it hasn't pulled the plug on Times Select. I still think that it will hurt the Times's influence.