Inner Circle GateHouse Media

News & Interactive

Agenda

• What is Inner Circle?• GateHouse digital growth, emphasis• Web – Web updates– Photo galleries, ‘Seen-on-Scene’– Video– Social media– Blogs

• Print: Platform-appropriate publishing• Resources

What is Inner Circle?

What is the Inner Circle?When newsrooms have mastered all online and print concepts, they make the Inner Circle. Today’s Inner Circle goals:

Constant online updatesPhoto galleries‘Seen-on-Scene’ galleriesVideoSocial mediaCommunity bloggingPlatform-appropriate publishing

What is Inner Circle?

Why Inner Circle?

• These are best practices• Production expectations are

important• Consistent editorial practices are

needed• Allows company to eye bigger-

picture plays and new initiatives • Shows you can manage new

content, workflow

Why Inner Circle?

As our digital audience grows,expectations for Inner Circle areincreasingly web-focused. •15% increase in overall pageviews– 858M in 2011 to 1B in 2012

•22% increase in pages per visit– 2.89 in 2011 to 3.53 in 2012

•73% increase in average time on site– 2:28 in 2011 to 4:18 in 2012

Why Inner Circle?

Social media referrals and mobile traffic also saw impressive gains.•11% increase in Facebook referrals– 9.7M in 2011 to 10.9M in 2012

•257% increase in Twitter referrals– 223K in 2011 to 796K in 2012

Why Inner Circle?

Changing audience

Emphasison social media•19% viewed news via social media within the last day •33% adults younger than age 30 viewed news via social media within the last day•13% read a newspaper in print or digital formSource: Pew Research Center, Sept. 2012

Web expectations

Website updates•Constant updates build traffic•Offers different content than our print products•Keep our sites fresh, for return visitors

1-2 person newsroomTwo or more daily

3-5 person newsroomFive or more daily

6-19 person newsroom10 or more daily

20+ person newsroom15 or more daily

Web updates

Constant updatesmean more traffic•Where to post: News Now, Top Stories or the carousel•What counts: Unique web content

– Police items– Community briefs– Sports game updates or scores– Photo galleries or video– Breaking news

Web expectations

Photo galleries•Crucial to building traffic•Five photos or more•Should be hosted in‘Our Photos’ section

1-2 person newsroomAt least one weekly

3-5 person newsroomAt least two weekly

6-19 person newsroomAt least three weekly

20+ person newsroomAt least five weekly

Photo galleries

Galleries should be hosted in‘Our Photos’•Attach to stories as well•Standalones, promote in News Now or carousel•Weekly roundups work well

Web expectations

Seen-on-Scene galleries•Posed photos taken at community events•Two to three people per shot•Requirement same for all newsrooms

1-2 person newsroomAt least one per week

3-5 person newsroomAt least one per week

6-19 person newsroomAt least one per week

20+ person newsroomAt least one per week

‘Seen on scene’

Galleries of staged photos from local events•Ask for permission to take photo, get two or three people •Label them ‘Seen on Scene’•Identify the event and location in cutline; do not list names•Crowd, action shots don’t work•15 photos minimum

Web expectations

Video•Focus on simple, unedited video•Invest editing time for projects, series•Consistency will build traffic

1-2 person newsroomAt least one weekly

3-5 person newsroomAt least two weekly

6-19 person newsroomAt least three weekly

20+ person newsroomAt least five weekly

Video

Focus on short, unedited video•Limit video to a minute or less•Shoot video on stories you are already covering•Reporters should keep a camera with them

Video

• Breaking news• Weather• Business-related features• Local events• Beginnings, ends of projects• Celebrities• Sports previews

Web expectations

Community blogs•Bloggers are expected to post at least twice weekly•Blogs need to be hosted on GateHouse website•Constant recruitment

1-2 person newsroomAt least two blogs

3-5 person newsroomAt least two blogs

6-19 person newsroomAt least three blogs

20+ person newsroomAt least six blogs

Community blogs

Developing a network of community voices•Constant recruitment is necessary•Use all platforms to recruit•Encourage, coach, promote

Web expectations

Facebook•Referral traffic is growing•Posts should go up seven days a week•Engagement is critical

1-2 person newsroomAt least two posts per day

3-5 person newsroomAt least four posts per day

6-19 person newsroomAt least five posts per day

20+ person newsroomAt least six posts per day

Facebook

Daily posting will leadto more referrals, likes•Users are more active on weekends, non-working hours•Use Facebook’s scheduling tool or HootSuite•Include questions, photos and links

Facebook

Managing the expectations•Not all posts have to be hard news.•Make sure everyone in your newsroom can post.•Include questions, photos and links

Facebook

Two dozen suggestions for “any time” posts

1- Group shots for tagging2- Online poll3- Videos from earlier that week4- Photo galleries from earlier that week5- Something upcoming from events calendar6- New blog post7- Weather updates8- Online only, canned content9- Questions about national stories10- Comments on national sports11- Sweet deals, freebies12- Gratuitous cute kid photos

FacebookTwo dozen suggestions for ‘any time’ posts

13- Historical photos14- Cool story quotes15- Entertainment-driven commentary16- Local sports predictions17- Gratuitous pet photos18- Local athlete stats19- Popular on our site20- From the archives21- In case you missed it22- Share a fan’s post23- Random “It’s (blank) day!”24- Shameless Twitter promotion

Web expectations

Twitter•Full-time reporters tweet twice daily, seven days a week on individual, professional accounts•Editors tweet daily, seven days a week using newspaper’s account

Twitter

News consumers increasingly using Twitter•Help our brand, grow our audience•HootSuite for non-working days•Be conversational, but professional

Twitter Q&A

Why should I have a Twitter account that is separatefrom the newspaper’s account?A reporter’s Twitter account is a place for the reporter to tweet color and background, breaking news, and to engage with followers.

I'm an editor without a reporter. I have a newspaper Twitter account - do I also have to have an account in my name?We strongly encourage editors without reporters to set up their own professional Twitter accounts in order to recap all the same benefits reporters would, but it is not required for Inner Circle.

Twitter Q&A

What should my Twitter handle be?A reporter’s Twitter handle should be some combination of the reporter’s name and the newspaper Twitter handle. For example, the State Journal-Register’s Twitter handle is @SJ-R. Reporter Molly Beck’s Twitter handle is @MollyBeckSJR

How often should I tweet?You should tweet at least two scheduled Twitter posts each day, more if you are tweeting live from a big story or breaking news event.

Twitter Q&A

How can I tweet on days I’m not working? What sort of things should I tweet then?You can use HootSuite, a free social media dashboard, to schedule tweets in advance for days you are not working.

In case you missed itLooking aheadEntertainment contentLifestyles content

Weather Blog postsCalloutsFacebook promotion

Print expectations

Platform-appropriate publishing•Coming in Print: In each issue, tease one item that will appear in upcoming issue•Only Online: In each issue, tease one item that will appear exclusively online

Coming in Print

‘Coming in Print’ should tease future content•In every issue you publish, tease one item that will appear in an upcoming issue•Be specific and engaging•Publish in your front page rail

Coming in Print

Examples:

COMING IN PRINT: Who gets the drug money? There are advantages beyond taking dealers off streets.

COMING IN PRINT: Are state workers entitled to free health coverage? Our edit board weighs in.

COMING IN PRINT: Quarterback Wes Lunt is surpassing records, but one accomplishment outweighs all.

Only Online

‘Only Online’ should tease web exclusives•Tease one item in every issue you publish that is appearing on your website exclusively•Focus on web-based content like video and blog posts•Use entertainment or lifestyles content•Be specific

Only Online

Examples:

ONLY ONLINE: Watch a video of the Middletown High School choir performance

ONLY ONLINE: Seeing a movie this weekend? Read a review of “The Dark Knight Rises” under our Entertainment section

ONLY ONLINE: Local blogger and bicyclist Jim Nelson gives his top trail picks in Lewis County

Roundup

Constant online updatesPhoto galleries‘Seen-on-Scene’ galleriesVideoSocial mediaCommunity bloggingPlatform-appropriate publishing

www.ghnewsroom.com

Inner Circle GateHouse Media

News & Interactive

Readers Drive Content and

Design Changes

Agenda• Print research• Online research• Data-driven digital insights

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About New Media

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LOCAL NEWS

New Media is one of the largest publishers of locally based print and online media in the U.S.

Portfolio Overview

Community Publications

Yellow Page Directories

Related Websites

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356

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100% of our daily newspapers have been published for More Than 50 Years

Digital Marketing Services Business

New Media Reach

Operate in 356 Markets Across 24 States

Reach over 12 million people on a Weekly BasisServe over 130k Small & Medium Businesses

Research• We’ve invested heavily in reader research• Trying to understand what will balance, grow audience• We haven’t asked readers what makes them happy• Ensure results are actionable

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Panel and Survey Overview• 5,900 member consumer panel, across seventeen GateHouse markets• Panelists recruited via newspaper and online ads, email blasts, Publisher/Editor letters

• Survey response rate: 20-50%, always 1000+ respondents

• To date, seven print-focused content surveys fielded:• Baseline survey: Studied consumers’ attitudes and interests with respect to local news,

with specific focus on GHS print and digital products

• Content interest survey: Gauged panelist interest in broad categories and specific topics of content

• Two prototype surveys: Tested content/photo mix and design preferences

• Three topical surveys: Gauged interest in category subtopics and presentation format

• Things to Do

• National, International and State News

• Sports

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Key Insights• GHS papers – strong brands, but vulnerable• In almost all markets surveyed, the leading source for local news

• Emotional connections to papers run deep

• Panelists desire paper to feel more substantive – highlighting need for strong enterprise reporting

• Trustworthy, high quality, investigative, complete, in-depth and smart are among top attributes aligned with positive evaluations

• ‘More local coverage in the Main section’ and ‘More depth to news stories’ = greater value

• Preference for front pages with more text, fewer photos

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Key Insights• Five areas readers consistently say are most important to them, in aggregate,

across GHS markets:1. Things to do

2. Investigative

3. Crime

4. Nation and world

5. Politics and government

• Content interests are more similar than different across markets• Investigative, Things to Do rank consistently high

• Personal impact, relevance increase interest

• Variations in emphasis exist by market

• Story interests mostly similar among men and women

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Page One Design: Two rounds of prototype testing included more traditional designs…

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And less traditional, with greater emphasis on photography

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Clear winner identified• Skybox has 3 story

items, with varied color backgrounds Preferred 56% to 22% over Actual P1

• (asked of all 8 markets)

• Briefs in rail separated as “National News” and “Local News” Preferred 61% to 21% over Actual P1

• (asked of all 8 markets)

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3-day forecast top right Preferred 70% to 12% over Actual P1(asked in Peoria, Norwich, Holland)

4 stories vs. 3 on the front page:• “Gives it more substance” (54% vs. 34%)• “Looks better” (52% vs. 33%)• “Makes it easier to find a story I’m especially interested in” (55% vs. 27%)(asked in the 5 markets where the actual P1 paper had 3 stories rather than 4)

Consistent use of 4 Column photoPhoto/edit mix ratings significantly higher in more traditional presentations

Areas of focus based on initial Baseline, Content Interest research

• Enterprise Content

• Package Labels

• Brag Boxes

• Things to Do

• Localize Content

• Design Process

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Package Labels

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Brag Boxes

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Local Events and Things to Do• Top interests:• Exhibitions (museums, galleries,

historical sites) – both local and regional

• Day trips (within a few hours)

• Festivals, both local and regional

• Restaurant-related information (reviews, news, cheap eats)

• Action Steps:• Weekday, weekend Things to Do on

Calendar page

• Exhibitions and festivals:

• Narrative advance with practical info

• Recap with picture pages

• Ongoing features on regional daytrips

• Restaurant coverage • Openings and closings• Weekly reviews of local eateries • Best restaurants for… feature

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National, International and State News Coverage

• What are readers looking for when it comes to non-local coverage? • Acknowledge primary role is local

coverage; yet, don’t want to rely on TV/ the Internet for national and world news

• While 64% select TV or the internet as their primary source for National and International News, nearly 50% include their local paper in their ‘Top 3’ sources

• Expect coverage of breaking news, with state-wide or national impact

• Tend to prefer short summaries and visuals/graphics

• Sensitive to the limited resources/ space their paper has for this coverage

• Hierarchy of interest: State, National, International news

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National. International and State News Coverage

• Topics generating most interest:

• Politics/Government: State legislative actions/major issues; State politics; Government spending; Legislation in process (national); Issues of intense national debate; and, Federal political leaders

• Breaking News: Crime, bombings, verdicts; Natural disasters; and, Extreme weather

• Business: General economic reports; Transportation industry news; and, Regulatory news

• Science and Technology: Medical technology; Environmental tech; Healthcare tech (m-health, impacts of tech on health)

• Health: Health studies (medical breakthroughs); Healthcare legislation; Nutrition; and, Health coverage/insurance

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National, International and State News Coverage

• Action Steps:• Front page rail

• Wire content allocation

• State/National wire story on A1

• Open Pages

• State: Every day

• National/International: If space allows

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Design• • Center for News

& Design opened in May in Austin, TX

• • Hub for quality editing and design services for 150 newspapers

• • Also providing niche, community publishing and custom content

• • Starting to provide services for clients

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Recap and Next Steps• Recap: Research recommendations that apply to all• Page One:

• 3 sky boxes

• 3-day weather

• 4 stories, including 1 State/National story

• 4 column photos

• Other:

• State page, daily

• Calendar, daily

• 5 Things to Do this Weekend (Wednesday or Thursday) and This Week (Sunday)

• Research: Final baseline tracking survey October 2014

• Will roll out across entire organization later this year

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Online Research• Several-month digital engagement for our weekly newspapers in NE• Tried to establish the content and user experience our readers wanted• Tried to understand top content topics• Mix of hyper local, regional and national content• New experiences we can build: Forums, marketplace, etc.• Make it actionable!

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Members seek variety of local info: News stories (i.e., local, breaking, crime/public safety), events and town government info are most sought

Local community news and information topics sought for (n=80)

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While Wicked Local is most widely used source for community info and news within Community Connection, most members rely on multiple sources

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“To be honest, I haven’t really found a one stop shopping site that has everything I’m looking for in a local community news source: something with relevant information on my community (e.g., Patch.com featured news last year leading up to the transition to an automated trash collection system), important announcements (e.g., info on the Watertown overnight parking ban, which Patch.com most often has info on), event listings (nothing I’ve found is truly comprehensive so I have to scan a couple of different sites), real estate, etc.” - Daniela B., 25-44, Watertown

Because no single local source has been able to meet all of their needs…

Online ResearchMost frequently requested content topics

Aside from local news and town government, these are some of the top things people are looking for from their local website

•Things to do/events/family activities– — Consistently a top request. Static calendar is not enough

•Local business– — Restaurants/food and dining– — Real estate

•School coverage– — Beyond school committee

•Police/fire/crime– — Top traffic section. Want additional content.

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Members seek a wide variety of local information: News stories (i.e., local, breaking, crime/public safety), events and town government info are most sought

Local community news and information topics sought for

Online ResearchDriving content forward

•5 things to do this weekend feature, great calendar management

•Restaurant reviews/profiles

•House of the Week

•Best of the police scanner

•Inside the classroom video

•Heavy does of proactive story telling

“Education/Schools seems to be the most difficult area to obtain up to date information on. I have a really hard time finding out information regarding anything going on at my children’s schools.” - Melissa D., 25-44, Plymouth

Digital Newsrooms

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Digital content challenges

• Digital planning

• Print mentality

• Experimentation with tools

• Actionable data

Digital content opportunities

• Help newsrooms make data actionable

• Seek data solutions for newsrooms

• Understand digital leadership is key to our growth

Digital Newsrooms: A view of the future

• Daily data analysis next level of our research• Newsroom budgeting, for digital, has to be a priority going forward• Measuring content has to evolve past looking at PVs• Find data solution for newsrooms

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Readers Drive Content and

Design Changes