A trend that was first flagged in print journalism is now being reflected in the digital world. In short, it relates to the ability in summarising information.
Most users do not have the luxury of time to spend reading in-depth reports in print and it is no different for digital. Mediabistro this week explained why viral news will change the future of digital journalism.
One reasons is that users want something that they can understand on the fly. To do that, the big news must be condensed into digestible and shareable bits of information with only the essential information.
A good sample are the online videos on NowThisNews. The nub of the 90-minute Lance Armstrong interview with Oprah can be seen in a distilled 160 seconds. (To see it, go to http://www.nowthisnews.com/news/lance-armstrongs-oprah-confession-in-160-seconds/)
Infographics, photos and quotes also can become viral news. Infographics can be illustrated with full information that is interesting for users and allow the possibility of sharing with friends.
In the digital age, it is important to understand that the approach should be different, more friendly and less formal considering the number of young users that consume information. Different media require different approaches.
BRIEFS
FT gets more digital staff on board
In a memo sent to staff at the Financial Times, the editor Lionel Barber warned there will be a cut in personnel and a focus more on the digital platform.
“Our goal is to ensure a future for the FT in an increasingly competitive market,” Barber explained, noting that currently access via mobile FT already accounts for 25 per cent of all traffic. He stressed the journalism standards will remain high — original stories based on various sources.
While some staff are laid off, another 10 positions will open in digital, ensuring informations flow on online all day and not just at newspaper deadline time.
(Source: Mashable)
Atari files for bankruptcy
The North American division of Atari, the gaming maker behind popular titles such as River Raid, Pac-Man and Pong, has filed for bankruptcy and sought aid from Chapter 11 to secede from Atari French, which has been under-performing for 14 years. The intention of Atari US is to raise funds to develop mobile games - if he can replicate the success he had with games in the 1980s, it will be worth the risk.
(Source: Ubergizmo and Tecnoblog)
Time Warner stamps out violent ads
A few weeks after the tragedy of Sandy Hook, Time Warner Cable is prohibiting ads involving firearms. It will no longer accept commercial showing semi-automatic weapons and guns pointed at people, said the company.
“If essential to the business that this type of image is shown in the commercial, there are other options available in the market.”
The decision came shortly after a channel ran a campaign from the NRA calling Barack Obama as an “elitist hypocrite” in a critique of the president’s gun control initiative, since his daughters are protected by armed Secret Service agents.
(Source: Multichannel Info)
