"It's a great time to be a reporter but a confusing time to be a reader."
-- Ben Smith, BuzzFeed Editor-in-Chief
That was only one of the many perfectly succinct and Twitter-friendly insights offered by panelists during last week’s New York Daily News Innovation Lab Conversations series concerning the evolving landscape in new media.
New York Daily News Editor-in-Chief, Arthur Browne introduced the panel of reporters that included:
- Robert Moore, Managing Editor and Head of News, New York Daily News
- Tina Rosenberg, Co-Founder, Solutions Journalism Network
- Ben Smith, Editor-in-Chief, BuzzFeed
- Jeanne Straus, President and Publisher, Straus News
- Eric Umansky, Deputy Managing Edior, ProPublica
The talk was moderated by Co-Chairman of New York Daily News and U.S. News & World Report, Eric Gertler.
Technological innovations have quickly changed the nature of the modern newsroom. The ever-shifting landscape means it’s an exciting time for reporters who are eager for experimentation and opportunity. However, as Smith noted, it may confuse readers who are deluged by the sheer amount of news available across multiple platforms.
So, the question becomes:
How should the media leverage technology to deliver the highest quality of news, particularly in this period of uncertainty, anxiety and vast growth?
The industry has been seeing increasing innovation in platform and delivery instead of content. New channels now allow massive scoops to break online quickly before print. However, instantaneous reporting can be subject to inaccuracies and lack of details. Technology can simultaneously help and hinder journalism.
Digital distribution and collaboration is especially important now, after there has been such a massive reduction in resources. For example, no media organization has bureaus in Bronx or Queens courtrooms anymore. The solution to this deficit must be collaboration.
Journalists should use technology to facilitate exchange between publisher and audience in developing stories. When reporting on big events, technology should be leveraged to collaborate in order to advance rather than match stories.
Breaking news online using social media is one of the most competitive aspects in media today. Some stories get dumbed down to get quick eyeballs. Nonetheless, journalists should embrace social media to tell nuanced stories without glossing over content, regardless if the space allows for 10,000 words or 140 characters.
Too many newsrooms are currently mired in competition and measurement myopia, chasing page views and unique visitors. Rather, they ought to be focused on repeat visitors by cultivating the trust of their audience.
Trust will be essential to any newsroom’s success in this age of super swift change, technological innovation and fake news.