Print news publishers looking for ways to integrate location-based technology may be interested in this new strategy from the San Diego Union-Tribune: The paper is offering a free copy of its print edition to those who ‘check-in’ via their mobiles at the newspaper offices or Union-Tribune kiosks.
According to the Shaping the Future of the Newspaper blog, users can simply show their mobile phone to kiosk workers across the city to get their free paper.
CNN has announced on its blog that it is rolling out a new badge system which aims to recognise contributions from their iReporters.
The first badge ‘On the campaign trail’ can be received by downloading the free CNN Election app and taking part in the iReport Election Challenge.
We’ll be rolling out more badges in the next few weeks, so you will be able to earn them by posting iReports, jumping into the comments and getting involved in the community (we’ve also got a few surprise badges up our sleeves). This will be a big improvement over the current “Superstar” system, because it will acknowledge everyone’s participation and give a clearer picture of iReporters’ activity.
Hatip: Lost Remote
The Financial Times has launched its FTChinese.com app for iPad.
The app is compatible with both the wi-fi and 3G iPad models and allows readers to download content to browse offline. It is sponsored by watchmaker Rolex.
The launch follows the FT’s highly successful iPad app, launched in May, which has attracted around 400,000 downloads and generated more than £1 million in advertising revenue. According to global commercial director Ben Hughes, the iPad now accounts for 10 per cent of the paper’s new digital subscriptions.
Oliver Zhang, senior product manager at FTChinese.com said: “The iPad is another exciting platform providing readers with FTChinese.com’s high quality content. Our objective is to allow users to read award-winning content on the move as well as interact further with the website’s dynamic features such as slide shows, videos and interactive quizzes.”
“Think of a number, quarter it, and you’re still not there.”
This was Annemarie Kirk’s answer when asked what her budget was for developing Danish newspaper Berlingske‘s first iPad app to be launched later this month, which she showcased yesterday at the World Editors Forum in Hamburg.
A shoestring budget and a small team were both necessities in developing the business news app and driving forces behind it. Find talented people in your newsroom, young people who will see things differently and get them to work on it, said Kirk. Don’t overlook existing skills though: much of the design for the new app was done by a newspaper designer from Berlingske’s print edition who had never even worked on design for the website. He was set to work on the iPad app though, alongside an external web designer brought in for the project.
The application, which is awaiting approval by Apple, will combine content from the print and online editions of the business section through a semi-automated process, said Kirk. Concept design and project management were carried out in Denmark and technological development in Kiev, Ukraine following a study into what applications and devices Berlingske should be launching onto, that began back in March.
It’s clear from the development that has taken place this has been a tightly managed project, but Kirk said there has been a real need to get onto the iPad, despite the device not being on sale in Denmark, as traffic stats show a significant growth in the number of users accessing the Berlingske website via an iPad.
Fellow panellist at the WEF event, Alfredo Triviño, who as director of creative projects at News International has overseen many of the publisher’s iPhone and iPad application developments, said the success of building apps for “liquid media” devices relies on understanding the technological boundaries.
“Tablets are not websites, they’re not newspapers, magazines or books. Not all of our content we produce is consumed. (…) probably we need tablet newspapers,” he said.
“Loading time is critical and progressive downloading is a must (…) Success also grows from envisioning what is next.”
When developing apps for tablet devices, news organisations must look out how these apps will scale and be iterated.
Speaking to Journalism.co.uk after the debate, he said news organisations will have to reassess their plans when the next wave of technology comes to tablet devices, including built-in cameras and better integration with social media. Hear more of what he had to say in our WEF podcast at this link.
Speaking more generally, president of media for Thomson Reuters, Chris Ahearn, said that “whether it’s a tablet or a smartphone or a device we haven’t seen yet” news organisations have to embrace change. As an industry they must “lean into the wind together” and, to make these new apps part of a successful business model to support journalism, “collectively rise”.
When designing apps or tablet propositions, news organisations must look at what their readers and consumers want and need, and build a subscriber base, he said.
How can we add unique value to each subscriber? The answer for us is not always more content. It has to include more services. We have to embrace the technological advances to build compelling user experiences. We have to put that content into context and develop a loyal customer base.
A great spot from Wired’s Epicenter Blog: is Facebook developing a phone or not?
While aggregators filter information, what role should they have in verifying content? Or are such images illustrative of the current state of journalism?
Editor of Sun Online Pete Picton has been enlisted to help launch a “new digital project” at News Corporation in New York, according to a paidContent report.
The project is understood to be part of News Corps’ reported plans to develop a new tablet-only newspaper.
News Corp has already enlisted New York Post executive editor Jesse Angelo to head the project, which seems designed to go nationwide with a mass-market U.S. title on iPad in the same way the Sun has been in the smaller UK for decades.
Picton has been editor of the Sun Online for the past 10 years.
A report carried out every two years by the Pew Research Center suggests Americans are spending more time consuming news now than 10 years ago.
The research, released this week, found that rather than replacing traditional media with digital platforms, consumers spend an additional 13 minutes daily getting news online as well as 57 minutes on average getting news from traditional media such as television, radio and newspapers. In the year 2000 the survey reported a total of 59 minutes was spent by audiences consuming news, with no time reportedly spent consuming news online by respondents until 2004.
According to the report, this is one of the highest totals measured since the mid-1990s, which does not take into account time spent getting news from mobile phones or other digital devices. Only eight per cent of respondents get their news from their mobile.
The news consumption survey recorded the responses from more than 3000 adults from 8 to 28 of June. Other findings include an increase in ‘news-grazers’ who consume the news on a less regular basis from 40 per cent in 2006 to 57 per cent in 2010. The survey also found an increase in the use of search engines for news gathering, rising to 33 per cent from 19 per cent in 2008.
The Washington Post has put together a mobile leadership team to develop the availability of its content on portable devices with a new app for the iPad currently being created, according to a report on The Upshot.
The latest developments which were allegedly detailed in a staff email sent out earlier this week and a statement given to The Upshot are part of the Post’s ongoing attempts to increase access to its content through mobile and open up new revenue streams.
Commenting on the news Dawn Osakue advised on the Editors Weblog that newpapers do not simply aim to offer access to their content on as many platforms as possible but remember to be creative.
Going mobile is a bold step for newspaper publishers, but they have to keep in mind that creativity remains very important. Recent research confirmed that newspapers still have a long way to go in exploiting the potential of mobile platforms.
Total Film magazine has launched an iPhone app today, providing users with new location based and social media sharing services.
The app, which costs £1.79, features latest news, reviews and trailers from the magazine’s website alongside content exclusive to the app such as location-based cinema listings, show times and directions. The app will also allow users to share content via email, Facebook and Twitter.
The app launch follows a complete redesign of the print magazine earlier this year.
Nial Ferguson, publishing director for Future’s Entertainment and Tech Lifestyle portfolios, said: “Having listened closely to our readers, we have developed the most complete app available to UK movie fans, as we ensure Total Film appeals to committed enthusiasts, across all brand platforms.”
The Nieman Journalism Lab has launched its own app, available on the iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch.
The app offers the latest stories and videos from the site itself, as well as pulling in updates from its Twitter feed, updated link lists from Hourly Press and other third-party content recommended by the lab.