Digital Editors' Network

#SoLoMoDEN Social, Local and Mobile Innovation & MADE project launch on the agenda for next DEN meetup on 23 Feb in Media City, Manchester

2012-01-03T22:32:00.000-08:00

Innovations in Social, Local and Mobile news top the agenda for the next Digital Editors Network meeting from 1-5:30pm on Thursday, 23 February2012, at Media City UK in Manchester, followed by a networking reception and launch of the MADE project, the UK winner of the International Press Institute's inaugural News Innovation Contest sponsored by Google.

Leading the discussions on Social, Local and Mobile Innovations are:

Greg Hadfield (@greghadfield) on how the rise of open-data cities is giving local media a chance to re-invent themselves – and why it could be their last lifeline. Greg, a former Fleet Street journalist and internet entrepreneur, is director of strategic projects with Cogapp, an award-winning digital agency in Brighton and Hove.
Paul Bradshaw (@paulbradshaw) on opportunities for news enterprises to co-create content through new HelpMeInvestigate initiatives. Paul is author of the Online Journalism Handbook, founder of the Online Journalism Blog, HelpMeInvestigate and Hacks & Hackers Birmingham.
Sarah Hartley (@foodiesarah) on how news innovators can use the Guardian Media Group’s nOtice.com platform for local content, communities and commerce. Sarah is Managing Director of TalkAboutLocal and Community Strategist for GMG.
François Nel (@francoisnel) on the how local newspapers are doing on the 4Cs of mobile news - content, channels, content and commerce – and why they’re in danger of making some grave errors. François is digital media business researcher and director of the Journalism Leaders Programme at UCLan.

François also recently became the only UK winner of the inaugural International Press Institute’s News Innovation Contest funded by a grant from Google. During the networking reception that will follow the DEN meeting at 5:30, François will briefly explain the Media And Digital Enterprise (MADE) project which aims to equip digital innovators with the cutting-edge knowledge and skills required to start up and sustain innovative new journalistic enterprises in the public interest. The MADE project hopes to support individuals, groups and organisations in- and outside of the mainstream media (To stay in the MADE project loop, see http://bit.ly/thXQiy ) .

The discussion will be chaired by Nick Turner (@nickincumbria), Head of Digital Content for the CN Group and a co-founder of DEN.

You can register for one of the 50 spaces at the next #SoLoMoDEN or to only join for MADE project launch here.

Since 2007, the Digital Editors Network has worked to link media innovators, whether they work inside, outside or alongside mainstream media organisations. You can connect with DEN by liking our Facebook page , joining our Linkedin group, or following us on Twitter @DENupdates or this blog. DEN is supported by the School of Journalism, Media & Communication at the University of Central Lancashire in Preston, UK, home to the UK's oldest journalism programme.

If you'd like to contribute ideas, speak, host or sponsor a future DEN meetup, don't hesitate to contact the convenors Nick Turner nick.turner @cumbrian-newspapers. co.uk or François Nel FPNel @uclan . ac . uk

Attention News Entrepreneurs: IPI News Innovation Contest winner wants to help you

2011-11-28T05:07:00.000-08:00

One of three winners in the International Press Institute’s News Innovation Contest 2011, the co-convenor of the Digital Editors Network plans to use his funding to support news entrepreneurs.

François Nel, Director of the Journalism Leaders Programme at UCLan, beat off stiff competition from 300 other projects, to be named as one of only three winners who will share a $600, 000 grant from Google for projects in across Mali, Turkey, France, the Netherlands and the UK.

Nel said he will use his grant to launch the Media And Digital Enterprise (MADE) project, which aims to equip digital innovators in the UK and Turkey with the cutting-edge knowledge and skills required to start up and sustain innovative new journalistic enterprises in the public interest.

“With easy access to new and cheap technology, starting up a new media enterprise is pretty straightforward; keeping it up is much more complex," said Nel. "That’s the key challenge MADE will tackle."

Nel, who researches and consults widely on online business model development, will be working in collaboration with software developers from ScaperWiki.com and Sarah Hartley, interim managing director of UK hyperlocal experts Talk About Local and community strategist for Guardian Media Group.

Over the course of the next year, the MADE project will, in the first instance, offer up to 60 news entrepreneurs training in data-driven journalism, online community engagement and digital business development.

Next, 10 high-potential entrepreneurs will be selected to receive up to £3,000 in software and business development support, as well as mentoring through UCLan’s award-winning Northern Lights business incubation support team Digital Editors Network

Finally, the experiences of the project participants will be shared through detailed case study reports and presentations at Digital Editors Network networking events.

If you're interesting in keeping in the loop on how the MADE project develops in the UK and Turkey, add your contact details HERE.

The International Press Institute (IPI), in line with its commitment to defending press freedom and promoting the quality of journalism worldwide, launched the IPI News Innovation Contest with a grant from Google in 2010.

The process of selecting the winners was very rigorous. More than 300 applications were whittled down to 74 and then, in a second round, to 26 finalists whose submissions were reviewed by a panel of experts including Jeff Jarvis, Director of the Tow-Knight Center for Entrepreneurial Journalism at City University of New York; Torsten De Riese, former Director of CNBC Europe and Managing Director of NewsCred Ltd; Daoud Kuttab, General Manager of the Community Media Network in Jordan, Amy Webb, CEO of Webbmedia in the US and Anthony Dara, founder of NN24 Network News 24) in Nigeria’s first 24-hour news channel.

“The contest, a first of its kind for the 61-year-old IPI, is in line with the organization’s commitment to defending press freedom and promoting the quality of journalism worldwide,” said IPI Executive Director Alison Bethel McKenzie, who was also on the review panel.

" Of course, UCLAN is home to the UK's oldest journalism programme and has been working to help industry worldwide address some of its key challenges for almost 50 years now, " said Nel. "This project is another example of our commitment to supporting the global news industry as it changes and evolves.”

"I'm really looking forward to linking with others who are committed to building innovative, sustainable digital news enterprises," said Nel, who can be contacted at FPNel [at] uclan.ac.uk, or on Twitter @francoisnel .

Join the #den2011 conversation live here

2011-10-20T02:27:00.000-07:00

<a href="http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php/option=com_mobile/task=viewaltcast/altcast_code=1f95cfcf59" >#den2011 Digital Editors Network autumn meetup</a>

The Digital Editors Network line up for 20th October is:

13h00 -13h45 Registration & lunch

13h45 - Welcome

13h55 -14:45 - Cliff Langley & Dawn Archer

14h45-15h20 - March Reeves

15h20-16h45 - Break

16h45-16h15 - Grig Davidovitz

16h15-16h45 - Paul Galaghar
1645 Wrap up

17h00 - Networking reception

18h00 - 19h15 14th Journalism Leaders Forum & live Webcast: "The Future of UK Press Regulation: Is there a Third Way", in collaboration with the UK Society of Editors.

Informal discussions continue at the Lamb & Packet

Twitter conversation: #den2011

Diary note: Want to join us next time? The next Digital Editors Network is 24 February 2012. Theme: Invention + exploitation = innovation. Confirmed speaker: Nick Jaspan, serial entrepreneur and founder of How-Do.co.uk.

Leading media innovators contribute to Autumn 2011 DEN meeting, master classes and Forum

2011-08-02T05:32:00.000-07:00

Leading innovators in digital media content, multi-platform designand online business models are lined up for two days of Digital Editors Networkmaster classes, meetings and meetups on October 20th and 21st in Preston.

Thursday, October 20^th

09:00- 15:00 Master Class: TruthTelling. Have you ever been deceived?In an interview for a new recruit? By a business partner or client? By a colleague? By a news source?
The Truth Telling Master Class with Cliff Lansley and Dr Dawn Archer will interest all who are concerned about the validity of what we hear read and see. Cliff is managing director of Paul Ekman International, whichhas been established to make emotional skills and deception detectionprogrammes accessible across the world, and Dawn is Reader in CorpusLinguistics at the Universityof Central Lancashire, where her internationally-rated research includesusing computer aided linguistic analysis to identify implicit/“hidden”messages.
More details about the master class, which suitable for professionals from a variety of disciplines, including media managers, investigators andresearchers, download the workshop flyer here and register here.

13:00-17:00 Autumn DigitalEditors Network meeting programme will focus on innovations incross-platform content, design and commerce. Confirmed presenters are:

Paul Gallagher. The Manchester Evening News was praised for its coverage of the summer riots which included instant news, pictures and comment via a live blog that ran during the disturbances. Paul, the MEN's head of online editorial, reports on its success and gives digital editors the chance to reflect on the advantages and limitations of live blogging.

[Note: This session has been rescheduled for the next DEN meeting in Feb 2012] Sarah Hartley. Guardian Media Group Community StrategistSarah Hartley will introduce GMG’s latest innovation: n0tice.com, a communitynoticeboard for online and mobile. Sarahwill give DEN a glimpse behind the scenes at the site's Beta and explain the opportunitiesit provides for local newspaper journalists.

Grig Davidovitz. “Content is beautiful. Surprising. Shocking.Funny. Dramatic. Engaging. Try to see that in today’s journalistic websites.They are over-crowded with information, displayed in dull, static templateswith dense content areas and inefficient banners. So how can websites expresstheir content better?” A cross-media digitaldesign specialist with wide international experience, Grig will address thaqt question during the DEN meetingand expand his explanation the next day in the News Show master class (Register here.).

Cliff Lansley.There’s a lot of talk about truth and lies in the media. But just how good areyou at detecting truth and deception in verbal and non-verbal communication? Paul Ekman International managing director CliffLansley will introduce some basic truth/liess analysis techniques – and giveyou a chance to test them.

Marc Reeves. When the editor of the Birmingham Post leftthe mainstream media to join digital start up TheBusinessDesk.com many wondered just how long it wouldlast. Well, it’s been almost two yearsand Marc will tell us what it takes not only to start up a new online news business,but to keep it up.

Book your place at #den2011 here .

17:00-18:00 Networking Reception in Greenbank Foyer.

18:00-19:15 The 14th Journalism Leaders Forum in Greenbank Lecture Theatre will debate"Press Regulation: Is there Third Way?" These have been bruising times for the Press. Scandals about the conduct of some journalistshave not only brought down journalists, senior executives and one of thelargest newspapers in Britain, but it has also prompted the resignation of thehead of the Press Complaints Commission and raised questions about the futureof press regulation. Those who seek to simplify the issues usually offer twooptions: press self-regulation, or government regulation. But others are lookingfurther afield and so we're asking, "Is there a Third Way?" Thepanel will include executive director of the Society of Editors BobSatchwell, head of journalism ethics at UCLAN and former deputy editor of The Independent on Saturdays Michael Williams, the head of the Global Forum for Media Development Bettina Petersand, author of Journalism Ethics and Regulation Prof Chris Frost, Director of the Media Standards Trust Martin Moore and Prof Peter Cole, co-author of Newspaper Journalism. This event, which is open to all UCLAN students and the public, but advance registration is essential in order to guarantee seating.

If you can't be there in person, there are other ways to join the discussion. You can post your questions and comments on this site, or you can participate in the live Webcast by logging in here as a "guest". Online participants will be able to post questions to panellists and each other in a text chat room. Follow the conversation on Twitter at#14jlp.

19:15 onwards. Informal discussions continue at the Lamb & Packet pub .

FRIDAY, October 21^st

Update: Regrettably this Master Class has been postponed until Spring 2012. Please contact Francois Nel at FPNel @ uclan.ac.uk if you'd like to get more information.

10:00-17:00 MasterClass: It’s News Show Time online, on mobile, on tablets. Wondering how mobiles and tablets influence your website design - and your cross media business strategy? Then join this one-day workshop with Grig Davidovitz on ways to turn dull, template-based sites into coherent, cross-platform newsexperiences that captivate users, confound the competition - and grow revenues.
As online journalism evolves it becomes clear that the one-template static sites are just not enough. News sites should be able toinstantly change to reflect drama (Muammar Qaddafi has been toppled) tohighlight the best elements of the article (an amazing video of the hurricaneIrene hitting the shores of the US) and to create dynamic information packages(all the news on the elections today). This dynamic experience should bevisible on all digital devices, according to the users’ choice: laptops, mobilephones and tablets.
This workshop will be presented by the international digital media consultantGrig Davidovitz, who is regular conference speaker and workshop leader for the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA). Grig has recently worked with, among others, HearstMagazines (US), 24 Sata (Croatia), TTGItalia (Italy) and Haaretz (Israel).
In the first part, the workshop will present solutions forimproving organic traffic and stickiness by creating flexible news sites andsuccessfully duplicating this "news show" on all devices. In thesecond part, it will explore different ways of monetizing digital products,including: a) Improving display-ads; b) paywalls, freemium and selling content;c) e-commerce.

Please register for the News Show Master Class here.

For the latest programme information follow @denupdates on Twitter or contact Francois Nel at FPNel @ uclan.ac.uk or Nick Turner at Nick.Turner @ cngroup.co.uk .

Help shape the DEN programme for 2011/12

2011-07-15T00:42:00.000-07:00

Restoring trust. Reviving revenues. Republishing across multiple mobile devices. Recruiting and retaining talent, inside and outside of the organisation. There's a long list of challenges that digital media businesses face.

What we (that's the DEN convenors Nick & Francois) would like to know is what themes you want discussed at the three meetings we're planning for the coming year. And, of course, we would also welcome suggestions and volunteers to present.

Please post your feedback here, or get in touch with Francois Nel / FPNel@uclan.ac.uk , @francoisnel or Nick Turner / nick.turner@cngroup.co.uk / @nickincumbrian.

The dates are:

Autumn, 20st October 2011 in Preston (confirmed)
Winter, 21th Feb 2012 in Preston (confirmed)
Spring 2012, May (TBC)

The Digital Editors' Network works to connect media innovators and relies on the volunteer efforts of participants and presenters, along with the hospitality and little hard cash from UCLAN and Vision + Media. And we welcome donations from you, too.

Play it again: #socialden slides and links

2011-06-03T05:41:00.000-07:00

You can visit, revisit or replay the presentations from the #sociaden meetup, Social Media & Publishers: mobilizing, managing, measuring and monetizing the engagement, on 24th May 2011 in Preston by checking out the live blog log or by following these links to the speakers' slides:

Journalism Leaders Programme director Francois Nel's slides with findings from the 2010 World News Future and Change Study* and the ongoing Where Else Is the Money? project (*Newpaper executies can participate in the 2011 survey here - and get a free copy of the final report).
Facebook's Karla Geci's slides.
The Independent, the I paper & Evening Standard’s Jack Riley's slides
Institute for Analytic Journalism’s Tom Johnson slides (to be posted soonest).
Social Media consultant Paul Teague 's slides

Also see Clare Cook's blog for a summaries of presentations by Karla, Jack, Tom and Paul .

Diary note: the Autumn 2011 Digital Editors' Network meeting is slated for Tuesday, 18th October in Preston. Got a suggestion for a speaker or theme? Please post it here. And follow us on Twitter @denupdates to keep in the loop.

#socialden coming to you live on 24th May - wherever you are

2011-05-22T09:09:00.000-07:00

Anyone who still doubts that mainstream media are no longer the gatekeepers of mass communication and knowledge dissemination would do well to talk to Hosni Mubarak. Or to ‘CTB’.

With over five billion mobile phones in use, over 100 million smart phones sold per quarter (Q4 2010), 175 million Twitter accounts*, 600 million Facebook users (Jan 2011), one billion Google search queries per day (Mar 2011), news publishers (and others) are grappling with how they best to link and to leverage the power of social media.

That challenge is under the spotlight at the spring meeting of the Digital Editors Network at the University of Central Lancashire in Preston in Tuesday, 24th May 2011. Those leading the discussion on "Social Media & Publishers: mobilizing, managing, measuring and monetizing the engagement," will include executives from Facebook, The Independent and the Centre for Analytic Journalism.

The program, outlined below, will be Webcast here and also blogged live by UCLan journalism student and BlogPreston editor Joseph Stasko. You can the discussion on Twitter (#socialden) and post your comments and question to the speakers here, too.

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13:00 Lunch and registration in Scholar’s Bar
13:45 DEN meeting starts with welcome and introduction – François Nel and Nick Turner
14:00 Facebook’s Karla Geci
14:40 The Independent, the I paper & Evening Standard’s Jack Riley
15:20 Break
15:30 Institute for Analytic Journalism’s Tom Johnson
16:10 Social Media consultant Paul Teague
16:40 1x1x1 session and wrap up

The Digital Editors Network aims to link media innovators, whether they work inside, outside or alongside mainstream media organisations. To keep in touch, join our LinkedIn group and follow us on Twitter @denupdates.

* The number of active Twitter accounts is thought to be much lower.

#socialden2011 Social Media and Publishers: mobilizing, managing, measuring and monetizing the engagement

2011-04-08T00:52:00.000-07:00

As we grapple with how to grow audience engagement through social media, it's obvious that we must understand more about how to manage, measure and monetize our activities.

Our Spring 2011 meeting of the Digital Editors’ Network will give you a chance to hear from executives of Facebook, The Independent and the Institute for Analytical Journalism about the opportunities and practicalities of implementing a social media strategy during in a Chatham House Rules-discussion in Preston.

The programme will run from 1:45-5pm on May 24th, with registration & lunch from 1pm in Scholars Restaurant in Foster Building on the University of Central Lancashire's Preston City campus. A networking reception will follow until 6pm.

Leading the discussion will be:

Karla Geci is Strategic Partner Development for Facebook and former head of marketing for Bebo. Karla works with broadcasters, media companies and content owners who want to leverage the Facebook Platform to build social applications and experiences on their owned web properties and Facebook Pages.

Jack Riley is Head of Digital Audience & Content Development for The Independent , the i paper and the Evening Standard. He has championed innovative ways to use Facebook's features, allowing readers to 'like' Independent content and follow articles from individual journalists or on certain topics such as football teams.

Tom Johnson works in the space where journalism and technology overlap. A former editor at the Scientific American, Tom is co-founder of the Institute for Analytic Journalism and professor emeritus at San Francisco State University.

Paul Teague has 20 years experience in journalism during which time he picked up a Webby award and now works in internet marketing. He'll have practical tips on creating the best Facebook pages and thoughts on how media companies should respond to their advertisers exploring social media options.

The discussion will be chaired by Nick Turner, Head of Digital Content Development for the CN Group. François Nel, director of the Journalism Leaders Programme, will lead the the final 1 X 1 X 1 session during which each meeting participant will have one minute to discuss one idea using one slide / link (if required).

The Digital Editors' Network is supported by Vision + Media and the School of Journalism, Media and Communication at the University of Central Lancashire, home to England's oldest university journalism programme.

For addtional programme details and #socialden2011 Twitter updates, contact or follow Nick Turner at @nickincumbria / Nick.Turner@Cumbrian-Newspapers.co.uk , or François Nel @francoisnel / FPNel@uclan.ac.uk

Also:

Do you have - or would you like to take - responsibility for managing multimedia projects? Then check out the Journalism Leaders Programme website for details about the Spring Seminar, Managing Multimedia Projects: delivering innovation in the Digital Age, which runs from 23rd to 27th May in Preston or download the flyer.
#djcamp2011: DEN is offering a data journalism do-shop (not another talk shop) on 19-20 May at Vision+Media at Media City UK, Salford Quays, Manchester. More details about this hands-on skills development workshop with Tom Johnson, ScraperWiki's Frances Irving and Open Data City Manchester's Julian Tait are available here.

#djcamp2011 Data+Journalism+Camp @ Vision+Media, Manchester

2011-03-14T06:23:00.000-07:00

Recently Paul Bradshaw asked this question on The Guardian Data Blog:

“Data journalism is huge. I don't mean 'huge' as in fashionable - although it has become that in recent months - but 'huge' as in 'incomprehensibly enormous'. It represents the convergence of a number of fields which are significant in their own right - from investigative research and statisticsto design and programming. The idea of combining those skills to tell important stories is powerful - but also intimidating. Who can do all that?"

One answer: Tom Johnson can. And during this two-day workshop Tom, a former editor of the Scientific American and co-founder of the Institute for Analytic Journalism, will help you get started, too.

Organised by the Digital Editors Network's Data Taskgroup and sponsored by Vision + Media and the Journalism Leaders Programme at UCLAN, this handson workshop is aimed at journalists who are new to or recently responsible for turning data into stories with impact.

Other contributors include Francis Irving, one of the forces behind ScraperWiki , Julian Tait of Open Data City Manchester and François Nel, founding director of the Journalism Leaders Programme and co-convenor of the Digital Editors Network.

What will you learn?

Collaboration tools for the newsroom team
Customizing search-and-retrieve data tools
Extracting data from documents
Data cleaning and formatting
An elementary introduction to scraping web sites for data
Using web “cloud” tools to clean and display data
Most important, how to tease meaning and STORIES out of data and then tell those stories in multiple ways

When and where? The progamme runs from 9:30am to 7pm on Thursday, 19th May, and 9:30am to 5pm Friday, 20th May 2011, at Vision+Media @ Media City UK , 100 Broadway, Salford Quays, Manchester, M50 2UW.

Fees? Fifteen free places are available for freelances and small businesses (less than 250 employees) from the North West of England. An additional 15 spaces are open to journalists from outside the region, or from larger media groups (with more than 250 employees) at £200. All are available on a first-come basis.

How to enrol? Download the flyer here and enrol here.

Transport? Getting to and around Manchester is easy and Vision+Media at Media City is a short tram ride from the city centre and Piccadilly station (nearest tram stop: Broadway). Also see the Google map .

What to bring? Besides curiousity and creativity, you'll need to bring your own laptop. Wireless broadband and power outlets will be available.

Every participant will also be expected to share in the 1X1X1 session (one slide X one tip/ inspirational example X one minute) on the Thursday evening.

Questions about #djcamp2011? Contact François Nel at FPNel@uclan.ac.uk or @francoisnel to discuss this workshop further.

Also: If you're charged with managing projects - or would like to move your career in that direction - then check out the flyer of the Journalism Leaders Programme's Spring Seminar, Managing Multimedia Projects: delivering innovation in the Digital Age. The seminar runs from 24-27 May in Preston and can help you earn academic credit towards a postgraduate certificate, diploma or Master's degree.

#DEN10 iPads, PCC & ScraperWiki on the agenda for October meeting

2010-09-20T06:53:00.000-07:00

Should newspapers be held accountable for tweets by journalists or their blogs? Where should corrections appear online and should there be some kind of standard mark for professionally produced content?

These are some of the questions about online standards that digital editors will be discussing next month when they meet in Manchester.

Will Gore of the Press Complaints Commission will tell the Digital Editors' Network why the PCC has launched a consultation to consider how its remit should extend into the online world.

Also speaking at the October 14th meeting which is being held at MADLab in Manchester is Ben Edwards of PageSuite, creators of perhaps the first regional newspaper iPad app.

He will talk about how integrating new platforms can deliver new revenues. And what publishers need to do make that happen.

And Francis Irving, one of the key forces behind MySociety and now ScraperWiki, will tell the Digital Editors' Network why he's working to build the world's biggest data repository and what opportunities that offers for news organisations.
The programme starts with registration and lunch at 1pm and concludes 5pm with a networking reception that wraps up at 6pm.

Digital Editors' Network organiser Nick Turner said: "We're pleased that we've been able to put together a programme for DEN which touches on three of the biggest issues faced by online publishers.

"The Government is promising to unleash a tsunami of data and how publishers respond to the opportunity will be crucial to the development of online journalism.

"Rumours of a new iPad subscription plan for publishers being prepard by Apple should focus minds on how we make the most of new platforms.

"Finally, we aim to consider how far the self-regulatory framework that upholds newspapers standards should extend in the online world."

There is no charge for the event, but spaces are limited so book your place at http://den10.eventbrite.com

For addtional programme details and updates, contact or follow Nick Turner at @nickincumbria / Nick.Turner@Cumbrian-Newspapers.co.uk , or François Nel @francoisnel / FPNel@uclan.ac.uk .

Follow #dendatameet live from 13:15-17:00 BST on 12 May

2010-05-11T23:53:00.000-07:00

Can't make it to Salford Quays today? Why not join the #DENDATAMEET discussion here from 13:15. The programme is below.

#dendatameet

13.15 Welcome and introductions:
Maureen Walker, Head of Broadcast, Music and Publishing, will introduce the session and say a few words about Vision+Media.
DEN's co-convenors François
Nel (UCLan) and
Nick Turner (CN Group) will chair the discussions.

The Speakers
13.30 Julian Tait is one of the organizers of the FutureEverything conference, that is working to make Manchester the UK’s first OpenData City.
14.00 Paul Bradshaw is the author of the Online Journalism Blog, and convenor of the HelpMeInvestigate project.
14.30 Martin Belam is the information architect in the Guardian’s web development team. He also blogs at Currybetdonet.
15.15 BREAK
15.45 Propublica reporter Olga Pierce and news application developer Jeff Larson will discuss the process of building layered data stories at the Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative news site.
16.15 Are you and your organisation struggling to respond to the scope and the pace of the challenges? Oscar Westlund, a Swedish mobile researcher, suggests there are lessons to be learned from Jujitsu.
16.45 Wrap up

#DENDATAMEET Data Alchemy: new sources, innovative uses,

2010-03-30T02:42:00.000-07:00

Ollie Jones might have had a point, but I think there's a case to be made that in the Digital Age it's data, not love, that makes the world go round.

How can news publishers access useful sources of data and how can they put it to use to serve users and to build revenue?

That's the theme for the next Digital Editors Network meeting on May 12th at the offices of Northwest Vision & Media at Media City in Salford Quays.

Speakers are:

Julian Tait, an organiser of the FutureEverything conference who's working to make Manchester the UK's first OpenData City.
Paul Bradshaw, author of the Online Journalism Blog and convenor of the HelpMeInvestigate project.
Martin Bellam, information architect for the the Guardian.co.uk, the information architect in the Guardian's web development team. He blogs at Currybetdonet.
Propublica reporter Olga Pierce and news application developer Jeff Larson will discuss the process of building layered data stories at the Pulitzer Prize-winninginvestigative news site.
Finally: Are you and your organisation struggling to respond to the scope and the pace of the challenges? Oscar Westlund, a Swedish mobile researcher, suggests there are lessons to be learned from martial arts.

There is no charge for the event, but spaces are limited and must be reserved in advance.

Click to download the pdf for map and directions. To reserve a parking, space contact Northwest Vision and Media at 0844 3950385, or email: info@visionandmedia.co.uk.

The Digital Editors Network is sponsored by Northwest Vision & Media and theSchool of Journalism, Media & Communication at the University of Central Lancashire, home to England's oldest university journalism programme.

For addtional programme details and updates, contact or follow Nick Turner at @nickincumbria / Nick.Turner@Cumbrian-Newspapers.co.uk , or François Nel @francoisnel / FPNel@uclan.ac.uk .

Follow - and contribute to - our Twitter updates #dendatameet

#DEN2010 Winter Meeting: Benchmarking Your Website

2010-01-12T23:51:00.000-08:00

As we grapple with how to create revenues with our online brands it's obvious that we must understand more about our audiences than just whether the number of unique users is increasing month on month.

How much of our audience are regular visitors or eager participants in our online comemnt forums? How many are based abroad and how many are just dipping in to follow a link to one page?

Our Winter 2010 meeting will allow you to compare notes other digital editors and see how your site measures up to industry trends.

Editors from four of the UK's leading news organisations will "lift the bonnet" on their strategies to engage audiences – and the metrics they use to measure the success of their efforts – in a Chatham House Rule-discussion in Preston.

The programme will run from 1:30-5pm on February 25^th, with registration & lunch from 1pm in the Adelphi Conference Room at the University of Central Lancashire.

The session aims to assist you in addressing some linked challenges:

(1) advertisers who seek not just large audiences, but engaged prospective customers; and

(2) executives who are seeking to plug budget shortfalls by introducing paywalls around all or some of their online content and activities.

Participating in the panel discussion will be:

Dave Higgerson, head of multimedia of Trinity Mirror regionals
Ian Brogden, digital editor at Cumbrian Newspapers
Jane McFarlane, assistant news editor Northcliffe Media's Derby Evening Telegraph
Martin Hamer, digital editor at Johnston Press' Lancashire Evening Post.

There is no charge for the event, but seating is limited and registration is required. All those attending the event are also asked to contribute to the discussion by completing this survey. Responses will remain anonymous.

The discussion will be chaired by François Nel, director of the Journalism Leaders Programme, who will also present the results of the survey and related findings from a two-year study into the online activities of newspapers in Britain’s 66 cities.

The programme will end with a discussion about ideas to cover the election online led by Nick Turner, Head of Digital Content Development for the CN Group.

The Digital Editors Network is sponsored by Northwest Vision & Media and the School of Journalism, Media & Communication at the University of Central Lancashire, home to England's oldest university journalism programme.

For addtional programme details and updates, contact or follow Nick Turner at @nickincumbria / Nick.Turner@Cumbrian-Newspapers.co.uk , or François Nel @francoisnel / FPNel@uclan.ac.uk .

Follow - and contribute to - our Twitter updates #den2010

Visit, revist or replay #DEN09 presentations

2009-11-09T23:55:00.000-08:00

You can visit, revisit or replay the presentations from the #DEN09 Paywalls and Partnerships session in Preston on 29th October 2009 by checking out the liveblog log or following these links to the speakers' slides:

- François Nel, director of the Journalism Leaders Programme at UCLan, presented highlights from a study into the online revenue models of news publishers in Britain’s 66 cities, 'Where else is the money?'

- Sarah Hartley, Launch Editor of Guardian Local, 'The Hyperlocal Space; or is it hype about local?' (Also see Sarah's great blog post on the whole session).

- Tony Johnston, Head of Training, Press Association, 'A new model for public service reporting in Britain'.

- Alastair Bruce, Senior Content Manager for Microsoft UK, 'What does MSN Local’s partnership proposal mean for regional publishers?'

Diary note: #DEN10A, the first of three Digital Editors Network meetings planned for 2010, is schedule for 25th February 2010 in Preston. Contact Nick Turner with programme suggestions and follow @francoisnel or @jleaders for updates and reservations.

Follow the live blog of #DEN meeting on paywalls & partnerships 29/10/09

2009-10-28T03:30:00.000-07:00

Digital Editors' Network: Paywalls & Partnerships
Twitter #DEN09

This event is hosted by the Lancashire Evening Post, Preston, and sponsored by the School of Journalism, Media & Communication at the University of Central Lancashire with support from the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA)

13:00 DEN Registration & networking lunch at the Lancashire Evening Post. [Those planning to arrive by train and wanting to share a taxi from the station, please post a comment here with your ETA in Preston]
13:45 Welcome Simon Reynolds, Editorial Director, Lancashire Evening Post,
14:00 Where else is the money? François Nel, director of the Journalism Leaders Programme, presents some highlights from a two-year research project into the online revenue models of news publishers in Britain’s 66 cities.
14:15 Sarah Hartley, Digital Editor, The Guardian, on Guardian Local partnerships for innovation.Break1
14:45 Tony Johnston, Press Association, on teaming up with Trinity Mirror to report on local government and public bodies in Liverpool.
15:30 Break
15:45 Alastair Bruce, Microsoft UK 'What does MSN Local’s partnership proposal mean for regional publishers?'
16:40 Nick Turner, CN Group 'What next for DEN?'
Wrap up.16:45 Transfer to UCLAN campus for the 13th Journalism Leaders Forum & networking reception, which includes an exhibition of images from the 'zine, 'Preston is my Paris'.

Autumn 2009 meeting; paywalls and partnerships

2009-09-17T07:09:00.000-07:00

Speakers from Microsoft, the Press Association, WAN-IFRA, The Guardian and The Journalism Leaders Programme at UCLan will consider paywalls and partnerships at the next meeting of the Digital Editors' Network on 29th October 2009 in Preston.

Spaces for this free event, which is hosted by the Lancashire Evening Post, are extremely limited, so please reserve your DEN seat here soonest. [Update 25/09/2009: All spaces for the afternoon sessions have been reserved, but there are still tickets available for the networking reception at 5pm and the Forum that follows. Reserve your Forum seat here. The next DEN sessions are planned for 25 February and 29 April 2010]

13:00 DEN Registration & networking lunch at the Lancashire Evening Post. [Those planning to arrive by train and wanting to share a taxi from the station, please post a comment here with your ETA in Preston]

13:45 Welcome Nick Turner, the CN Group's head of digital content development.
13:50 Where else is the money? François Nel, director of the Journalism Leaders Programme, presents some highlights from a two-year research project into the online revenue models of news publishers in Britain’s 66 cities.
14:10 Peter Bale, MSN. What does MSN Local’s partnership proposal mean for regional publishers?
14:50 Sarah Hartley, digital editor, The Guardian, on partnerships for innovation.
15:30 Break
15:45 Tony Johnston, Press Association, on teaming up with Trinity Mirror to report on local government and public bodies in Liverpool.
16:30 Wrap up.
16:45 Transfer to UCLAN campus

17:00 Drinks & networking reception - Greenbank Building foyer
18-19:15 13th Journalism Leaders Forum, Pay Walls – build em, break em - or look beyond them?
Panellists:
Gordon Crovitz, former publisher of the Wall Street Journal and co-founder with Steven Brill of the online content e-commerce start-up Journalism Online.
Martha Stone, director of the Shaping the Future of the Newspaper project, World Association of Newspapers –IFRA
Robert Andrews, UK Editor, paidContent.com
Frédéric Filloux, co-author of the Monday Note blog and editor for the international division of the Norwegian media group Schibsted ASA.
Chair: François Nel.

The free event will also be Webcast live.

For addtional programme details, contact Nick Turner at Nick.Turner@Cumbrian-Newspapers.co.uk or François Nel at FPNel@uclan.ac.uk

#DEN Spring Meeting Live Blog

2009-05-12T04:16:00.000-07:00

Digital Editors' Network

Hitwise to present new research on UGC at Spring meeting

2009-03-17T08:01:00.001-07:00

If integrating social media and user generated content into your news operation is on your agenda, don't miss the Winter DEN meeting on 12 May in Preston.

Robin Goad, research director for the online market intelligence company Hitwise, will present How can online publishers utilize User Generated Content (UGC).

User Generated Content (UGC) is a key growth area online, and social networks now attract 1 in 5 Internet page views in the UK. In this presentation, Robin will describe the digital content landscape in the UK, discuss the popularity of UGC (User Generated Content) brands (e.g Facebook, Twitter, Wikipedia) - and compare some of their content strategies to those of top online publishing brands.

Patrick Altoft, managing partner at Branded3, a Leeds-based full service digital agency. Patrick will take a practical look at the role search engine optimisation plays in social media marketing.

Nick Turner, head of digital content for the CN Group, on Opening the doors to the community. How newspapers in Cumbria have been providing training to community groups and giving them access to create content on their websites. Groups ranging from the police to the Brownies have taken up the opportunity and now add news, information and pictures. Nick will report on the pros and cons of the experiment.

The meeting, which starts with a networking lunch at 1pm, leads into a networking reception at 5pm and the the 12th Journalism Leaders Forum at 6pm. These events form part of the programme of the Spring seminar of the Journalism Leaders Programme at the University of Central Lancashire, who sponsor the event.

To sign up to attend or for more information, contact the convenors Nick Turner or François Nel.

Play it again: Recording of 11th Forum

2009-02-04T08:25:00.000-08:00

An unedited recording of the 11th Forum on the 3rd of February 2009 is available at http://breeze01.uclan.ac.uk/p94126209/ .

Diary note: 12th Forum and Digital Editors Network meeting is scheduled for 12th May as part of the Spring seminar of the Journalism Leaders Programme at UClan.

Telegraph executive editor amongst the high-profile line-up for Winter meeting

2009-01-19T03:57:00.000-08:00

An exciting range of high profile speakers have been lined-up for the Winter meeting of the Digital Editors’ Network on February 3^rd.

The free event at the University of Central Lancashire in Preston will include:

An insight into the digital transformation of the Daily Telegraph when Mark Skipworth, executive editor of the Daily and Sunday Telegraph gives the University’s Harris Lecture.
A discussion about how newspapers can best make use of their archives in the digital age with a presentation by Patrick Fleming, head of reader and reference services at the British Library. He has been the driving force behind its newspaper strategy which has already seen digitization of more than three million pages of searchable content from national and regional newspapers.
Patrick has edited three regional daily newspapers at Bournemouth, Southampton and Oxford and worked extensively in digital media.

The Q&A session will be led by blogger and social media specialist Suw Charman- Anderson of Corante.com

The Guardian blogs editor Kevin Anderson on lessons learned from the social media coverage of the UK presidential election. With a UK election lurking somewhere on the political horizon it should be an informative and useful session.
Eric Ulkin, former Los Angeles Times online editor, will talk about building the LA Times datadesk and alternative forms of story building.

The day includes lunch and a networking reception before the Journalism Leaders Forum in the evening with BBC Business Editor Robert Peston joining the panel for a discussion entitled: ‘The Bottom Line: Is the business of journalism affecting the journalism of business?"

Other panellists are FT.com interactive editor Kate Mackenzie, Crain’s Manchester Business publisher Arthur Porter, TheBusinessDesk.com editor, (North West) Chris Barry. The Guardian’s Kevin Anderson will chair the discussion.

The Digital Editors’ Network is a free event run in conjunction with the Journalism Leaders’ Programme of the School of Journalism, Media and Communication at UCLAN.

To book your place and to get full details of the event please email Nick Turner nturner@cngroup.co.uk.

How criminals can do wonders for your website

2008-10-14T15:07:00.000-07:00

Here's one of the ideas that was aired at our Digital Editor's Forum: A gallery of criminals adding 60,000 page impressions a month
See the gallery at the News & Star
See the write of the idea by Laura Oliver at http://www.journalism.co.uk/2/articles/532497.php

Get more ideas like this at the next Digital Editors' Network on February 3rd.

Nick

Replay the Leaders Forum

2008-10-13T17:03:00.000-07:00

You'll find useful links and a the chance to watch video of the Journalism Leaders Forum here

The event took place on the same day as our Digital Editors Network meeting and featured Steve Yelvington, Stephen Gray, Kevin Anderson, Simon Reynolds, Jane Singer and François Nel discussing what hard times are teaching media decision-makers about the way forward.

Legal Briefing update

2008-10-09T15:52:00.000-07:00

Thanks to everyone who turned out to our successful meeting on Tuesday.

We had around 30 people for the legal briefing which kicked off the Digital Editors' Network meeting.

Notes and video to follow.

Sarah Hartley has highlighted dangers of linking in her notes on the meeting over on her blog

Next meeitng is Feb 3rd

Oct 7th Digital Editors' Network legal briefing

2008-09-22T14:51:00.001-07:00

Digital Editor's Network Legal Briefing Oct 7th

What legal risks are newspapers and media organisations taking as they expand on to an ever increasing array of new media platforms?

Blogs, comment boards, forums, digital archives, links to third party content and the speed of breaking news online are all providing us with fresh legal challenges as we straddle the divide between traditional media and online communities.

I am pleased to say that we will be having some high profile speakers from media law experts Wiggin LLP at our next meeting on October 7th to look at some of these issues.

Caroline Kean, Wiggin’s head of litigation, will lead the discussion at the Digital Editors’ Network meeting at UCLan in Preston.Caroline is a vastly experienced media lawyer who acts for national and regional newspapers, magazines, book publishers, television and film companies.

She has been acclaimed as one of the UK's top female solicitors and is vice president of the Media Society and legal advisor to Women in Journalism.

She will be joined by Phil Gorski, from Wiggin’s litigation team. Phil has extensive experience in advising on pre-publication/compliance matters and is part of the training team.

The Digital Editors’ Network will also include a showcase of new ideas from around the regional media. More details on that to follow. For more details and to book a place email nturner@cngroup.co.uk The meeting will start at 1.30pm.

The Digital Editors’ Network is a free event supported by the journalism department at UCLan, Preston.

June meeting invitation

2008-05-22T16:49:00.001-07:00

What happened when a traditional daily newspaper opened up their newsroom decision-making to everyone - customers, collaborators, colleagues and competitors - in real time?
Hear from Alison Gow, deputy editor and one of the forces behind the Liverpool Daily Post LIVE project, at a Trinity Mirror Merseyside open house for Digital Editors Network on 16 June. You’ll also hear from David Higgerson, new Head of Multimedia for Trinity Mirror Regionals, on his plans for the future, and from Business Development Director Mark Dickinson on why he’s bullish about monetising the web.
The afternoon will start with a short walk-about the Merseyside news and will be followed by a (pay-as-you-guzzle) drinks & dinner Net(work)ing event at Piccolino Italian restaurant.
Agenda:
1:45 pm Registration at TM Regionals front desk, Old Hall St , Liverpool. (It's the vast glass-fronted building just up the road from Moorfields train station) NB. the Pall Mall NCP car park is the most convenient for motorists
2:00pm Walk-about the Liverpool Daily Post and Liverpool Echo shared newsroom with Alison Gow
2:30pm Going boldly in the multimedia future - Dave Higgerson
3:15pm Liverpool Daily Post Liveblog - Alison Gow
4:00pm Break
4:15pm Show me the money! - Mark Dickinson
5:00pm DEN: What next?
5:30pm Drinks & NETWORKING dinner for Digital Editors at Piccolino (It’s pay as you guzzle).
DEN is another industry partnership initiative of the of the University of Central Lancashire, Preston. Attendance is free, but space for this event is limited to 25 on a first-come basis.

To book a place email Nick Turner at nturner@cngroup.co.uk

Thanks for your support

2008-05-07T14:01:00.000-07:00

Hi
Thanks for your support last week. It's great to see people travelling from far and wide (Ipswich and Dundee!) to take part.
I think this list gives some idea of who attended. Sorry if I've missed anyone out.

Craig McGinty, freelance

Sarah Hartley, MEN

Andy Dickinson, UCLan

Alison White, Reading Evening News

Christian Dunn, Evening Leader

Arup Biswas, Johnston Press

George Hopkin, Johnston Press

Louise Thomas, UCLan

Ian Harvey, Express & Star

Oliver Luft, Journalism UK

Stewart McIntosh

Martin Hamer, LEP

Rod Kiddell, Sirius Media

Richard Rooney, DC Thomson

James Griffin, Evening Star

David Higgerson, Daily Post

Dan Owen, Daily Post

Lee Swettenham, GMWN

Marin Hamer, LEP

Rick Waghorn, myfootballwriter.com

Peter Boler, MEN

Nick Turner, CN Group

Sue Crawford, CN Group

April Programme now also includes open Hitwise workshop

2008-04-25T02:36:00.000-07:00

The key question for this month's Digital Editors Network meeting, as well the Journalism Leaders Forum on 29 April, is pretty straightforward: Where's the money?

To help us get some answers (and to phrase some more nuanced questions), we've lined up speakers from inside and outside the mainstream media. Here's un update on the programme:

Venue: Room 273, Greenbank Building, University of Central Lancashire in Preston. (Directions).

Parking: Several car parking spaces have been booked on the visitors' car park in front of the Foster Building. Participants who want to make use of these need to report to the attendant and say they are for the Digital Editors Network - he will show them where to park. (Of course, the venue is only a 10-minute walk from the train station.)

Agenda:

1-45pm - Registration & buffet lunch. (name tags are being provided following feedback from last meeting)
1:45-2:30pm - Peter Boler, head of digital sales at Manchester Evening News
2:30-3:15pm - Rick Waghorm, founder of myfootballwriter.com
break & coffee (15min)
3:30-4:15pm - Update from members, kicked off by Andy Dickison, who was recently invited to speak at DNA2008 in Brussles. If you'd like to contribute here, let me know.
4:45pm - move to Greenbank Lecture Theatre
4:30-5:15pm - Mapping the Digital Media Landscape - Anton Grutzmacher of Hitwise will give an exclusive update on what's happening to regional and national media audiences online. (This session is open and we'll be joined by the Trinity Mirror delegates on the Leaders
Programme and others)
5:15-6pm networking reception in Greenbank foyer
6pm - 9th Journalism Leaders Forum. Chris Anderson, editor of Wired magazine and author of seminal work "The Long Tail" will be joining the discussion, which will also be webcast live. See the Forum blog for the latest.

There is no cost for the events, which are being sponsored by the Journalism Leaders Programme of the Department of Journalism at UCLan.

Further details about DEN: Nick Turner, nturner@cngroup.co.uk, 07764 657037 .
To RSVP for the Forum & networking reception: leaders@uclan.ac.uk / 01772 894759

To stay in touch, join the DEN network on Facebook.

This month's meeting

2008-04-14T16:13:00.000-07:00

The audience for media websites continues to grow, but can we make online revenues growing accordingly?

We often hear about the new ideas for increasing audiences and interaction on our sites, but what’s fresh when it comes to increasing the money we earn from those expanding audiences?

This month’s Digital Editors’ Network meeting on April 29th takes a detailed look at what media companies are doing to monetise their web offerings and how advertisers’ expectations are changing.

Digital editors from a wide range of regional newspapers and other media will contribute to the discussion with their own examples of good practice, but the meeting will also benefit from the contributions from three key speakers, each with their own perspective on the issue.

Ruth Spratt, digital and broadcast director for the Manchester Evening News group, will give an insight into how her company’s business model is adapting the challenges and opportunities of digital publishing.

Paul Bradshaw, author of the Online Journalism Blog, will report back on the recent Journalism Enterprise & Entrepreneurship Camp which looked at different revenue models for online journalism.

Rick Waghorn, founder of myfootballwriter.com, will also be on hand to discuss his views on how local journalism can be funded through contextual advertising – either supporting newspaper websites or independent writers.

Organiser Nick Turner, head of digital content for CN Group, said: “I’m really pleased with the speakers we’ve got lined up and when you add into the mix the views and experience from digital editors from all the big newspaper groups and it should be an interesting afternoon.
“It will be a chance to share experience in an informal discussion and in a way that allows us all to improve the commercial sharpness of our websites.”

The Digital Editors’ Network runs from 1pm to 5pm on April 29th at the University of Central Lancashire, starting with a buffet lunch. It is a free event, but to book a place and further details please email Nick Turner on nturner@cngroup.co.uk.

For those of you who want to continue the discussion and take surrounding broader look at the issues will be chance to take a broader view these issues the 9th Journalism Leaders Forum takes place on the same day from 6pm.

Entitled “Why isn't more media translating into more money for mainstream media companies?” confirmed speakers include Karen Swan, marketing head for Trinity Mirror Regionals, Anton Grutzmacher, head of client services at the market intelligence company, Hitwise, and Paul Bradshaw. See the Forum blog for more details.

Also: Link up with the Digital Editors’ Network on Facebook .

Further details: Nick Turner, nturner@cngroup.co.uk, 07764 657037

Invitation

2008-01-08T01:24:00.000-08:00

The next meeting of the Digital Editors’ Network on January 29th will focus on maximising the potential of sport on media websites and tips for search engine optimisation.

Robert Hardie, managing editor of Northcliffe Digital Integrated Media, will kick off the discussion about online sports coverage with an update on his group’s strategy of developing websites for major football and rugby clubs covered by its titles.

Websites such as http://www.therams.co.uk/ for Derby County fans (getting 2million pages impressions a month) and http://www.thebluearmy.co.uk/ for Leicester City sit alongside local newspaper sites and will form part of a national network of sports sites aimed at providing a greater appeal to online fans and more advertising opportunities.

Simon Wharton, managing director of PushON Ltd, will initiate a discussion on how media websites can best use search engine optimisation.

He will use his experience in running an award winning online marketing agency in Manchester to reflect on ways to gain an advantage in the increasingly competitive battle for online audiences.

The Digital Editors’ Network meeting will take place at the University of Central Lancashire in Preston from 12.30pm when a buffet lunch will be provided. The meeting will get underway from 1pm and will be attended by members of staff from the journalism department and website managers from across the media industry.

Places are likely to be limited so please email Nick Turner, head of digital content at CN Group at nturner@cngroup.co.uk to book a place and get full event details.

The Digital Editors’ Network meeting coincides with an evening event at UCLan which is hosting a discussion on sports journalism in the digital age. The panel will be chaired by Charlie Lambert, of the BBC.
More details at: http://journalismleadersforum.blogspot.com/

Next meeting

2007-10-30T16:39:00.000-07:00

Early notice that the next Digital Editors’ Network event will be on January 29th at UCLan in Preston.
We hope to cover two topics in reasonable depth: law and online publishing and search engine optimisation.
There will also be a short session to exchange ideas and share problems.

We expect to meet at 1pm again and finish in time for the Journalism Leaders forum which takes place the same day and will be focusing on sporting journalism.

Speakers and further details to follow.

If you are thinking of coming along please ping me an email.

A great success

2007-10-24T15:36:00.000-07:00

Just to report that our meeting on Oct 16th was a great success – both in terms of the turn-out and the content.
In attendance were (in no particular order and sorry if I got a job title wrong or missed somebody out):
Sarah Hartley, Manchester Evening News
Jon Barron, Yorkshire Weekly newspapers
Oliver Luft, www.journalism.co.uk
Chris Leggett, electronic editor MNA
Ian Harvey, assistant electronic editor MNA
Arup Biswas, Group Editorial Content manager, Johnston Press
David Higgerson, diigial editor, Daily Post
Rob Artisan, PR
Steve Bennedick, head of SKY news online
Nick Turner, CN Group
Craig McGinty, freelance journalist and blogger
Lee Swettenham, Guardian Media Weekly Newsapapers
Shelina Begum, theasiannews.co.uk
Mike Hill, Lancashire Evening Post
Andy Dickinson, UCLan video journalism

Andy Dickinson led a discussion about video journalism that was packed full of useful tips and useful info
Craig McGinty then pointed the way for newspapers wishing to connect to the blogosphere
Finally I kicked off a session on what drives web traffic

Among the ideas and tips shared during the session were:
Using Soundslides.com, Windows Media Player or Microsoft Photostory to create slideshow presentations that combine still pictures and audio
http://www.sitbonzo.com/ which is created by the Croydon Advertiser is a good example of how to do this
Videos posted on YouTube can be used to trail content in paper or on your website
Why not make DVDs of your video content? If you make over 100 they only cost £1.50 each
2-3 mins of video take 2-3 hours to produce
http://www.podsafemusic.com/ is a good source of free music for podcasts and videos
Some papers have begun to negotiate agreements to use sound clips of pop music in their videos. More information at: http://www.mcps-prs-alliance.co.uk/
Help community groups to set up blogs which you can monitor through RSS and take copy from
Set up blogs for interest groups such as fishing to help plug gaps in your coverage
Ensure your pages, copy and videos can be linked to by bloggers
Give clips of content to bloggers when you have content to promote eg an interview with a celeb who will have an online community eager to devour any content about their hero
Use a Flickr account as a way to receive readers’ pictures
Compile a directory of local bloggers
White-label fantasy football (with password in print for transfers) has been a big traffic driver for some websites – sponsored by DIY store with their name incorporated into team graphics
Check http://www.gonetoosoon.co.uk/ for memorials of local people which may lead to stories
Nightclub pictures have proved so popular that a gallery of them has been sponsored and may lead to a standalone website
Headlines using full names of sports players and other popular terms may lead to spikes in traffic thanks to google news alerts

Join us on the 16th

2007-10-03T21:47:00.000-07:00

THE next meeting of the Digital Editors' Network, at UCLan in Preston, will be focusing on what works in online publishing, getting the best out of video and how blogs and the established media can work together.
The Digital Editors’ Network is an initiative to enable sharing of best practice between journalists running media websites.
The three discussions will form part of the 7th Journalism Leaders Forum, on October 16, featuring the regional editorial director of Trinity Mirror Neil Benson, who is amongst the panelists considering the global impact of the local news business.
The schedule for the get together is:
1pm: Meet for spot of lunch
1.30pm: Video journalism - Q&ADiscussion led by Andy Dickinson, lecturer in digital journalism at UCLan, giving pointers on developing web content and topics such as using Youtube
2.45pm: How journalists can connect with the blogosphereDiscussion led by Craig McGinty covering topics such as setting up community blogs, staff blogs, enhancing blogs with widgets, etc
4pm: What works?Discussion led by Nick Turner, head of digital content for CN Group, with participants passing on the best ideas for increasing online traffic from the last 12 months.
5.15pm: Forum drinks reception – a chance to network in the Greenbank Building
6pm: Journalism Leaders Forum. Panelists include Neil Benson, Trinity editorial director, and crowd-sourcing advocate Jay Rosen.
The afternoon talks will be very much in the style of an open discussion, with the use of an internet connection to highlight features and examples and so letting people share their own insights and observations.The Digital Editors’ Network discussions are free to attend. To book a place and get full venue details please email Nick Turner at nturner@cngroup.co.uk

Next meeting

2007-09-21T02:32:00.000-07:00

Hi

An early heads up about an event for the Digital Editors Network next month.
Neil Benson, regional editorial director of Trinity Mirror, will be among the panelists considering the global impact of the local news business at the 7th Journalism Leaders Forum organised by the University of Central Lancashire’s Journalism department.
I am sure the hyper-local project at the Gazette will feature in the discussion.
The open event on Tuesday October 16th, which is the first of three planned for 2007-8, starts at 5:15pm with a networking reception in the foyer of the Greenbank Building. The 90-minute Forum begins at 6pm.
We are also organising discussion sessions for earlier in the day for network members on hyper-local online journalism, how journalists can use blogs and video journalism.
These sessions will be a chance to exchange ideas and raise problems with colleagues and university staff.
Details are being finalised and I will send out further information next week.
Please let me know if you able to attend or could suggest other people who would benefit.

Nick Turner
Head of digital content, CN Group
nturner@cngroup.co.uk

What works for you?

2007-05-24T13:17:00.000-07:00

One of the most basic issues that anyone involved in a media website faces is what on earth they can do to drive up traffic.
Obviously a bloody good story or perhaps more precisely a story involving either a UFO sighting or a man marrying a goat will create a nice spike in the unique users stats, but what can we do to keep the numbers climbing from one month to the next?
One of the pleasures of editing websites is that you can uses stats to pinpoint what’s working on your site and what’s proving to be a bit of a flop. You can have an idea one day and then the next week can see that it added 20,000 to your page impressions.
So what works for you? Are there ideas we can share that have proved to be winners? I’ll get the ball rolling…
Amid the scramble to get video on to websites it’s worth remembering the power of the humble photograph. We have always found that photo galleries have been the surest way to increase traffic. A few hundred pictures from a local fun run or a gallery of pictures of freshers’ week at the Uni would add tens of thousands of hits to the site.
Our most popular galleries are our nightlife pictures which show snaps we’ve taken of Carlisle’s bright young things at nightclubs around town and encourage readers to send in their pictures via mobile.
Each one of those pictures is being viewed an average of 1,000 each in a month. The gallery index page has around 10,000 hits in a month. Clearly people like to browse through to see who’s been snapped or who’s making a prat of themselves.
And, no, it’s not just lecherous men ogling teenage girls because the most popular picture in the gallery is this one.
We’ve also managed to monetise the idea by getting the galleries sponsored.
See the gallery of pictures we take here and the gallery of submitted pictures here.
Any other bright ideas, anyone? Please post your comments or questions.

Let's get going

2007-05-19T14:45:00.000-07:00

After Tuesday’s meeting at UCLAN’s journalism department I think we can now say that the Digital Editors’ Network is now up and running.
For the record the meeting was attended by: Nick Turner (CN Group); Francois Nel (UCLAN); Mike Hill (LEP, Johnston Press); Andy Dickinson (UCLAN); Craig McGinty (freelancer); Robin Hamman (BBC); Martin Stabe (Press Gazette); Jane Singer (UCLAN); John Baron (Wakefield Express); David Rowell (Johnston Press).
Apologies and expression of support were received from numerous other digital editors from papers such as the Manchester Evening News, Liverpool Echo, Yorkshire Evening Post, Wolverhampton Express & Star and Bolton Evening News.
There seems to be broad agreement that there is a need or “gap in the market” for a network that helps digital editors and journalists exchange information and views.
During the meeting we discussed a number of issues such as the level we are pitching DEN ie is it for strategic managers or journalists?
We also talked about the best way to carry the idea forward and the part this blog, a google group and meetings or social events might play in the development of DEN.
Obviously some of these issues will become clearer once we see what support the idea has and who is prepared to support the discussion on this blog.
We agreed that as a start we would get the online discussion going so that people could see that something was happening and would commit to sharing best practice.
So please contribute to this blog – with both ideas for the network and information or questions that you think would contribute to the discussion.
And if you know of anybody in the industry you think would benefit from being part of DEN please point them in this direction.

Venue change for inaugural 'DEN' roundtable on May 15th

2007-05-14T03:47:00.000-07:00

The interest in the Digital Editors Network is growing . Coming to the first meeting on tomorrow will be both freelance editors and folks representing the following companies:

- Cumbrian Newspapers
- Guardian Media Group
- Johnston Press
- Newsquest
- Trinity Mirror
- Wilmington Media

(If I've left someone out, please post a response and let us know)

As a result, we've moved the first roundtable discussion to Room 228B (from 123A) on the second floor of Greenbank Building, home to the Lancashire Business School and the Department of Journalism. Coffee will be available from 2:30pm.

From 4-5pm DEN members (not quite sure of the acronym, perhaps we should go for 'DigEd'?) can join a special Journalism Leaders Programme session on blogging. Robin Hamman, co-ordinator of the BBC's Blogging Network, will give a presentation on the much-discussed BBC Manchester Blog, which he describes as "a project to engage with user generated content without owning the platform, moderating, or incurring any of the usual costs and risks associated with hosting audience communities." With three of the UK media industry's top bloggers in the room - Andy Dickinson, Martin Stabe and Robin - the discussion is guaranteed to be lively and informative.

Spaces for this session are limited, so please let me know soonest at leaders [at] ukjournalism [dot] org. Following this hour-long workshop, there'll be a networking reception (Read: wine & snacks) before the Forum, which typically wraps up officially around 7:15pm, though discussions are known to continue at the Variety pub nearby.

Will keep you posted on the outcome of the roundtable.

Do you link?

2007-05-01T03:32:00.000-07:00

Jeff Jarvis has some interesting things to say about the role of journalism in his latest Guardian Column (re-published on his blog).

His summary

News organisations can no longer afford to own, employ, and control - to vet, verify, and sanitise - everything that happens. The only way they can expand is to work cooperatively with witness-reporters, community members, experts, people who publish on their own, finding and sending readers to the best and most reliable among them. How? Via the link.

I feel a slight contradiction here. Without the role of providing the content we take on the role of providing access to the content that is out there. What makes us different from a search engine is that we apply some editorial guidelines to the process - we vet, verify and sanitise. That's supposed to be our USP in a digital age. How is that different from " finding and sending readers to the best and most reliable"

Regardless of the language used it seems that filter rather than gatekeeper. Trusted guide rather than trusted voice may become defining parts of a digital editor's role.

Update: Paul Bradshaw has a real world example of how far newspaers haev to go on this issue.

Internal convergance

2007-04-30T09:32:00.000-07:00

Having trouble persuading your peers of the value of this digital stuff? You aren’t the only one.

Trade journalist Paul Conley has come across some pretty entrenched views:

Consider the editor who told me he wouldn't think about providing headlines for mobile devices because "no reasonable person needs more than a PC to stay connected."

Or consider the reporter, told by his boss to include links in his copy, who insists that his publication "has to hire a specialist to do hyperlinks for me."

Or consider the managing editor who told me she'd fight any attempt by her staff to launch new online products because she liked her job and her schedule "just the way it is."

Sound familiar?

The temptation may be to leave the hard-headed behind and go for the fresh young team. There are plenty out there. New journalist Meranda Watling is one.

Thing is, the industry is being flooded with “kids” like me. Bright-eyed and ready for anything, willing to take everything on and to become an expert on whatever you put on the budget with our name beside it. Willing to learn. If there’s someone there to teach us.

And that’s the point. Will there be anyone around to teach her? Conley starts his post with:

Many of the journalists I know have adopted a strange, delusional vision of their value. I could say that they are in a state of denial. But that hardly describes the sorts of things I hear from people.

Rather, I think it's fair to say that these folks -- veteran journalists with years of experience -- have moved from denial into fantasy.

They've gone from being stubborn about adding new skills to being rigidly opposed to any change in their job description. And they cannot see the damage they are doing to themselves, their peers and their publications.

Does a digital editor have a role in changing this mindset? I think they do.

Traditionally bright-eyed and jaded journo don’t often mix but digital editors are in an enviable position at the moment of having the influence to be able to pull together those different generations.

So why not try a little internal convergence. Everyone may thank you for it.

Digital Editors' Network to link up before next Forum

2007-04-24T05:39:00.000-07:00

It seems appropriate that a Forum about entrepreneurship should be used a launch pad for the new Digital Editors' Network
. For those who are keen to join Nick Turner for a roundtable about this new network, we've booked Room 123A in Greenbank Building, the home to the Lancashire Business School of which we (the Department of Journalism ) is a part. The suggestion is that folks meet up at around 3pm to plot a way forward. From 4-5pm DEN members can join a special Journalism Leaders Programme session on blogging. Robin Hamman, co-ordinator of the BBC's Blogging Network, and Richard Fair, a Senior Broadcast Journalist from BBC Radio Manchester, will give a presentation on the much-discussed BBC Manchester Blog, which they describe as "a project to engage with user generated content without owning the platform, moderating, or incurring any of the usual costs and risks associated with hosting audience communities." Spaces for this session are limited, so please let me know soonest at leaders [at] ukjournalism [dot] org.

Following this hour-long interactive session, there'll be a Networking Reception (Read: wine) before the Forum, which typically wraps up officially around 7:15pm, though discussions are known to continue at 'the local' nearby.

2007-04-18T15:53:00.000-07:00

Hi

I am hoping to use the next Journalism Leaders seminar on May 15th as an opportunity to kick-start the idea of a Digital Editors’ Network.

Just to recap the aims of the Digital Editors’ Network are:
To provide an online community for journalists involved in running media websites
Facilitate discussion between digital editors and encourage sharing of best practice/tips, etc
Allow digital editors to access the expertise at the University of Central Lancashire’s journalism department

I hope we could have an opportunity for an informal discussion about how best to take forward this idea on May 15th at UCLAN.

At 6pm The Journalism Leaders Forum discussion will include Nick Jaspen (North West Enquirer and now How To website), Eamonn Carey of the mobile media start-up, Random Thoughts Media, and Robin Hamman. More details at http://journalismleadersforum.blogspot.com

It’s an open invite and I would be grateful if anyone interested in a discussion about the Digital Editors’ Network beforehand would get in touch soon (UCLan have offered a room).

Please let me know if you will be able to make it and any suggestions you have for taking the Digital Editors’ Network forward.

I have already had some encouraging support from regional and national journalists and can report back on this on May 15th.

Nick Turner
07764 657037

Let's work together

2007-03-22T23:57:00.000-07:00

What is the point of the Digital Editors’ Network?
After all, we already have the new media landscape being discussed online at Media Guardian, Press Gazette, Journalism.co.uk, holdthefrontpage, the Sociey of Editors, the Online Journalism Review and a wide variety of media industry and academic blogs.
The usp has to be in the last word - Network – and the ability to connect people charged with delivering the digital revolution on a day to day basis.
It might be a utopian idea born from the less competitive media environment here in Cumbria, but the aim is to develop a way for media websites managers to discuss the nuts and bolts issues with people in similar jobs.
So we might be able to share tips or ask each other questions about how certain website features work or indeed whether they work.
Already we have been able to pass on work done with the Newspaper Society on ways of developing reactive moderation for forums and blogs.
You’ll find other websites that regurgitate press releases or other forums that discuss the direction of the digital revolution.
But the Digital Editors’ Network is about helping those of us who are responsible for making it happen.
We might be able to work out together the best ways to tackle issues such as search engine optimisation, maximising the potential of videos, developing ad revenues and increasing user generated content.
In many cases this can be achieved with a phone call or email to ask: Have you tried this? Or how does that feature on your website work?
Hopefully, we can do this in a way that is not constrained by the competition between rival media.
It’s early days yet, but if you want to be involved please get in touch.
Watch this space for more details of Digital Editors’ Network events at the University of Central Lancashire.

Nick Turner
Head of digital content, CN Group
nturner@cngroup.co.uk

Good news for media websites

2007-03-04T14:02:00.000-08:00

News and media websites have seen a surge in their online audiences in the last year.
That was the positive message to come out of a briefing at the University of Central Lancashire in Preston to which supporters of this digital editor’s network had been invited.
Heather Hopkins, vice-president of Hitwise UK, revealed the findings of her research into the UK online media sector and fascinating stuff it was too.
Hitwise, which monitors the proportion of visits made to sites rather than unique users, found that during 2006 news and media sites had seen a 28 per cent growth in their share of UK internet visits.
Heather, who describes herself as a “data geek” was able to provide a detailed insight into how the online media market works thanks to the way Hitwise is able to track online traffic flows, search terms and visits through its partnerships with internet service providers.
Here are some of the things that I picked out of her talk:
Surprise, surprise the BBC dominates the online media market with 15 per cent of visits After the Beeb the list according to Hitwise goes something like: Yahoo; Telegraph; Met Office; Sun; Google News; Guardian; Times; ITV.
IT media has seen a huge growth – 57 per cent. A useful tip for those of wondering which areas of content might be worth expanding on our sites.
Weather is a an area of huge interest online with BBC weather and the Met Office both featuring in the top six media sites.
Brands matter. Virtually all of the top search terms are brand names.
The Sun benefits from 18 per cent of its traffic coming from paid links ie google ad words. These can be surprisingly cheap and newspapers could do well to experiment with these to see what benefits are to be had.

More information:
You can read more from Heather Hopkins and Hitwise at http://www.ilovedata.com/ The amount of information there is mindblowing.
The day at UCLan also featured a forum discussion on the challenges facing traditional media brands in the age of web 2.0. The panel included Jane Singer, Alan Moor and Mark Tungate. Hear the discussion here.

"What's the biggest bullshit assumption being made about digital publishing?"

2007-02-11T10:06:00.000-08:00

Jeff Jarvis of City University in New York reponds to this and other key questions that faces the industry (and makes a few points about the difference between digital publishers in the UK and the US).

What are other answers to that question? What other other key questions need answering?

Welcome

2007-01-25T04:10:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the Digital Ediors' Network blog which has been created as an online resource and discussion area for media website editors.

It has been created as part of a project supported by the the Department of Journalism at the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan).

On this Digital Editors’ Network blog, journalists who create and manage media websites will discuss issues a range of current issues, from the best ways to increase traffic to the pitfalls of running forums and messageboards.

The Network will not aim to deal in the latest product announcements and press releases. Instead, it will get to grips with issues important to the increasing number of journalists who ply their trade online, whether it’s measuring website traffic or making the most of video content online.

It will also allow journalists direct access to the expertise in online journalism on offer at UCLan’s Department of Journalism.

The network will operate on three levels:

Members can exchange information and views on the nitty-gritty of digital developments via this blog. We hope this will become a distinct community for journalists leading the digital transformation of the media industry.
Exclusive access to special events at UCLan’s Department of Journalism. The first will be an Editor’s Briefing which will include a presentation of a new report on the UK Online News and Information Landscape by Heather Hopkins, vice president for research for the online intelligence company Hitwise. and an examination of online branding by Mark Tungate, author of Media Monoliths: How Great Media Brands Thrive and Survive. Details are attached.
Members will also be invited to the popular series of Journalism Leaders Forums at UCLan where issues critical to the media industry are discussed by leading academics and journalists. The next forum and networking reception is also on February 6th at 5:30pm for 6pm is entitled, Media Mashups! How Traditional Media Brands Survive and Thrive in a Widely Wired World.

To get linked into the Digital Editors’ Network and for further information or suggestions, contact us at:Nick Turner nturner@cngroup.co.uk or Francois Nel FPNel@uclan.ac.uk /01772 894758 .

Details of the 5th Journalism Leaders Forum on February 6th are at http://journalismleadersforum.blogspot.com/ and you’ll find more about all the the Journalism Leaders Programme activities at: http://www.ukjournalism.org/jleasders.

Nick Turner, Head of Digital Content Development, CN Group

François Nel, Director: Journalism Leaders Programme, UCLan