Questions

1. Do you think, online advertising earns more money than other media?
2. Internet advertising grows every year. what does cause this?

Internet's influence on other media

http://www.stateofthenewsmedia.org/2008/narrative_special_advertising.php?media=13

Economics

One-Man Blogs Prove There is Money to be Made by Online Journals

http://www.ojr.org/ojr/glaser/1055879147.php

1.  According to the article IWantMedia gets it's revenue from site and newsletter advertising.  Do you have any other revenue making ideas?

2. Why do you think "free to fee" is becoming old discussion, as the article states?

3. How do the types of ads placed on a website shape the way you view the website, if they do at all?

4.  The article mentions that the distinction between editorials and advertising in trade magazines is not great.  Do you think that lack of distinction carries over to websites as well?  Why or why not?

5.  A reputation for neutrality brings people to his website Rafat Ali says.  How neutral do you think a website is if it is bringing in ad revenue?

How to Make Money on your News Content Website

http://www.ojr.org/ojr/wiki/make_money/

1.) Do you think that using these types advertisements are a good idea (Google and Amazon ones)?  What are some of the pro's and con's of using a site like these?

2.) Do you think this is an idea we could apply to our websites?

3.) If this were applied to our website and we began making money, do you think it would be a good idea to keep using these ways to get money (Google and Amazon)?

4.) Big business sells their own ads, what would be the difference between me selling an ad for my own site versus big business selling one for theirs?

Local TV and convergence

Company Insight - Hearst-Argyle Makes Digital Play: EVP Terry Mackin discusses how local TV is betting its future on convergence.

From:

 

On Wall Street 

Date:

 

May 1, 2007 

Author:

 

Barack, Lauren

 

More results for:

Company Insight- Hearst-Argyle Makes Digital Play

While some critics believe that local TV affiliates are on the wane-looking at them as mere vehicles for the big boys to get their content to the hinterlands-Terry Mackin saw the writing on the wall. Back in 1999, Mackin, an executive vice president at Hearst-Argyle Television who currently oversees digital media, began pushing his company, the second-largest independent owner of TV stations, into the digital age. His newest venture is a partnership with NBC Universal called the National Broadband Co. (NBBC), which syndicates local video on the Internet, allowing local stations to show NBC content on their Web sites. Hearst-Argyle holds a stake in this, as it does in another venture with NBC, the digital weather network, Weather Plus. Although it does not control network content, the firm-with 26 affiliates nationwide-has leverage and is trying to shed the old-media image that plagues the sector. While analysts are mostly upbeat about the company, Mackin knows it's up to him to execute the new-media strategy... or watch as the Street potentially pulls the plug.

Q: How crucial is a digital strategy to the survival of local affiliates?

A: I would say it's key. Whatever size your business is, you need to build up your digital strategy. Our first big push started in 2004 with the Olympics. It was the first time a network-in this case NBC-produced an Olympic site with an affiliate group. Locally, it was called the Olympic Zone. The revenue opportunity was clearly there, so NBC launched Weather Plus soon after. And as affiliates, we own 50% of weatherplus.com and Weather Plus mobile.

Q: Can Hearst-Argyle, a traditional media company, be a lead player in the digital distribution of content?

A: In our organizational chart, I am one of three executive vice presidents for the company, and I get to spend all my time building digital assets in a digital context. I am also recruiting people to aggressively build out this space. Sometimes people talk about adding a digital person to their team. For the past several years, I have been that person. I think of us as digital guerrillas-we're lean, mean and wear a lot of hats.

Q: Does content for digital or online audiences differ from the traditional tube?

A: You still have to start with the user experience. Whatever we pick, we build the brand from the user's perspective. We want to increase the amount of video on local Web sites-both in quantity and quality. We're working with search technology to make this a faster experience. On the Web, we want to offer more news and local content: what to do in your local community, and stories we know that consumers will embrace.

Q: Let's switch gears. It's the start of a long presidential season. How do you see political spending affecting Hearst-Argyle's bottom line?

A: The money is definitely starting early. And we saw in the last election that campaigns are getting smarter; looking at the Web to not only raise money but also to optimize their messages.

Q: What do you have to say to critics who say local TV stations are dead?

A: In 17 of our markets, we have The Oprah Winfrey Show, which gives people a reason to go to our networks. We have to have the same approach to the Web. The user experience has to be different, creative and appropriate to the marketplace. Hopefully, what we do offer to the consumer will be unique, and the consumer will be the judge of that.

Inspirational Convergence

Take a look at the MediaStrom website. I think this is a great example of convergence and the use of multimedia on the web. This website is more than a rehash of stories, its original content that is compelling and attractive. I believe this is what online convergence can be in the future. When reading about this website take into consideration the article is posted on Apple's website. Some of the content is based on the use of Apple products, but ignore that. Take into consideration the vision that Storm had for the future of media and how he used his experiences and talent to create this converged website. 

1. Do you feel the MediaStorm website is an accurate example of convergence?

2. Storm describes his website as a place for journalist to post stories that would not normally make it into newspapers. Do you feel the use of convergence could allow reporters to become more creative with their work?

Big News versus Bloggers

http://dir.salon.com/story/opinion/feature/2005/03/09/rather/index.html

1.) Do you agree with the article that major media sources will not die out?

2.) What will be the effects of part-time bloggers bringing down professional journalists?

3.) What are the implications of the bloggers also being activists?

Blogging Ethics

http://www.ojr.org/ojr/stories/050217lasica

1. How ethical is it to pay a journalist to blog about a product?

2. What are the advantages and disadvantages of blogging about a product?

3. Should there be a disclaimer that people are being paid to write about a product?  Why or why not?

4. At the end of of the article, Lasica says you shouldn't call yourself a journalist if you're being paid to blog about a product.  Do you agree?  Why or why not?