OBS* Conference | Lisbon | 23 November 2009

Managing User-generated content on media websites

Piet BakkerASCoR - University of Amsterdam / Hogeschool Utrecht

OBS* Conference | Lisbon | 23 November 2009

Dutch internet use

Reach Dutch newspaper websites

OBS* Conference | Lisbon | 23 November 2009

Use of newspaper websites (month)

2007 I/II 2008 I/II 2009 I/II

# visitors 4.6 million

(33%)

6.3 million

(43%)

6.9 million

(50%)

# visits 14 16 19

OBS* Conference | Lisbon | 23 November 2009

Newspapers, journalism, new media

Three studies– Blogging on news sites (Hille & Bakker)– Visual UGC on media websites (Pantti & Bakker)– The value of UGC for news (Bakker & Pantti)

Method– Interviews (36)– Websites analyzed (15)

OBS* Conference | Lisbon | 23 November 2009

Key publications

Normative– Bowman & Willis, 2003; Gillmor, 2004– Keen, 2006

Empirical– Paulussen et. al, 2007; Bergström, 2008;

Chung, 2008; Domingo et. al, 2008; Hermida & Thurman, 2008; Örnebring, 2008; Thurman, 2008; Hermida, 2009.

OBS* Conference | Lisbon | 23 November 2009

A majority of editors (…) complained that getting acceptable written content - e.g. stories - from citizen journalists usually required significant investments of newsroom staff time to train, coach, educate, confirm and edit.

Project for Excellence in Journalism (2008, p. 26)

OBS* Conference | Lisbon | 23 November 2009

Research questions

Impact on news & journalism?– Under what conditions what kind of value

for news content?– Collaboration or contribution?– If no news, then what do users contribute?

Business perspective– Costs & costs savings

OBS* Conference | Lisbon | 23 November 2009

Expectations: positive but carefull

• Tsunami, 9/11, London & Madrid, Van Gogh• Availability of camera equipped phones• International role model’ BBC & CNN• Expecting a dialogue with readers

“when my house is on fire, I don’t see the fire brigade but

someone with a camera”

OBS* Conference | Lisbon | 23 November 2009

Free User-Generated Content

Free User-Generated Content

news (leads)news (leads)

discussionsdiscussions

interesting for readersinteresting for readers

more visitorsmore visitors

advertising revenuesadvertising revenuescost savingcost saving

interesting for journalistsinteresting for journalists

more transparancymore transparancy

communication with userscommunication with users

more loyal usersmore loyal users

financial benefitsfinancial benefits

journalistic benefitsjournalistic benefits

OBS* Conference | Lisbon | 23 November 2009

Experiences: hopes & disappointments

• Comments• Accountability &

transparency• Loyal readership

• Exceptional circumstances

• Predictable• Few contributors

“Finding news is an exception.”

“I’m disappointed when I have less

than 30 comments for my story.”

OBS* Conference | Lisbon | 23 November 2009

Exceptions: NRC, AT5 & Unieuws

NRC Handelsblad– Readers “I” stories– Expert blogs

AT5– News pictures & video’s– Usable in TV news

Unieuws– Closing the holes in the

news-net

OBS* Conference | Lisbon | 23 November 2009

Weak spots: abuse & counterfeits

Quality of content– “in terms of news it’s minimal”– Racism and abuse in comments– Anonymity

Photoshop artists– “You have to be sure that it is really what

it’s supposed to be”

OBS* Conference | Lisbon | 23 November 2009

Moderation & direction

Different moderation regimes– Journalists moderating– Heavy users moderate– Outsourcing moderation– Closing topics for comments– Self-cleansing (complaints)– Ban & block users

Alternatives– Registration – Promotion– Direction– Participating

OBS* Conference | Lisbon | 23 November 2009

Expected & fringe benefits

Expected benefits– “We certainly have a

community”– “It’s the accelerator for the

number of visits”

Non news ‘benefits’– “Within three hours we had

700 photos”– “the ‘ikjes’ became the most

popular part of the website.”

OBS* Conference | Lisbon | 23 November 2009

Free User-Generated Content

Free User-Generated Content

interesting for journalistsinteresting for journalists

interesting for readersinteresting for readers

news (leads)news (leads)

discussionsdiscussions

cost savingcost saving

more visitorsmore visitors

advertising revenuesadvertising revenues

more transparancymore transparancy

communication with userscommunication with users

more loyal usersmore loyal users

financial benefitsfinancial benefits

journalistic benefitsjournalistic benefits

Moderation Moderation

Quality Quality

Non-news Non-news

OBS* Conference | Lisbon | 23 November 2009

Implications for theory

• Audience participation, interactivity & participatory journalism– U&G becoming a reality?

• Technology: broadband, multimedia, comments, crowdsurfing, blogs, twitter, Youtube, Flickr, social networks– Technological determinism rediscovered

OBS* Conference | Lisbon | 23 November 2009

Discussion

• Reluctant journalists? or...

• The myth of audience participation– Exceptions: focus, local, personal (non-news)

• The lacking business perspective