They said WHAT?User Content on Newspaper Sites
Danny DaganHead of Online Communities News Group Newspapers
Readers Users Customers
In this presentation…
• Who we are and what we did
• UGC Framed
• The practicalities
The Sun Newspaper
The best read newspapers in the English speaking world!
Newspaper circulation of 3.2 million (Sep 07)
Source: ABC/ABCe
Website: Monthly uniques 10.6 million (Aug 07) Average 23 pages per unique user
The Sun
Strong ethos and identity:
• The people’s paper, very British
• Funny and with personality
The Challenge:
• Translate the newspaper’s personality into a community.
• Engage the public.
My Sun• Add comments to articles
• Discussion Boards
• Profiles
• Blogs
• Personalisation
• Deep integration
UGC Framed
• “We are all very excited about UGC” (Generic executive)
• Legislation evolving / Case law still forming.
• Public separation of brand and content is relatively new.
• Strong public ethos of freedom of speech vs. misunderstanding of libel and contempt.
• England: toughest libel legislation (and international impact).
UGC Framed
• Public alarm around child protection issues.
• Internet developing and flourishing regardless(if not on your site then elsewhere).
• The public is less accepting of editorialising and waiting-time to publication.
• No clear standards, or kitemark.
red pill
blue pill??
Readers Users Customers
RGC – Reader Generated Content?
• Your core product is your content (newspaper).
• Quality newspaper content = high journalistic standards.
• Quality RGC will only be achieved by high RGC standards.
Good community
management is to RGC
what good editorial is to
journalism
But wait – it’s so resource heavy!
What about my P&L?
Customers
Economics of RGC
• To achieve a quality product, you need to invest.
• If you look at effort v. audience the cost is minimal (compare to editorial).
• If you don’t invest in doing it properly:
– You’ll end up with fewer users, or
– It’ll cost you more in legal fees.
Now let’s
talk shop…
red pill
blue pill??
Four key questions:
Q1. In which cases are you more likely to beconsidered a publisher?
Q2. What is your approach to children as users?
Q3. Internal or outsourced moderation?
Q4. Mechanical or human moderation?
Moderation
• Real risks - protecting our users, especially younger ones
• Obscene material (illegal / taste & decency)
• Child protection – always in the spotlight
• Defamation and libel
• Contempt of court
• Intellectual property
• Spam
• Hate and discriminatory content (e.g. racist, homophobic)
• Suicidal readers
• Privacy and user details
• Terrorism and threats
And:
- Editorial
- “Seeding” / Community management
What is a reasonable time?
• Pre moderation
• Post moderation
What we covered
• Who we are and what we did
• UGC Framed
• The practicalities
Thank You!
They said WHAT?User Content on Newspaper Sites
Danny DaganHead of Online Communities News Group Newspapers