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Digital Trends in Local News 2017

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Jesse Holcomb
Jesse Holcomb

A look back at some of the most important research findings related to digital trends in local news, drawing on a wide range of sources including think tanks, academia and beyond. Prepared for the 2017 LION conference (Local Independent Online News Publishers).

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Digital trends in local news 2017 A look at the data Jesse Holcomb Assistant professor, journalism Calvin College Fellow, Tow Center for Digital Journalism Columbia University School of Journalism @jesseholcomb
October 29, 2017 2 What is this? Academics, think tanks, public scholars and journalists publish a lot of research about local and digital news every year But it ends up in a lot of different places, and sometimes behind a paywall I thought it would be useful to pull together some of the highlights from the past year in one brief overview Im sure I missed some stuff, so please let me know!
October 29, 2017 3 Social media big entry point for (passive) news consumption Source: Pew Research Center (Shearer, Gottfried), Sept 2017
October 29, 2017 4 National news dominating platforms, but audiences recognize the importance of local news Im the worst at keeping up with local news as well as I do with national news. Its really hard to do it with local news, and none of my Facebook friends share local news on Facebook. Its all national- based. I kind of feel likeand I talk like Im old or somethingbut the older you get, you kind of realize that the local stuff is whats actually important and affecting you more than what you see on CNN. Source: Tow Center (Brown et al.), Oct 2017
October 29, 2017 5 Mobile news exposure reaching, well, pretty much everyone Source: Pew Research Center (Barthel, Mitchell), May 2017
October 29, 2017 6 Key local news numbers (Pew Research Center, 2017) 33% follow local news very closely 30% follow neighborhood news very closely 23% say their local media do very well at keeping them informed 25% trust the info they get from local news organizations a lot
October 29, 2017 7 Misinformation & distrust coming to a town near you
October 29, 2017 8 Fieldwork and focus groups offer some ways forward Explore local issues and local angles on national issues, with a solutions journalism approach (which looks for responses to problems) Collaborate w/ outlets that residents are already reading, watching, listening to Provide opportunities for community engagement and participatory journalism Source: Tow Center (Wenzel, Ford), Aug 2017
October 29, 2017 9 Civically engaged more likely to use local digital news Civic engagement and local news usage rise and fall together While the audience for local news digital startups small compared to broadcast, these sites attract an engaged population Source: Pew Research Center (Barthel et al.) Oct 2016
October 29, 2017 10 Local news economics: print TV Public media Source: Pew Research Center, 2017
October 29, 2017 11 Consolidation is politicizing the airwaves and thinning community coverage on the print side At the end of 2004, the three largest companies owned 487 newspapers with a combined circulation of 9.8 million. Today, the three largest companies own about 900 papers that have a combined circulation of 12.7 million. (UNCs Center for Innovation and Stability in Local Media, Abernathy, 2016) Sinclair Broadcast Group struck a deal in May to acquire Tribune Media (42 TV stations) to add to its 170+ stations, offering greater reach for one of the nations most conservative media companies. (NPR)
October 29, 2017 12 Today: 600 fewer newspapers, almost 900 fewer owners than in 2004 Source: UNCs Center for Innovation and Stability in Local Media (Abernathy) 2016
October 29, 2017 13 Local online publisher revenue picture stabilizing Percent of local online news publishers generating less than $100,000 per year 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 <$100k <$50k 2015 2014 % Source: Tow-Knight Center at CUNY (McLellan) 2016
October 29, 2017 14 Advertising (mostly traditional display) is foundational for local online publishers 84% of publishers say advertising accounts for at least half of revenue 10% of publishers that sell advertising are doing so with video 44% of publishers have full-time paid staff producing content 75% of publishers draw a salary Source: Tow-Knight Center at CUNY (McLellan) 2016
October 29, 2017 15 More signs people will pay for news, if the value is there Factors that lead to paying for news: Specialist & exclusive content (scarcity --> value) Evergreen content (Longevity suggests deeper analysis, which is of value) Plurality of views and perspectives (social media, online search and aggregators have heightened sensitivity to the value of impartiality) Young audiences more likely to subscribe based on affinity for publishers mission 53% of Americans pay for news 28% of news subscribers see themselves as digital subscribers
October 29, 2017 16 That includes younger adults, too Source: American Press Institute, 2017
October 29, 2017 17 Access to local news distributed unevenly (but researchers are still trying to understand exactly why and how) Source: News Measures Research Project (Napoli et al) April 2016
October 29, 2017 18 Future of local journalism is collaborative Three characteristics predicting long-term viability of a local, civic journalism startup: 1) Belong to a network, 2) Planted in an entrepreneurial community, 3) Affiliation with a college or university Overall, the study suggests there are benefits to creating ties in an entrepreneurial ecosystem between professional facilities and academic institutions, and these benefits help foster greater entrepreneurial success in the ecosystem. Source: Kim et al 2016; Graybeal & Sindik 2016
October 29, 2017 19 Source: Montclair State U. Center for Cooperative Media (Stonbely) Sept 2017
October 29, 2017 20 Takeaways Macro tech usage trends of mobile & social not going away and in some cases accelerating, & so is the need to optimize Not everyone is as obsessed with local news, or as engaged in their community, as you are! Expanding reach and trust is a one- relationship-at-at-a-time prospect Twin trends of politicization of local news & consolidation of ownership creates an even bigger opportunity for independent media to fill the void Consensus emerging around the perils of going it alone networks (other publishers, entrepreneurs, institutions, and community members) increasingly important for success & sustainability
Digital trends in local news 2017 A look at the data Jesse Holcomb Assistant professor, journalism Calvin College Fellow, Tow Center for Digital Journalism Columbia University School of Journalism @jesseholcomb

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Digital Trends in Local News 2017

  • 1. Digital trends in local news 2017 A look at the data Jesse Holcomb Assistant professor, journalism Calvin College Fellow, Tow Center for Digital Journalism Columbia University School of Journalism @jesseholcomb
  • 2. October 29, 2017 2 What is this? Academics, think tanks, public scholars and journalists publish a lot of research about local and digital news every year But it ends up in a lot of different places, and sometimes behind a paywall I thought it would be useful to pull together some of the highlights from the past year in one brief overview Im sure I missed some stuff, so please let me know!
  • 3. October 29, 2017 3 Social media big entry point for (passive) news consumption Source: Pew Research Center (Shearer, Gottfried), Sept 2017
  • 4. October 29, 2017 4 National news dominating platforms, but audiences recognize the importance of local news Im the worst at keeping up with local news as well as I do with national news. Its really hard to do it with local news, and none of my Facebook friends share local news on Facebook. Its all national- based. I kind of feel likeand I talk like Im old or somethingbut the older you get, you kind of realize that the local stuff is whats actually important and affecting you more than what you see on CNN. Source: Tow Center (Brown et al.), Oct 2017
  • 5. October 29, 2017 5 Mobile news exposure reaching, well, pretty much everyone Source: Pew Research Center (Barthel, Mitchell), May 2017
  • 6. October 29, 2017 6 Key local news numbers (Pew Research Center, 2017) 33% follow local news very closely 30% follow neighborhood news very closely 23% say their local media do very well at keeping them informed 25% trust the info they get from local news organizations a lot
  • 7. October 29, 2017 7 Misinformation & distrust coming to a town near you
  • 8. October 29, 2017 8 Fieldwork and focus groups offer some ways forward Explore local issues and local angles on national issues, with a solutions journalism approach (which looks for responses to problems) Collaborate w/ outlets that residents are already reading, watching, listening to Provide opportunities for community engagement and participatory journalism Source: Tow Center (Wenzel, Ford), Aug 2017
  • 9. October 29, 2017 9 Civically engaged more likely to use local digital news Civic engagement and local news usage rise and fall together While the audience for local news digital startups small compared to broadcast, these sites attract an engaged population Source: Pew Research Center (Barthel et al.) Oct 2016
  • 10. October 29, 2017 10 Local news economics: print TV Public media Source: Pew Research Center, 2017
  • 11. October 29, 2017 11 Consolidation is politicizing the airwaves and thinning community coverage on the print side At the end of 2004, the three largest companies owned 487 newspapers with a combined circulation of 9.8 million. Today, the three largest companies own about 900 papers that have a combined circulation of 12.7 million. (UNCs Center for Innovation and Stability in Local Media, Abernathy, 2016) Sinclair Broadcast Group struck a deal in May to acquire Tribune Media (42 TV stations) to add to its 170+ stations, offering greater reach for one of the nations most conservative media companies. (NPR)
  • 12. October 29, 2017 12 Today: 600 fewer newspapers, almost 900 fewer owners than in 2004 Source: UNCs Center for Innovation and Stability in Local Media (Abernathy) 2016
  • 13. October 29, 2017 13 Local online publisher revenue picture stabilizing Percent of local online news publishers generating less than $100,000 per year 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 <$100k <$50k 2015 2014 % Source: Tow-Knight Center at CUNY (McLellan) 2016
  • 14. October 29, 2017 14 Advertising (mostly traditional display) is foundational for local online publishers 84% of publishers say advertising accounts for at least half of revenue 10% of publishers that sell advertising are doing so with video 44% of publishers have full-time paid staff producing content 75% of publishers draw a salary Source: Tow-Knight Center at CUNY (McLellan) 2016
  • 15. October 29, 2017 15 More signs people will pay for news, if the value is there Factors that lead to paying for news: Specialist & exclusive content (scarcity --> value) Evergreen content (Longevity suggests deeper analysis, which is of value) Plurality of views and perspectives (social media, online search and aggregators have heightened sensitivity to the value of impartiality) Young audiences more likely to subscribe based on affinity for publishers mission 53% of Americans pay for news 28% of news subscribers see themselves as digital subscribers
  • 16. October 29, 2017 16 That includes younger adults, too Source: American Press Institute, 2017
  • 17. October 29, 2017 17 Access to local news distributed unevenly (but researchers are still trying to understand exactly why and how) Source: News Measures Research Project (Napoli et al) April 2016
  • 18. October 29, 2017 18 Future of local journalism is collaborative Three characteristics predicting long-term viability of a local, civic journalism startup: 1) Belong to a network, 2) Planted in an entrepreneurial community, 3) Affiliation with a college or university Overall, the study suggests there are benefits to creating ties in an entrepreneurial ecosystem between professional facilities and academic institutions, and these benefits help foster greater entrepreneurial success in the ecosystem. Source: Kim et al 2016; Graybeal & Sindik 2016
  • 19. October 29, 2017 19 Source: Montclair State U. Center for Cooperative Media (Stonbely) Sept 2017
  • 20. October 29, 2017 20 Takeaways Macro tech usage trends of mobile & social not going away and in some cases accelerating, & so is the need to optimize Not everyone is as obsessed with local news, or as engaged in their community, as you are! Expanding reach and trust is a one- relationship-at-at-a-time prospect Twin trends of politicization of local news & consolidation of ownership creates an even bigger opportunity for independent media to fill the void Consensus emerging around the perils of going it alone networks (other publishers, entrepreneurs, institutions, and community members) increasingly important for success & sustainability
  • 21. Digital trends in local news 2017 A look at the data Jesse Holcomb Assistant professor, journalism Calvin College Fellow, Tow Center for Digital Journalism Columbia University School of Journalism @jesseholcomb