The Texas Tribune

The problems with niche journalism

While I admire the Texas Tribune’s attempt at a new model of journalism, I do not think that this niche type reporting is necessarily the answer.  I agree that the internet is a medium geared toward individual preferences, but I do not think that in the future people are going to be willing to go to a different website for each different type of news that interests them.  I think that category specific news such as state politics has already been overtaken by the blogosphere, and while there are many inherent problems with non-professionals producing journalism I do not believe that it makes sense to dedicate so many resources to such a specific area that does not generate very much interest.

Non-profit journalism

Even though I do not see the Texas Tribune surviving in the long term, I do believe that experimentation such as this is what the journalism industry needs right now.  No one knows for sure what type of model is going to work for the future of journalism.  Despite the heated debate over whether a non-profit model will help or hurt the industry, the fact remains that no one will know what works until someone tries.

The Texas Tribune Critique

GOOD

I like the front page design and how it is similar to newspapers. I think it is a clean design that people are largely comfortable with, and features a dominant story in a way similar to newspapers. The drop-down menu on the top of the Web site also contributes to its clean design overall. I also am a big supporter of their overall mission. I think that a nonprofit operation is the way to go for this Web site. If it comes to a point where online advertising can sustain their operations after building up a large enough customer bases, they can always make the switch.

BAD

While I like that the overall design of the Web site is structured similar to a newspaper’s front page, I think that it needs to more effectively use other forms of media other than print headlines. Some more pictures to accompany stories might make the Web site more appealing. The videos that I found on the site were also very impressive and could be used to draw in readers’ attention. They need to be much more prominent on the Web site, especially the front page. I also find the way the Web site is split up in the top tabs isn’t the most intuitive design.

David Carr article on Texas Tribune

Article Response

I think David Carr started his article strong, discussing how the new Texas Tribune online staff could have proven themselves with coverage of the Fort Hood incident. It is interesting that the Texas Tribune staff steered away from such coverage because they want to stay focused on politics in Austin. I wish they could have covered Fort Hood because I believe it would have illustrated how talented the staff is, but I respect them for sticking to their central news focus.

On another note, it is amazing to see how much money has been invested in this website. I believe we talked about the prestigious James L. Knight Foundation in class. This shows that the top journalistic scholars have faith in the new Texas Tribune and believe it will succeed. Top journalists have started working for the Texas Tribune, but I can’t help but wonder how successful the site will be. We learned in Reporting for the Public Good that most readers steer clear of business and politics when it comes to newspapers. A website completely devoted to politics would be one that I would avoid. It will be interesting to see if the Texas Tribune raptures its audience with all its stories about politics.

Website Response

I really like the colors of the website. They are unique and complement each other quite well. Everything is easy to read and laid out well. I like all the sidebar boxes with information. My eye goes to the videos first, and then the sidebar boxes. Not only is the news online, but the Texas Tribune staff really embraces multimedia tools on the site. They show videos, Twitter accounts, blogs, and other social media networks. They even have an option for a mobile site. These are definitely forward-thinking journalists. Even though most audiences do not avidly tune into politics, I like that the Texas Tribune staff is using multimedia tools to keep everyone connected and informed.

Texas Tribune teeters on greatness

The Texas Tribune is definitely a new spin on modern journalism, but there are some things I think they need to work on before becoming a true web sensation…

Organization

When looking at the site it just seems random.  While there are what seem to be staples of their coverage (Interrupting the Stump and the blogs on the side) the stories on the top of the page seem random and unrelated.  It just all seems very cluttered.  It’s an automatic turn-off to not find what you’re looking for.

Content

Here’s my biggest problem with the content: this is a Texas-based news organization…  Where is the coverage of the Fort Hood shootings?  I used the search bar to find some kind of story (blatantly absent from the front page) and only found links to their “briefs.”  In my personal opinion, a Texas-based company should have more than just a one-liner in their everyday brief about 12 people who died less than 100 miles away.  Yes, I understand that the New York Time’s article about the site says they were covering some state politician who switched political parties, but that story was national, no, international news.  I find it a little ridiculous that they wouldn’t at least do one article on the incident.  Also, while I appreciate that they’re willing to link to other news organization’s stories, I don’t know that I would put that above the scroll bar on the right hand side.  It grabs my attention right away and all the sudden I’m not on the Tribune’s website anymore, I’m at the Chronicle or the Dallas Morning News.  They don’t need to be an advertisement for another organization.

The Future is Now

I don’t know if this is the future of journalism.  I don’t know if I want this to be the future of journalism.  If it is, it needs to be much more organized.  I can see people being drawn to this kind of format but until it’s put together a little better, the kick outs might keep it from being truly successful.

The Texas Tribune: A news aberration indicative of the future

David Carr’s Article – A Criticism

As a reporter covering online news, Carr needs to learn how to write a headline fit for the web. “News Erupts, so Does a Web Debut” is simply not googable.”  The lead paragraph, which calls the Fort Hood shootings “a made-to-order test for the Texas Tribune” is offensive.  A tragedy, yes.  A test for a state government website?  No.  And the Texas Tribune understands this – this is why the Texas Tribune staff was not among the media outlets racing to Ford Hood.

David Carr states that state government, the Tribune’s niche is not “sexy” like other online news niche papers.  Carr continues to state “The Tribune has yet to find a voice that makes state politics seem more like, say, the Oscars, but these are early days.”

Carr doesn’t get it – yet the Texas Tribune does.

The Texas Tribune – an evaluation

The online newspaper stripped of any paper clothing has grasped the future of journalism.  They have proved that the internet has possibilities that extend sex and entertainment.  Focusing on state government, the Texas Tribune has created an online newspaper that is looks and reads with the class of traditional print, while utilizing the new technologies of the web.  As demonstrated by their refusal to cover Fort Hood and stick with their state government story, the Texas Tribune is staying true to its advice, “You should read us in addition to your daily paper.”  They are not attempting to replace and conquer traditional newspaper, rather divulge further and deeper into a specific topic reshaped by the powers of the web.

Success Points

Interactive graphs allow readers not only to see where money is being spent by lawmakers, but click on individual sections to learn exactly where it is going.  Putting such graphs online rather than in print allows for immediate updates.

Niches within a niche, the blog page allows readers to follow a certain reporter, and stay up to date on even more detailed coverage, reported by which ever reporter’s writing style they find most pleasing.

Already having raised $3.7 million and paying staff at rates similar to those of a print newspaper, the Texas Tribune has solved the problem of making money for an online newspaper, and will serve as a model for more online niche newspapers that develop.

The layout is simple yet interactive.  With a consistent color scheme and expertly divided sections, the website is easy to use and informative.

What lies ahead…?

After browsing through the Tribune’s website, several questions lingered.  Will the revenue raised through donations continue, or falter?  It is certain that other websites such as the Tribune will pop up exponentially.  Will the increase spurred by the Tribune help profits, or lower through by increasing competition.

While the Tribune says readers should read their site in addition to their daily newspaper rather than instead of it, what happens when websites such as the Tribune take over and classic print papers are no more?  Will the Tribune expand to all areas of news, or remain in a niche?

The future of the news industry– all talk, and finally some action from The Texas Tribune

The future is now

Do I think that this model could save journalism in the future? Possibly. Do I think that they still have a long way to go? Of course. This class is constantly going back and forth about what the future of journalism will hold. Carr’s “wringing of the hands” example really struck a cord with me. Everyone seems to be all talk and no action.

A new model in action

In a lot of ways I am comforted by the Texas Tribune’s efforts because I finally see a new initiative, that seems to be working just fine without advertising revenue or subscription fees. And they really seem to have their eye on the prize by how sure of themselves they are. The casual language in the “about us” section was very effective in that it answered every question a skeptic might have with finesse and clarity. I’m just not so sure about putting the blogs on a tab in a way spatially, that makes them seem of equal importance to the news topics. Just how much weight should the opinions of the journalists have?

The Texas Tribune- A Site for the Future

The Story

David Carr paints a vivid picture of the journalistic values of Texas Tribune owners Even Smith and John Thornton.  The discussion over why the website was unwilling to cover the Fort Hood story was very important for all journalists.  Just because there is a “sexy” story on the Horizon does not mean one should follow it.  True “brussels sprout journalism” should be covering what really matters in the immediate community and leave the national press to cover stories that are more than an hour away.  The quote by a state house worker best sums up the sites importance.  “I hope you do a great job covering everyone but me.”  As Smith puts it; gratitude and fear.

 

The Site

GOOD:  When one opens the website they realize how user friendly it is because the Texas Tribune for Dummies video walks viewers through everything.  This is a great idea to pull people in and make sure the know how to navigate the entire website before the click out.  The navigation bar at the top is very helpful and easy to use.  The topics are interesting and well organized.  The directory at the top is fun for finding representatives, senators, and other state official.  The brief is also very cool and helpful for those who do not want to take the time to navigate through the website to find the most important information.  This site will have a long life in the future.

 

BAD:  The site should sort the employees by title not alphabetically.  It is much easier when looking for a reporter to go to the reporter section, or the owner by scrolling to the top.   There is too much clutter on the front page and not enough pictures.  A newspaper has more pictures than this website.  If they want to keep people visually interested they will need to do better.

Redefining Journalism

The Texas Tribune really understands where the journalism industry is going.  The majority of people don’t want to sit and read stories with only text and the occasional picture.  People like a variety of story-telling techniques.

Online

Having all this information online is a great place to start.  So much media is becoming digitized, and when people do research on a certain topic they generally go to a computer first.  Additionally, the organization of the website allows viewers to see a lot of information very quickly.  Blogs also give people the opportunity to hear one persons opinion, and they also allow people to do some “citizen journalism” of their own.  Since the site is so large, the box in the lower left part of the homepage with tabs for the “most searched”, “most emailed”, “most viewed” and “most blogged stories” give viewers a good idea of what’s most important.

Multimedia

The Texas Tribune’s use of various types of media makes the site interesting and shows that the journalists embrace different mediums in an effort to find a way to best tell a story.  On the home page alone there are examples of text stories, slideshows, several videos and an audio story.  Furthermore, interactive elements like the “polling” section and the blogs allow the view to become personally involved in the stories by voting on an issue or commenting on a story.

The Texas Tribune is off to a great start in redefining journalism in today’s evolving media industry.

Texas Tribune Review

I really like the direction that this media source is heading in.  There are a number of key aspects of this site that really make it work.  However there are also some aspects that the site could really work on.  Here are my top 3 reasons why this site works… and doesn’t work for me.

I like it…

1) This organization gets it!!!

As we all can probably see, the days of huge news organizations with full staffs is coming to a close.  Media sites today, because of budget cutbacks and technological developments, have to to be able to run efficiently with a minimum amount of people.  With a staff of only 14 writers, this site understands that in order to be successful, you must have a smaller staff that is able to branch out and multitask.

2) Embrace the new wave

Typical print journalism will always have a place in this world but nowadays you have to incorporate new media, entertainment and interactivity.  This site has a number of videos and visual elements that make it appealing as well as informative.  It also allows for users to submit comments, and post blogs, which allows for readers to interact with their news source, a vital part of today’s media scene.

3) Don’t try for too much, narrow your content

The truth is, it is way too difficult to try and compete with the big dogs of the journalism.  People already have their main sources for broad, general news and it’s very difficult to sway them away from these sources.  This site understands the importance of narrowing your content so that you can provide information that people want, and can’t really get from other sources.

I don’t like it…

1) Organization

One problem I have with this tie is organization.  A lot of the content seems plastered all over the site and it is extremely difficult to fins something specific I’m looking for.  It needs to do a better job of organizing this information and presenting it to viewers in a way that is easy to locate and understand.

2) Direction

While I do like the narrowing of content, I still think this site needs to do a better job of finding a sense of direction.  Ok yes, they report on Texas news and event, but do they really have a purpose other than this?  Are they political, sports, daily lifestyle, what are they exactly?  What stories get priority?  I like the direction they’re heading in but they need more direction which in turn will give them more of an identity.

3) Funding

I know that this site’s source of funding comes from private individuals and is technically a non-profit organization, but I have to think in order for it to have any sort of longevity or chance of survival, it needs to become financially independent.  I didn’t see a single advertisement on the site, maybe this is something they could look into.  Although I’m not a fan of subscription charges, maybe they should see if this is a realistic option.  Either way, I think they need to find some sort of mechanism for pulling in money because private individuals and donations just ain’t going to cut it.

 

Story of a News Start-Up

In our Monday edition of the New York Times, the Business Day section again carries some worthy pieces about the media, including this story by media columnist David Carr on The Texas Tribune.

The Tribune is a non-profit, web-only start-up with a dozen newsroom employees and big goals to cover state government in Texas.

Carr’s aim in the story is to highlight the fact that The Tribune is not trying to act as a general-interest newspaper. It follows a narrow mission to become a news organization that provides online what Carr calls the “good-for-you brussels sprouts journalism” about policy and political issues involving the state government.

This is another piece worth reading about the changing views of media economics. And it offers another peek at the sort of smallish news operation where you might want to work when you leave here.

I’ll end with a nice quote from Mark McKinnon, a political consultant who sits on the Tribune’s board. He refers to John Thornton, the business guy who has put together the funding for the online operation:

There are a lot of conversations about the future of journalism where everyone wrings their hands and talks very passionately about the problem, but John is a business guy who thinks in business terms about the problem and has come up with something that could be sustainable.

 

 

 

Computational Crunching for News

Comes now yet another high-minded report offering solutions for our changing practices of journalism. This is from Duke University’s DeWitt Wallace Center for Media & Democracy. Click here to see the website and find the report. You can download it as a PDF.

Yes, it speaks to techniques that we would lump under multimedia. If you’re doing a capstone research project next semester, this may offer ideas.

The report was top center on the site as I posted this, though it may migrate south over time.

You also should find on the site a video of Washington Post reporter Dana Priest giving a lecture at the DeWitt Wallace Center. Priest is an investigative reporter who won a Pulitzer Prize for reporting on the secret overseas prisons the CIA operated to hold terrorist suspects. Then she  won another — the prize for Community Service, shared with Anne Hull, for these stories about the sometimes careless treatment of U.S. service people at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in DC.

Here They Come: New Mobile Readers

If you want to imagine where the media industry is heading, here’s a story to give you an idea. It heralds the new Plastic Logic e-reader, a lightweight and unbreakable gizmo that will allow users to be plugged into the flow of news and information.

Not as hefty as a laptop. Not as tiny as an iPhone. And it’s coming soon.

What will this do to the way we tell stories and the means in which we consume them?  In another piece on generally the same issue, Newsweek technology reporter Daniel Lyons reminds us that Apple also is working on a new-generation reader that, some think, will sweep the market and support the revolution in how news is packaged and consumed in an always-on world, where access to the Net is like the air we breathe.

Here’s a quote:

For people like me, who produce content, this change is both great and scary. Great because the techies in Silicon Valley are giving us powerful new tools for telling stories. Scary because the old ways of telling stories are about to become obsolete, and if we cling to them, we’ll be washed away.

So keep after it, intrepid multimedia wizards.  Your new forms are about to arrive, and they will need you.