Abstract

The digital media has proven successful with a specific type of information which is of great interest to those readers, accustomed to using diverse technology that furnishes them with the news on a variety of platforms: internet newspapers, information on social networks, informative documents on video, etc. This article studies how the blogs have created their own niche among the readers of digital press and how they have been incorporated into the digital newspapers to the point where they now have their own section. A special study is also made of the main Spanish digital daily papers.

Abstract

Media can not ignore the increasing levels of audience participation and its new role as content producer. This fact is a natural characteristic of Web 2.0 and implies reformulations for journalism, and also for the newsrooms. Audiences can participate even before the news happens, at planning the agenda or looking for sources. In this sense, the real convergence of digital media is not with the platforms, but with their audiences. The specific debate about what a digital newsroom must be is the main issue discussed in this article, that shows a general overview from the first initiatives in the USA to the latest actions in Spain, and from models closer to “reality journalism” to other open projects such as the Google newsroom.

Abstract

The majority of online newspapers provide access to retrospective information through press archive services, a product of great interest for libraries and other information services. The aim of this study is to identify key indicators for the evaluation of digital press archives and also identify examples of good practices in Spain for each of them. We propose a list of twenty-seven indicators grouped into four main sections (general features, contents, query system, and presentation of results), describe each one and include some examples of successful implementation. Methodologically, the indicators are the result of the review of the literature on evaluating web resources, databases and digital press archives, as well as the analysis of press archive services of newspapers from Spain and Catalonia. The use of these indicators can be useful for libraries and other information services to guide their users in consulting retrospective press information.

Abstract

The circulation of newspapers that have both a “paper version” and a “free digital” version is analysed to determine whether there is a relationship between the two kinds of circulation. If there is an existing relationship we want to know how it works, what the overall effects are, and if these effects create some form of “cannibalization”. We studied the leading “free digital” publications in Spain for general information (El mundo), sports (Marca), and economics (Expansión). Sources for extracting data are Introl, OJD and OJD Interactiva. Data analysis was based on a descriptive statistics methodology and monthly series over 10 years, starting in June 1998, the first available date for electronic editions of these three newspapapers. The last month analysed is December 2008 because OJD Interactiva modified its measurement methods in January 2009 and this change could have affected the study results.

Abstract

User studies permit online media to ask users various questions directly, in this case about the benefits to them of personalised news services. The satisfaction survey of Avui.cat readers has revealed how personalised services enhance and increase interest in news information and dedication to reading news, buying the newspaper, or subscribing to other news services.

Abstract

The use of rhetoric as the “art of persuasion” in discourse (Eco, 1974) has been the subject of reflection and study. As applied to informative communication, Gomis (1994) shows how journalism develops and operates its own rhetoric. With the arrival of the Internet and specifically with the opening of public communication to the average citizen, the use of participation as a rhetorical resource gains prominence and at the same time users add the rhetorical uses to their contributions. This article focuses on user comments in the front page of ElPaís.com, Abc.es and Lavanguardia.es with two objectives: to detect patterns of participation (in reference to the volume and to the presence of popular topics that generate a greater number of contributions) and to observe the rhetorical uses that are included in the comments of the readers to determine the predominant kind of participation.

Abstract

In this work, carried out at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) Center for Management of Enterprise Media, Entertainment, and Sports (Memes), we suggest that there is hope and reason for media companies to expect a recovery from the current crisis. As journalists and researchers in communication, we are concerned about newspapers’ sustainability, and we refuse to consider a future scenario without the press. According to this objective we focus on the entertainment industry with the goal of learning from it how to survive and even grow despite freely available content on the Web. We consider the unstoppable growth in users and revenue experienced by Netflix, Amazon and iTunes, and pull from it lessons learned that might help newspapers to navigate the digital landscape. Our hypothesis is that digital newspapers can find new readers in the segment of digital consumers who already “pay” for digital content including streaming movies and television shows. Sales, subscriptions, and online rentals experienced significant growth in 2013, bringing them closer to the sales figures of hardware such as DVDs and blu-ray discs. And, although piracy is an issue in the entertainment industry, there remains room for revenue growth.