Reported by Reuben Stern, Chelsea Stuart, Teddy Nykiel and Olga Kyle.
This week we learn about a renewed effort to market the value of news, hear tips on keeping data secure, and explore the world of native advertising.
PART 1: Marketing the value of news
Amid ever-increasing online competition for readers’ attention, some news organizations are rethinking the way they promote themselves. We hear from Mizell Stewart, vice president of content for the newspaper division at the E.W. Scripps Company, and Monica White, director of marketing at the Ventura County Star, about what they are doing differently.
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For example:
After a spate of wildfires in Ventura County in May 2013, the Ventura County Star created a series of ads featuring Instagram photos that reporters and photographers took while covering the fires. The goal of the campaign was to give readers a behind-the-scenes look at how the Star covered the fires.
PART 2: Data security for journalists
With digital privacy an increasing concern, we explore a few things journalists can do to better protect their work and their sources.
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For more information:
Poynter offers this list of 15 things journalists (and everyone) should know about digital security.
From basic preparedness to armed conflict and natural disasters, the Committee to Protect Journalists offers a security guide to covering the news.
Global Journalist Security offers workshops, digital security classes, safety management services and more.
Knowledge Bridge compiled advice to advance digital security for journalists that includes everyday precautions and higher risk recommendations.
The International Journalists’ Network offers this guide on how to encrypt documents, and why it is important.
PART 3: Native advertising at Forbes
Native advertising — i.e., material from advertisers that looks a lot like traditional news or feature content — is both a promising revenue stream for publishers and a source of concern among those who say it blurs the lines and confuses readers. We take a look at how native advertising has been working at Forbes, which has allowed brands to publish their own materials directly through the Forbes website for several years.
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For more information:
The Federal Trade Commission recently held a workshop to explore the blurring of digital ads and content that raised questions about regulating best practices and the move toward mobile.
Forbes offers a glimpse into the development and details of BrandVoice, saying it all comes back to content quality.
The New York Times Public Editor Margaret Sullivan explains how the newsroom plans to introduce native advertising while protecting editorial integrity.
Reuben Stern is the deputy director of the Futures Lab at the Reynolds Journalism Institute and host and co-producer of the weekly Futures Lab video update.
The Reynolds Journalism Institute’s Futures Lab video update features a roundup of fresh ideas, techniques and developments to help spark innovation and change in newsrooms across all media platforms. Visit the RJI website for the full archive of Futures Lab videos, or download the iPad app to watch the show wherever you go. You can also sign up to receive email notification of each new episode.
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