Murdoch's Microsoft Madness

Following on from my last post, this news comes hot on the heels of that.

While I understand, and almost commend Rupert Murdoch for his continued attempts to make money from online content, I think he's missing the point a bit.

Firstly, Bing is quite possibly the most horrible search engine to ever grace the world wide web. Bing sprang up from the ruins of msn's search, which itself was hideous and irritating to use. There are few, if any people who use it as a search engine of preference, and so his target market is far smaller than could otherwise be reached.

This would then, of course, react on the advertising rates News International could charge (lose about a quarter of your readers - online or in print) and your advertisers will notice, and not be so keen to part with large volumes of cash.

Therefore, any agreement Murdoch were to strike with Bing would need to be big enough to cover these losses BEFORE making a profit. However, he then procceds to shoot himself in the foot by saying: "If they (Microsoft) were to pay everybody for everything they took, from every newspaper in the world and every magazine they wouldn't have any profits left."

Nothing like identifying your market and knowing how to extract as much from tham as possible is there?

Microsoft obviously hopes that by simply sticking a few bits of "exclusive" news content on their site, people will flock there in their droves.
The problem being that if Bing is to promote the stories at the top of their pages (rather like sponsored current links) how many people really pay attention to those, or trust that the content being provided there if trustworthy and impartial.

This point maybe the only potential victory for Murdoch in this plan. It's far more likely that people would simply go direct to the newspaper website - or even miss it altogether.

Like it or not, we are addicted to Google. Not because of it's huge marketing budget, or it's recognisable brand, but because it actually works. When you search for something, it pretty well gets you it straight away.

This is something Bing can't compete with and, sooner or later, Murdoch will have to admit he can't either.

Will paying for online articles be the saviour of newspapers?

Without doubt the biggest challenge facing the publishing world at the moment is the continued boom of free online access to content. While audiences my feel they have the right to view anything and everything online without charge, this is a model that is quite simply unsustainable and does not reward the journalists who produce it.

Yes, with the arrival of the global network there will always be someone somewhere to describe the events happening on their doorstep and disseminate it through whichever medium they choose. But where do the audience find the authority that the mass-media provide to trust this source?

Since the penny dropped over a decade ago that the world wide web was hear to stay, and every organisation - media or not - was going to have a presence on this new space, there has been a continued growth in the volume, variety and quality of content being made freely available.
However, this has caused the longstanding and usually trusted mass-media organisations one heck of a problem, which they were rather slow to catch on to.

In the rush to become the biggest - and therefore the best - online newspaper, publishers threw caution to the wind and made all their published content freely available on their websites. They even started adding extra features and elements to their sites that could only be found online.
The information age had truely arrived, and the public took advantage.

It`s hardly surprising that instead of buying daily newspapers and periodical magazines, people started logging on to find out today's breaking news for free, rather than reaching into their pockets every morning to purchase yesterday's news. As a result, newspapers shed readers like sheep do fleeces in summer.

To compound this, newspapers suffered a double hit. Not only were they facing falling sales income, but as the circulations dropped, so too did the revenues from advertising that depend on audience figures. This was hard enough to tackle in calm economic seas, but as the recession wind and waves began to blow, advertising took a back seat as companies battened down the hatches to ride out the full force of the storm.

It has become obvious this cannot continue, and newspapers will need to raise serious revenue sums from their websites. The Financial Times and Wall Street Journal already charge subscriptions for access to their content, but these are specific publications, targetting an audience that can afford to pay. Suggestions for subscriptions to websites of mainstream titles have largely been received icily.

But audiences are warming to another idea. Micro-payments.
The reader pays a few pennies for every article read, with the value depending on the type of article, author etc.
This system, if operated correctly, could even save Britain's printed press.

At say, 5p per article, if a person reads ten a day, that equals 50p. Depending on your chosen title, that is anywhere from half to the full cover price of most daily newspapers.
Using this method almost all readers can be satisfied.

Those who want to read just one or two stories that take their interest, whether through searches or news aggregator sites, can do so for a very minor charge; while people who want a fuller look at upto a dozen articles, will pay for about half the cover price.
But the most exciting element comes for those heavy readers, who want to digest the whole paper over breakfast, on the train to work, and then finish off at lunch. They can either buy an online "copy", or even pick up a regular print version for the same price.

Of course there are issues around it to consider, such as updating stories throughout the day on websites. But the theory could see people who would heavily access content only on particular days buying the paper instead to receive all the extra articles in addition to their preferred online stories.

If enacted properly and sensibly, with cross-industry co-operation, it could see the resurgence and re-vitalisation of a once vibrant and dynamic national press.

Nice weather for cricket!

I'm actually quite surprised that is was only April when I last added something to this.
So I've now basically finished my course and am in the wonderful job hunting market. Sadly journalism jobs are not that widely available, so it could be a fairly long search, but I'm hopeful.

The course has gone fantastically well, I've got very good marks, and so it's just a matter of time I hope.
If anyone out there reading this (which makes the rather bold presumption that people actually DO read this) has a reporter position they need filling by a keen, hard working, excellent writing and very cheap, newly qualified journalist.... I am available for work ANYWHERE!

Also, I am now on Twitter, and you can follow me HERE.
For those of you who don't know about Twitter, think of it almost as text messaging online... although there are obviously less messages about asking your other half to buy a pint of milk on the way home or to remember to walk the dog.

And following along the twitter line, THIS is a really fascinating site. Apparently the people who run it do so for little or no profit, and just one glance down the postings shows that people do find it unburdening.

And THIS is something else that may help you all realise (if you ahven't already) what is truely valuable in life to you. I defy anybody not to be moved by today's letter.

More of me!

Mansfield Town v Torquay match report.
This was actually a pretty good game, and surprisingly good football despite the near gale blowing down the pitch.
Here

And here's my updates from the Mansfield v Forest Green Rovers game.
Here

I've even managed to get my name in the official club programme for one of the fans interviewing sections I do in there. Not a huge credit.... but it all counts, and they are all gratefully received. Just call me Mr Stag!!!

And last but not least, another version of my Varsity Ice Hockey report. This one was done for Nottingham Trent Students Uni, so I couldn't really go ahead and write "Trent Uni were hammered by their local rivals", it needed a but more *ahem* "spin." Haha!
Here

This week has been another hectic one, as I'm at the Western Mail and South Wales Echo (all one organisation now) on a week's work placement. It started off slow, but has got better and better, and now I'm actually getting a few by-lines as my articles get printed.
I'll try to put as many up here as possible... those that MediaWales decide to put online that is!

Busy, busy, busy!

Its been rather busy in "owains-world", and here's just a little of what I've been upto:

Covering the Varsity Ice Hockey match here in Nottingham between Trent University and the University of Nottingham.
I'm really pleased about this as my article made it into the Nottingham Evening Post.
http://www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/panthers/Fifth-time-lucky-University-Nottingham/article-759188-detail/article.html

I've also done some filming work while covering the event as part of my coursework. So you may find me infront of the camera in the future too, not just behind a keyboard!


I'm also continuing my match-day work with Mansfield Town. So if you check their website mansfieldtown.net on a home match day, the chances are you'll be reading me!
http://www.mansfieldtown.premiumtv.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10325~1582270,00.html
http://www.mansfieldtown.premiumtv.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10325~1582661,00.html

http://www.mansfieldtown.premiumtv.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10325~1549003,00.html

http://www.mansfieldtown.premiumtv.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10325~1535345,00.html