A Survey of Editors & Reporters April 29, 2009 Is Multimedia Journalism Better Journalism?

A Survey of Editors & Reporters

April 29, 2009

Is Multimedia Journalism Better Journalism?

The study

√ To examine status of multimedia journalismPrimary duties of editors & reportersFuture newsroom staffing Impact of multimedia on editorial productAdditional training for Web publishing

√ 970 interviews with daily newspaper editors869 interviews with daily newspaper reporters

√ Conducted by Center for Advanced Social Research of RJI in December 2008 & February 2009

Status of Continuous News Desk

Would you say your organizationhas a continuous news desk?

Yes No

59%

41%

67%

33%

Editors

Reporters

Primary reasons for not having CND

√ Staffing / Small size of organization

√ Budget / Funding / Resources

√ In the process of converting to 24/7

Status of CND by editors & reportersStatus of Continuous News Desk

Do you operate your Web site & newspaper as an integrated product or … separate & distinct entities?


Integrated Separate DK/not sure

84%

15%

1%

83%

17%

EditorsReporters


Does your continuous news desk staff blog?

Yes No

63%

37%

65%

35%

EditorsReporters

Does your continuous news desk staffdo other multimedia story telling?


Yes No

75%

25%

82%

18%

EditorsReporters

How would you describe the primary duties of those on continuous news desk?

Primary duties of those on CND

Writing 73% 69% Reporting 65% 63%Blogging 34% 38%Editing 68% 69%Updating 72% 75%Taking video 48% 50%*Photos 9% 7%

[Check all that apply]

Editors Reporters

Most important priority of CND

Primary duties of those on CND

Breaking news 49.4% 46.0% Updating 10.6% 13.5%Accuracy 7.6% 9.1%Local community 4.1% 3.4%Timeliness 2.8% 2.9%Grow readership 1.4% 4.5%Speed 1.4% 7.7%

Editors Reporters

Multimedia journalism

Field Question:

Even though it may be difficult to predict, do youanticipate that the overall number of full-time editorial staff in your newsroom, including both print and online, will increase, decrease, or remainstable in the next 12 months? And in the next threeyears?

Future newsroom staffing

Future newsroom staffing in next 12 months


Increase Remain stable

Decrease DK/not sure

5%

60%

33%

2%6%

46% 45%

3%

EditorsReporters

Future newsroom staffingin next 3 years


Increase Remain stable

Decrease DK/not sure

16%

42%

36%

6%

19%

29%

45%

7%

EditorsReporters

Your ability to cover breaking news

Impact of CND on editorial product

Better No noticeable change Worse

73%

23%

4%

73%

23%

4%

EditorsReporters

The depth of your newsroom’s reporting



31%

51%

18%

26%

45%

29%

EditorsReporters

The accuracy of your newsroom’s reporting



40%

52%

8%

33%

53%

14%

EditorsReporters

The quality of your newsroom’s reporting


Better

No noticeable ch

ange

Worse

33%

54%

13%

28%

52%

20%

EditorsReporters

The comprehensiveness of your news coverage


Better

No noticeable ch

ange

Worse

52%

34%

14%

48%

31%

21%

EditorsReporters

The culture of your newsroom



52%

37%

11%

29%

45%

26%

EditorsReporters

Your ability to report with analysis



26%

52%

22%

29%

40%

31%

EditorsReporters

Your ability to report withbackground information



51%

40%

9%

42% 41%

17%

EditorsReporters

Have the demands of Web publishing or CNDincreased … the deadline pressure you face?


Increased No change Decreased

66%

33%

1%

69%

30%

1%

EditorsReporters

Impact of increased deadline pressureon quality of news coverage


Hurting Helping Just changing

No effect

13% 12%

73%

2%

18%

7%

73%

2%

EditorsReporters

Overall quality of news product


Not as good

Different but same

quality

Better DK/Not sure

10%

33%

54%

3%

20%

37% 34%

9%

EditorsReporters

Impact of CND on journalism


Made worse

Hasn't made Made better

DK/Not sure

19% 19%

56%

6%

20%18%

55%

7%

EditorsReporters

The emergence of the Internethas made journalism …?


Made worse

Hasn't made

Made better

DK/Not sure

25%

12%

56%

7%

18%

10%

64%

8%

EditorsReporters

Has provided training … for Web publishing?

Additional training for Web publishing

Yes No DK/Not sure

65%

33%

2%

53%

40%

7%

EditorsReporters

How effective is the training?

Effective Neutral Not effective

37%

44%

19%

30%

45%

25%

EditorsReporters


Comfort level of writing for the Web

Comfortable Neutral Not comfortable

56%

32%

12%

55%

32%

13%

EditorsReporters


Capability of newsroom staff to write for the Web

Capable Neutral Not capable

65%

28%

7%

64%

29%

7%

EditorsReporters


Importance for newsroom staffto receive training for Web publishing

Important Neutral Not important

71%

20%

9%

74%

18%

8%

EditorsReporters


News budget on training for Web publishing

Higher Same as before

Lower DK/not sure

39%

34%

19%

9%

35%

23%

12%

30%

EditorsReporters



Summary:

√ Multimedia news coverage, including blogging, isnow the norm in most newspaper newsrooms;

√ More editors than reporters thought all the changes newsrooms have made in the past three years have helped the overall quality of their news products;

√ Both editors (56%) and reporters (64%) thought the Internet has made journalism better generally;

What have we learned?


Summary:

√ Unique features of the Internet, e.g., breaking news,comprehensive coverage, background information,were well understood by journalists;

√ No matter how formats change, journalism principles remain unchanged. “The Elements of Journalism”

Bill Kovach & Tom Rosenstiel

What have we learned?


√ Why do you think that news on the Web is making journalism better?

√ Why is it that the impact of multimedia journalism on depth reporting is less than on breaking news?

√ What needs to change to make additional training for Web publishing more effective?

√ The results seem to suggest that strong journalism is needed more than ever before. Do you agree?

Can you tell me …

Questions?

Pam Johnson, [email protected] Fleming, [email protected] Williams, [email protected]

A Survey of Editors & Reporters April 29, 2009 Is Multimedia Journalism Better Journalism?

Documents

editorial product slide

journalism impact of

newsroom impact of cnd

editorsreporters slide

status of cnd

breaking news impact

analysis impact of cnd

cnd breaking news