Towards a multimedia future

Multimedia newsrooms are the only future for the world's press, according to speakers at the IFRA Newstec conference in Brighton, UK this week.

A panel of speakers from a range of media groups discussed the advantages of newsroom convergence and how publishers are dealing with change.

Newsroom convergence is a term used to describe cross-platform news publishing. This can be any combination of print, TV, radio and online news, with many larger news groups running one central database from which the content can be published in any form.

For larger corporations, convergence is also a form of brand extension giving them a higher profile.

The technical demands of convergence - establishing these central news hubs - is the easy part, according to Ciara Ryan, speaking on behalf of Denmark-based market research group CCI Europe.

According to Ms Ryan, CCI's consultation with more than 300 journalists and 50 US and European newsrooms had confirmed that news teams have no desire for large replacement projects, which they feel would undermine their traditional processes.

"This is evolution, rather than revolution. Major change can't be forced on the industry," said Ms Ryan, who has also worked as a journalist for 10 years. "Journalists want custom-built systems so that they can do a better job, not complex systems that might hinder their work."

In January 2003, Netherlands-based research organisation the International Institute of Infonomics ran an 18-month long project to investigate the changing role of news providers in the information age. It summarises the state of development in four stages of 90, 180, 270 and 360 degrees, although none of the news groups consulted was found to demonstrate 360 degree convergence.

Paul Horrocks, editor of the Manchester Evening News, has taken the possibilities of convergence very seriously. He believes that the publication has achieved 180 degree convergence so far, but is hoping to take things further. "I see no reason why a reporter could not be involved in news for print and radio and web and even SMS," he said.

The media industry is under more pressure than ever before, explained Mr Horrocks, with increased competition, reduced advertising revenues and fragmentation of media consumption because of the increasingly diverse platform for news.

"Convergence means survival and growth because multimedia puts the customer first," Mr Horrocks explained. Users now control news because they pick the news they want - a power shift from the news provider to the consumer.

One of the biggest problems for management is the reluctance among many journalists to embrace change and adapt their working procedures.

"It's hard enough to get a journalist to work in a different section, let alone in a different media," Mr Horrocks explained. "We need to dispel these myths about convergence - it is not about compromising or cost-cutting. It is complementary, not competitive."

Unions are also reluctant to support the idea of multi-skilled journalists as this could mean that less work is available overall, although those with a broader range of skills will be in higher demand.

US publication the Tampa Tribune is often cited as the 'poster boy of convergence', combining web publishing, print, TV and radio in one building. Key to the success of convergence is encouraging print, online and broadcast journalists to work together.

Mr Horrocks and Ms Ryan both observed that the success of the Tribune's convergence experiment lay in physically placing mixed media journalists in the same workspace, as well as encouraging them to mix socially.

Ian Davies, group business development director for news publishers the Archant Group, believes that the main barrier to full news convergence is the heavy UK regulation on cross-media ownership. In the US, media ownership is much more diverse and gives more room to newsgroups to acquire new companies.

Mr Davies quoted Preston Mendenhall, a reporter for US network MSNBC, as a perfect example of how multimedia journalism can work. "He reported from Afghanistan in 2001 with an audio recorder, digital video recorder, stills camera, laptop and mobile phone at a cost of $4,000 - a fraction of the cost of sending a full news team."

See also:
http://www.mudia.org/index.html
http://www.infonomics.nl
http://www.newstec.org
http://www.manchesteronline.co.uk
http://www.archant.co.uk
http://www.tampatrib.com
http://www.cci.dk
http://www.msnbc.com/news/afghan_front.asp

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