(translated from our French blog)Interesting assertion of Bruno Patino, president of the interactive division of
Le Monde, in an article concerning the role of the Internet and the newspaper industry, regarding the new strategy of the French daily newspaper,
Libération.“The printed paper form and the digital form are two complementary media. Print is based on the hierarchy of information and putting information in perspective. The Internet is based on the ability to react quickly and the power of images. A digital newsroom is about providing facts, reacting quickly and showing images, while a print newsroom is structured around deadlines.”
Above English translation based on the following French Quote:
"L'imprimé, le numérique sont deux médias complémentaires. L'écrit se fonde sur la hiérarchie de l'information et la mise en perspective, Internet est fondé sur la réactivité et l'illustration. Une rédaction Web est dans le factuel, la réactivité, l'illustratif, tandis qu'une rédaction papier est structurée sur les horaires du bouclage."
Complementary mediaIt is clear that print and the web can be, in theory, complementary media. But in fact, they are not in the majority of cases. Or, it is because the Internet site is almost non-existent (in France many newspapers don't have a Web site). Or, it is because many daily newspapers provide all (or almost all) of their content free on their sites. And often, there is enough information on the site to not have to read the paper. Some newspapers sites offer even much more information and tools than in the paper itself.
It is in our opinion that the latter is the case of
Le Monde. Its site proposes, partially free but also partially paid, enough information to not have to buy the print version. The new formula, launched on November 7, does not seem to leverage the concept of complementarity to their advantage.
Hierarchy of informationThe newspaper industry rests on the principle of the hierarchy of information. A hierarchy guided by the choices of its newsroom. Now, is this to say that an Internet site does not have any hierarchy of information?
Like the paper, an Internet site also proposes its hierarchy of information. It is the case in the site of
Le Monde. The newsroom proposes its hierarchy. It chooses the subjects that will be displayed on the home page. And, it decides which subjects will be the leading articles.
On the other hand, with the innovation of the Internet -- which makes certain journalists tremble -- the hierarchy of information can escape the newsroom. How? On one side, certain sites start to propose a hierarchy of the information that changes throughout the day. And the lead articles are based on the number of clicks. On the other side, personalization tools (My Yahoo! for example) allow consumers to choose their sources of information and the hierarchy, based on their centers of interest.
So, one can conclude, that contrary to the assertion of Bruno Patino, the Internet is becoming a tool to build hierarchies of information much more powerful than those of the paper are and perhaps ever will be. The changes come from the loss of the journalists’ power in this choice by consumers. Is this good or not? Let’s discuss.
Perspective setting needed?In theory, print should be the tool “par excellence” of putting information into perspective. However, once again, the facts are skewed. The Internet offers a whole series of tools for perspective setting that are much more powerful -- even if completely under-used – than that of print. How much more effective can a link be than to provide a definition or an explanation of a concept, on articles or on subjects… on an online forum or debate, a blog, etc? How much more complete can you get than with the millions of pages on the Internet?
The success of the
Wikipedia encyclopedia is the evidence. Consumers need perspective setting. However, it is the territory that the daily newspapers have, with very rare exceptions, given up. Unfortunately, because it is one of their greatest strengths.
Digital newsroom: just a current news provider?Providing, as quickly as possible, current news is definitely an aspect of a digital newsroom service. But it is, in our opinion, an error to reduce it to just that. The Internet is a tool for providing news at several speeds. The instantaneous one (and thus current news events) is one of them. And the long term one (research), therefore analysis and therefore perspective setting, is another one of its speeds.
To think that the Web only provides quickly current news is to forget one of its most important functions: research. It is also to forget another key function: socialization. A socialization that can revolve around information through intermediaries: blogs, forums, chats, commentaries... A socialization that gives another dimension to information. A dimension that print does not offer. A dimension that has various speeds.
Print newsroom: organized for and by deadlinesUnfortunately, Bruno is right. We will add that the print newsroom is organized based on the concept of the page. It fills pages. We wonder if this type of organization still makes sense today. Bruno seems to say yes. This is reason why
Le Monde has separate newsrooms. Serge July, the publisher of
Libération, seems to think differently with his idea of bi-media.
We share a part of the point of view of July. Not the idea of bi-media that seems incomplete. But the idea of a single newsroom that provides content to both media.
It is at this cost that the two tools, print and the Internet, will become complementary. It is when news organizations think multi-platform and no longer one or the other. It is when they organize their newsrooms around the notion of the time and stories.
Good journalism does not belong to any platform. A news organization must use the tools at its disposal together "to connect itself" with its reader, with his advertiser... with its audience.
The media are a means, not an end. What counts is the end service, right?
