With the rise of digital, how we consume news has shifted – and new outlets are feeling the effects. In the last two months, The Associated Press, The Wall Street Journal, Gannett, Univision, Bloomberg and Thomson Reuters have all announced job reductions. Just last week, The Seattle Times announced that it was offering a buyout program before layoffs.
While many news outlets are struggling to evolve with the changing landscape, one publication has managed to double web traffic in the last three years, and the daily number of online posts filed by its reporters is higher than that of The New York Times and BuzzFeed. So which publication is navigating these turbulent times in the publishing world?
The Washington Post.
Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon, purchased The Washington Post for $250 million in 2013 and has worked to reinvent the paper by focusing on things like digital speed and additional features that optimize the site for mobile. Columbia Journalism Review recently sat down with Shailesh Prakash, chief information officer at the Post, and Joey Marburger, the director of product, to discuss the paper’s success and the secrets behind it. Under the leadership of executive editor Martin Baron and Bezos, Prakesh and Marburger have turned the paper into a digitally savvy and innovative – yes, innovative – business. While I highly recommend reading the interview in its entirety (found here), I’ve summarized a few of the most interesting takeaways from the interview.
Don’t Hesitate to Innovate
When asked about discovering an effective business model for newspapers, Prakesh, formerly with Microsoft and Netscape, said that no one had figured it out yet. Because no one had figured it out, the next step was to experiment with other options.
With his background in technology, Prakesh brings a fresh perspective to a traditional industry. He believes that the perception that experimentation has to be costly is wrong. Currently, the Post is partnering with Google on a developing an extra-fast mobile website. At this point, a little less than 10 percent of their current web traffic flows in from the mobile site, but there is potential this could grow. By partnering with Google, the Post hasn’t invested in hiring engineers, making an extensive plan, or spending an extreme amount of money building the platform. If the new mobile site doesn’t see the success they hoped for, simply shutting it down is an option.
Speed Matters
Speed has proven to be a factor when it comes to digital. Marburger, the journalism half of this team, noted that speed may encourage readers to come to them on a regular basis versus another paper covering similar topics. He said that they are already seeing correlations in the data—people are more likely to consume more content and subscribe to the paper if they can access the site faster.
In today’s digital world, consumers are inundated with headlines and links. Content is available anywhere, anytime. How quickly the audience can access the content can be a huge differentiator. The idea originated from Bezos’ inspiration for the Kindle. When considering the Kindle, Bezos thought, “How can we keep everything that’s fantastic about a book and also [incorporate] the [benefits] of digital?” So, the Post considered how you read a newspaper – with ease. It’s relaxing, easy to scan. The Post is aiming to replicate the benefits of physical papers with the speed and convenience of digital.
Digital Openness
Digital news is here to stay, so journalists and publishers are shifting their thinking around it. According to Marburger, the same qualities that make good journalism are still driving the content produced. Instead of printing for an A1 story once a day on paper, publications can produce fresh digital editions every hour.
Outlets also need to consider that with digital content, the readers experience is dependent on more than just the content. Prakesh looks at the Post as being product-focused. What exactly is their product? It’s good journalism, interesting content, features on the platform like being able to save a story for later, and speed.
Journalism is rapidly changing and publications everywhere are feeling the impact. However, The Washington Post has taken a modern, innovative approach to appeal to digitally focused readers. As the paper continues to evolve, and if they continue to see success, it may encourage other publications to follow suit.