From a post today on Big Lead Sports:
USA Today had a conference call last night and according to a source, the paper outlined a plan in which it will pay annual bonuses to writers based on pageviews. The goal, obviously, is to get writers thinking digital. But once writers start scrutinizing their pageview tallies, and realize slideshows, rumors, and celebrities drive traffic, what will be the impact? And will other newspapers follow?
Note: The Big Lead's Jason McIntyre tells blogger Jim Romenesko: "My source was on the conference call, so it's rock solid. You knew this change was coming." Also: Big Lead says Gannett is an investor in its website.
Note: The Big Lead's Jason McIntyre tells blogger Jim Romenesko: "My source was on the conference call, so it's rock solid. You knew this change was coming." Also: Big Lead says Gannett is an investor in its website.
This tracks with my understanding that reporters have been getting training on using the web analytics software Omniture, so they can pull data on which stories are drawing the most traffic.
ReplyDeleteThis is a terrible idea for a number of reasons. Anyone who analyzes Web traffic knows that many things influencing page views are beyond the reporter's control. As you pointed out, photo galleries and salacious celeb tidbits will far outpace most heavily reported, in-depth news stories and they are, generally, easier to produce.
ReplyDeleteWhat's more, at our site, Web placement has a ton to do with this. A story that is presented front and center on the landing page will get scores more hits than a story squirreled away on the business landing page ... and the reporters have nothing to do with this.
So, you might have a business reporter working his ass off to turn in an excellent multi-source story with real impact to society, and his page views will be minor compared to the entertainment reporter who draws a lucky straw and gets to write about the latest Lindsay Lohan meltdown. I don't have anything against entertainment writers, it's just that this may be the stupidest decision -- in a long line of stupid decisions -- that corporate has ever made.
If this happens, print reporters will essentially face the same sort of "ratings" scrutiny as TV anchors, and we all know how superficial TV news is. As long as this practice stays in Gannett we'll be OK. We aren't exactly a news organization anymore anyway. But if this spreads to outlets like the New York Times and Washington Post it will be a sad day for America.
What plan is in place to also pay regular bonuses to reporter-editor-copyeditor-artist teams that do quality public service journalism?
ReplyDeleteThis is not true. Where do you get this crap from?
ReplyDeleteSo, could I as a reporter click on my story 200 times a day and thus get 200 hits toward my bonus? I don't understand all the ins and outs of Web tracking, but I'm wondering if this would be an issue.
ReplyDelete1:48 Which is not true: the Big Lead Sports item, or my post about Omniture?
ReplyDeleteDoes Gannett have any SEO folks?
ReplyDeleteLOL. Now you can just slip the homepage manager a $50 and get your story an hour or two on the front CP spot.
ReplyDeleteThey have to do something. There are days now when I call up USAT on the Internet and don't find a single story I want to read or haven't seen somewhere else.
ReplyDeleteThis explains a lot. I've been wondering why the "who is going next" stories on Dancing in the Stars, and what are the odds for contestants on American Idol. I have not read these stories, but I see the headlines.
ReplyDeleteThe trouble with relying on Omniture data is that it becomes a revolving door: reporters chase only stories that already have been written and reported elsewhere based on hits. So much for exclusives.
ReplyDeleteAnyone remember the movie "Network?"
ReplyDeleteI now believe this only applies to sports. More in a few minutes.
ReplyDeleteEd Cassidy the PR hack for David L. Hunke confirmed it on Romenesko.
ReplyDeleteIts all BS JIM!!!
ReplyDeleteI wonder if Al's set of Friday's words, will be included in this eventually?
ReplyDelete