:: LNR Journalism ::

Guardian sees (only) 2.1pc of iPad readers pay, but does it matter?

paidContent :: Only a sliver of people who have tried out The Guardian’s iPad edition for free end up subscribing after their trial. But does that small percentage matter? Other publishers also see low premium take-up, The Guardian is more interested in selling ads than subs.

A report by Robert Andrews, paidcontent.org

Guardian's #smarttakes: It might be you who breaks the news

Guardian :: When news breaks, everyone's looking for the same thing: the facts. Since the big picture comes later, making sense of important issues needs time and more than one perspective. That's why we're introducing #smarttakes, a pop-up aggregation tool that collects standout pieces of commentary and analysis from Guardian readers. We've been experimenting with the concept in recent weeks, like when the drone scandal broke, when Facebook went public and when the Montreal protests erupted. As of today, pop-up aggregation has a permanent home on the Guardian.

Introducing #smarttakes - A report by Ruth Spencer, www.guardian.co.uk

The Guardian formalizes audience curation with #smarttakes - An opinion by Justin Ellis, www.niemanlab.org

Why the Guardian will eventually have to put up a paywall

The Wall :: Bad news again from Guardian News & Media as it announced that as many as 100 jobs are to be cut, from its staff of 650, and losses of £44m — up by £6m on last year. Amid all of this financial pain it has pushing been ahead with its digital first ‘open journalism’ strategy that has become the core of the paper’s business. Underpinning this is an old style digital land grab. A drive for the largest audience the paper can find online fuelled by expansion into the US. All this, we are told, is apparently at odds with the implementation of any kind of paywall.

We hear this even though there is mounting evidence to suggest that having a metered paywall, as that is the only variety of relevance, is the right answer for similar newspapers.

Gordon MacMillan on Twitter

A report by Gordon MacMillan, wallblog.co.uk

Up to 100 jobs (of 650) to go as GNM unveils losses of £44.2m

100 jobs of 650? That's a deep cut. First time I read about concrete numbers, that's why I included the article by Arif Durrani, MediaWeek, here, although paidContent mentioned the cuts already yesterday.

MediaWeek :: Guardian News & Media, home to The Guardian and The Observer, is to make up to 100 editorial roles redundant before March 2013, following losses of £44.2m during its last financial year, staff heard today. In editorial, the loss of around 100 roles from a team of 650 is expected to reduce costs by £7m, although a similar voluntary initiative last year only produced a third of departures required.

A report by Arif Durrani, mediaweek.co.uk

Guardian’s ‘digital-first’ means more losses, more lay-offs

paidContent :: Guardian News & Media is re-opening its voluntary redundancy programme after its “digital-first” survival strategy‘s first year resulted in much higher company losses.

A closer look at the figures so far - A report by Robert Andrews, paidcontent.org

Open journalism: Why the Guardian is 'experimenting with more focused requests'

Journalism.co.uk :: Although the newslist is still live, national editor Dan Roberts says the daily blog has been 'parked' and the Guardian is 'experimenting with more focused requests' - So we asked what the Guardian has learnt so far about these open newslist projects, and what it means future development in this area.

Clipped from: www.guardian.co.uk (share this clip)

Continue to read Rachel McAthy, www.journalism.co.uk

 

Guardian hands 20 reporters iPhones for added video coverage

Journalism.co.uk :: The iPhone trial, which has seen reporters trained in using the device, is 'very much designed to supplement rather than replace' what the Guardian already does with video.

Continue to read Rachel McAthy, www.journalism.co.uk

Guardian Media Group receives £50m offer for radio business

Guardian :: Guardian Media Group has received a number of offers for its radio business, which include the Real Radio and Smooth Radio networks, with the top offer tabled thought to be about £50m. GMG, which has built up the UK's third largest radio group with acquisitions totalling in excess of £200m, is not thought to have officially raised the "for sale" sign over GMG Radio.

Continue to read Mark Sweney, www.guardian.co.uk

The Guardian's marketing strategy: What's next after 'Three Little Pigs'?

AdAge :: The Guardian has lived up to its "Open" approach in spades, as seen in its coverage of the Arab Spring, and the WikiLeaks and News International phone-hacking scandals. Online initiatives have included opening up its daily newslist to readers and inviting them to send in news questions through a TwitterTagbot. But marketing-wise, until "Three Little Pigs," it hadn't done much to promote Open Journalism, said David Pemsel, The Guardian's new chief marketing officer.

How to turn "Open Journalism' into something that consumers understand?

The marketing challenge - Continue to read Ann-Christine Diaz, adage.com

For those who haven't seen "Three Little Pigs" yet:

Alan Rusbridger: The quiet evangelist

New Statesman :: Alan Rusbridger has some claim (always excepting C P Scott) to be the Guardian’s greatest editor. But will he also be its last? Now acclaimed as a hero, will he turn out to be the Guardian’s nemesis, unable to ensure that it continues “as heretofore”?

Continue to read Peter Wilby, www.newstatesman.com