Der Spiegel's leaked innovation report, a publishers' right in the digital age, and data holding back journalists

Friday, April 01, 2016      Future Media Lab.       0

 Continuing with our bi-weekly news roundup, Karin Fleming shares the news that caught her eye over the last two weeks. The news round-up is a way for the Future Media Lab. team and members of the Future Media Lab. network to share articles about innovations and developments in the media sector, including references to relevant media policy debates.

Here are Karin’s choices for this week:

“We try too little that is really new.” A draft of Der Spiegel’s innovation report, based on a staff survey and interviews with former Spiegel editors, industry experts and consultants, was leaked this week. Meant to guide Spiegel into the future as a multimedia company, and created as part of a larger initiative aimed at restructuring Spiegel-Verlag, the report probes into the company’s weak spots and contains many lessons and warnings that resonate beyond the Spiegel brands.

Publishers’ right in a digital age. On 23 March, the European Commission launched a consultation on the “role of publishers in the copyright value chain”. The consultation was welcomed by European magazine and newspaper publishers, who say that in order to remain competitive and independently financed, publishers need to be included in the long-existing catalogue of rightsholders under EU copyright law. The consultation is a step towards an updated legal framework that addresses the complexities of online copyright and licensing, which will give publishers the legal resources to protect investments into original, professional content. More information about the new “publishers’ right” can be found here.

Terrible data holds journalists back. The American Press Institute published a recent paper that states the hidden problem for journalists and publishers is terrible analytics. Most of the metrics used to understand publishing were designed for other purposes, said author Tom Rosenstiel. Therefore, much of the information collected isn’t useful. To combat this, Rosenstiel developed a new tagging system and the findings that have emerged are at times counterintuitive, for instance that long stories are read thoroughly both on phones and other devices; photos don’t always boost engagement; and that major enterprise journalism pays.

Media pluralism monitor. The Center for Media Pluralism and Media Freedom published its second pilot-test report on the situation of media pluralism in EU member states. The “Media Pluralism Monitor 2015” looked into four risk domains – basic protection, market plurality, political independence and social inclusiveness - in 19 European countries andnotably identified a lack of transparency in media ownership across Europe, as well as risks in relation to political independence.

Public news services go digital. A new study by the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism examines how key public service organisations in six European countries – Italy, Poland, the UK, France, Germany and Finland – are adapting their newsrooms and strategies to the new digital environment. While the report finds that leading public media organisations are flourishing online in the UK And Finland, they are struggling in the other countries, where people tend to use social media as a source of news in much higher numbers.

Digital innovators gather in Berlin. Last week was the annual Digital Innovators Summit in Berlin (hosted by VDZ and FIPP), which gathered over 600 key decision-makers and senior executives in digital content and related media industries. Following the event, FIPP has published summaries of some of the sessions, including how the New Yorker is investing in quality content; G+J’s solution to ad blocking and improving user satisfaction; and the new trend to watch: virtual reality. The presentations from the event can be downloaded here.

“Freebooting” on social media hurts video makers who say that the platforms aren’t doing enough to combat pirating. Freebooting, which is when clips are taken from YouTube and re-uploaded without permission from the creator, causes video makers to lose out on potential revenue by diluting the money they receive from viewers who see advertising on the site. Under current copyright legislation, the onus is on creators to flag infringements – which companies are obligated to respond to. But by the time take-down requests are acted on, many viral videos have already run their course.

Catering to millennials. Mic, the millennial-run news outlet known for its innovative reporting and targeted approach to attract and engage with its millennial audience. By recognizing and responding to frustrations millennials voice about media, Mic is able to gain the trust of its audiences. The editorial focus is also done in such a way to appeal to millenials, and this, along with its content distribution strategy is planned to continue as Mic expands across Europe.

Innovation runs rampant. From selfie based car selection to the ability to taste food directly from your smartphone, new ideas are popping up all the time -- April Fools! But to see some truly innovative solutions coming out of Europe, don’t miss our “In Touch with Innovation” interview series on our blog.

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