Oregon Media Insiders

Sparsely attended, but there are folks here.

Brooks Burford is looking for coffee.

Frank Mungen is a news manager for network affiliates. NBC both in Seattle and Portland, and ABC in Portland. Manages KGW.com and has won the AP award for the last 6 or 7 years.

Lynn is also on the stage. We know all about her. KLCC, OPB, KGW, KINK.

Kevin Hayes is between them. Kevin has won several awards, including AP Awards. He works at salem-news.com. Is a gulf-war vet, and worked in the Sacto market, and then moved back home to Salem.

Joe Arndt worked at KGW in Portland. He gave the reasons for putting together the panel.

Q #1: Knowing which entities you folks represent, do you feel a part ofmainstream news, or somewhere in the middle?

Frank: He does feel as tho he is part of the alternative media while he is in the building, but after he leaves the building, the does actually feel like a part of the main media.

Kevin: He feels like themiddle. City and state officals believe them to be a blog, and won't talk to them, but they are also a news site.

Lynn: Her initial was that they aren't inside, but they are finding that they are viewed as an extension of the news sites. To outsiders looking in, folks are seeing OMI as a news source to the news source.

JOE: Do you feel like you are dealing with a credibility issue, Kevin?

Kevin: absolutely. Other sources will badmouth the blog as having a lack of credibility.

JOE: How do the conflicts get handled when web vs tv comes into play, Frank?

frank: He loves the fact that he has the resources of a network affiliate, and isn't bound by the limitations of the television news. One picture off of a cell phone camera, and the web can run with the story once fact check is complete, whereas the television process is more time and tech consuming.

JOE: do the web and TV sites reflect one another.

Lynn: KGW is different in terms of them utilizing their web as leverage.

Frank: All to often, websites are seen as merely an extension of the TV channel, instead of being an entity unto itself. The best way to get an audience for 10 and 6, would be to server the customer for the other 22.5 hours a day.

JOE: Everyone knows that we used to have fights about whether or not to post a story before the 5oclock show...those days are behind us, but they still occur from time to time. Kevin: How do you market yourself?

Kevin: Wow...we rely on outside sources, and folks who pick up our stuff. They rely on CNN, Google, and linkbacks with attribution. That is the primary source of traffic. You can't fight linkages.

JOE: is it easy for all 3 of you to figure out who is seeing your site, Lynn?

Lynn: not really...we use google analytics, but otherwise, we don't know names and addresses. Bartelstien and Rebecca (notes to be filled in later.)

There is a movement in media from Cool to Warm. TV is a cool media. Its a passive interface, someone comes in and fills you in on wha thappened. Radio gets in your head, and its a warm media. The web also appears to be a nice connection that resembles Warm.

Frank: Analytics. They get very interesting analytics. TV ratings can't be driven down to the individual story, but the web can easily show EXACTLY what folks are able to see. To the point that they take guesses in the AM as to what is most popular story of the day.

Gave Snowball as an example of news driver pushed by analytics.

Joe: the web analytics drove KGW looking further into the law with the state, and then pushing back in the public interest.

JOE: Give us some of your site's history, Kevin.

Kevin: he lost his Gulf War clothese. Tim King and he got to talking and they jumped on it. there are only 3 of them working there. they are trying to place themselves as an alternative to the statesmen/ournal.

Joe: its important that there is an alternative to their regular news soure.

Kevin: the residents are slowly figuring out that they are there, and they

JOE: Ethics and sources. Lynn, what comes across your laptop?

Lynn: "News, blah, rank gossip" We try to verify, but if we can't, we put it out there as non-verified. 9 times out of 10 it is true. She keeps sexual innuendo off of the site.

JOE: Frank, on KGW.com are there differences in terms of sourcing?

Frank: the good news is that we can get info to our customers faster than ever before. The bad news is that we can get bad info to customers faster than ever before.

Gave the Boring Cougar as an example (from yesterday.) They barely caught a snopes-flagged story.

Moral: Speed kills and we have to be very very careful about it.

BROOKS: Please use snopes. It saves his butt. Brooks asked about the McCain visit.

KTVL is in the house, and they are being extra careful about press releases now.

They actually flagged it as being a possible april fools joke, but didn't stop it from running.

Frank: Attribution is fine. He is perfectly happy with attribution. They encourage it.

Kevin: He doesn't have the time to go after anyone who is snagging their bits. He feels a little flattered, as long as the link is given back to you.

Lynn: you can't make sure that someone is going to be giving you credit. Jump 'em on it, and put the video clips on youtube yourself. Put your audio clips up yourself.

JOE: burn your bug in when you post it.

Frank: Our approach is to win with bringing the stuff out, but he understands that other folks will source, and they love winning. He loves the AP, and is more than happy to attribute. "If you are in the blogosphere, I am of the mind that...you deserve to be sourced."

Lynn: Blog vs. News Dicotomy. Drives her nuts. "Bloggers that commit acts of Journalism." Tabor controversy. News4Neighbors picked it up, then BOG picked it up, and now tabor is NOT being sold. Bog isn't a journalist, but he did, in this case, commit an act of journalism. News detatchment is a recent construct, and the interpersonal connection one gets.

"Should I throw my objectivity out of the window?"

Lynn: no, of course not, but do have an opinion as to what

JOE: it will be interesting to see this evolution of trust in the new media.

FRANK: How many people have blogging on your sites now?

KTVL: reporters are required to blog.

Frank: two core functions of blogging: 1. Puts forthe personalities. 2. "The rest of the story." Pat Dooris goes more in depth as to the stories. The on-air story had all the 5 w's but the blogging filled in the holes.

Q: Are you making any money?

Frank: We are. They have a large dedicated online only sales staff. He has found that they need a dedicated online sales team.

Kevin: they struggle. Salem is not ready for the Internet. Salem listens to Portland Radio, and they won't advertise. Advertisers are wary.

Q: What ARE the sources of revenue? Do you get revenue, Lynn:

Its pays more than itself, but not enough for a living.

Frank: Money will follow eyeballs. The folks that will do the buys, are still trying to figure out how to take advantage of online marketing.

Q: One thing that makes me mad about blogging is the needs of logging in order to blog or comment.

Frank: its a philosophy issue. Anonymous posts vs community posting.

Q: What do you see as the future of online? Do you believe that it will drive folks back to the newscast?

Lynn: F and I were talking about this before. Delivery isn't the focus. NEWS folks are info providers, regardless of the delivery medium.

Frank: Its his favorite topic. Is it a threat or an opportunity? "If you want the weather, you will have to wait until 5:12! Hah!" He is fond of the term, "Platform agnostic." "I am a content creator. How can I get the info to you in a manner that is convenient to you."

Overview of schedule.

Note: edited by Cablenut: removed the term "shit" at the request of my Mother In Law. Lynn did NOT use the term, "shit", but instead used the term "video clips." I apologize for putting the word "shit" in my notes. That was wrong. Love, you, A ;-)

-------------------------------------------
DISCLAIMER: my opinions are my own, not those of OMI or any employer.