Washingtonpost.com: Reader Engagement Initiative September 30, 2006

Rules of the Road News on the web is a conversation, not a lecture. In the print world, the publication of an article is the last step in the process. On the Web, it should be the first step. Hosting news and information is not enough; we should also aim to host the conversation that emanates from our journalism. The readers should not be viewed only as consumers, but also as resources.

Rules of the Road Engaging readers only works if the journalists are also willing to engage as well. No matter what measures are put in place, there will be trolls. But they are far and few between and should not be engaged. Occasionally, you’ll have a crisis, and you’ll consider backing off your philosophy of engaging readers. Don’t do it. Accept the fact you’re giving up 100 percent control.

Blogs washingtonpost.com currently has more than 40 standing blogs Counting short-term, event-focused blogs, we’ve created more than 75 blogs. Subjects range from humor, national politics, cybersecurity, local entertainment, military affairs and news of the weird. We recently launched PostGlobal, a new type of blog, one with three levels of dialogue: a host, an expert panel and readers.

Comments on Articles washingtonpost.com launched comments on articles in May. Currently, the feature is live in all sections except World & Opinion, and those sections will launch in the next two weeks. Early feedback has been positive, and we’re finding very few posts are violating our rules.

Technorati Links on Articles washingtonpost.com launched a partnership with Technorati in the summer of For all Post articles that have been linked to by a blogger, we provide a link back to that blog on the article itself. The thinking was two-fold: –Embrace the dialogue generated in the blogosphere by Post content –Give bloggers a reason to link to washingtonpost.com by providing something in return. We’ve also launched a heat map with Technorati that helps readers find the Web’s hottest opinion pieces.

Live Discussions washingtonpost.com runs hours week of live discussions, where readers pose questions to newsmakers and Washington Post journalists. We had all the 2004 Democratic presidential nominees on during the primaries. Discussions runs the gamut from a daily politics discussion to a “Where Are They Now?” discussion that has featured Vanilla Ice, Barry Manilow and the legendary “Screech” from “Saved by the Bell.”

Linked Bylines In early 2006, washingtonpost.com began hyperlinking all reporter bylines to provide better access to Post journalists. Despite original concerns from the newspaper, the program has been a success. The main benefits: –Increase in number of tips to Post reporters –Development of new sources –Collection of new story ideas

What’s Coming… Individual reader pages Groups / social networking Photo upload available to readers Video upload available to readers Topics pages available via inline links Full-function multimedia player with subject-specific channels Redesigns of home page, article page and section fronts.

Thank You