1. February 6, 2007

2. Background: Where We Are The Internet is changing the way Americans obtain news and information 55 million blogs Explosion of social networks Growth in social news How is mainstream media reacting to this shift?

3. The Research: Approach We launched a study of the websites of the top 50 commercial magazines in America Ranked by combined subscription and single copy circulation Examined presence of features typically associated with “Web 2.0” Compared results with that of the Top 100 newspapers

4. Three Types of Sites Brochure Sites Provide limited content and exist to promote print version of magazine Supplemental Sites Promote print edition and provide unique, web-only content Integrated Sites The magazine site is part of a larger network of sites

5. 48% of magazines used RSS compared to 78% of newspapers All feeds were partial feeds No newspaper or magazine included ads in their feeds RSS: Monetization

6. As RSS grows in its use as a content delivery mechanism, media will have to figure out ways to monetize it Full text feeds for subscribers Ads within feeds User-created RSS feeds RSS: Monetization

7. Most Popular 10% of magazines and 42% of newspapers provided a Most Popular view of content Sites like Digg, Newsvine, Memeorandum and Netscape are growing in popularity by offering alternative ways to discover new stories

8. As a supplement to the more traditional “editorial” view, magazine website should consider providing alternative views of content: Most commented, emailed, viewed Most discussed in the blogosphere Allow user voting Most Popular: Alternative Content Views

11. 34% of magazines included video compared to 78% of newspapers 14% of magazines produced podcasts compared to 36% of newspapers Video and Podcasting

12. Use multimedia to supplement magazine content: Include source materials Solicit videos from users (CNN) on breaking news Request video/audio comments from users Audio version of magazine Video and Podcasting: The Future

14. Tags 6% of magazine websites used tags to organize content Use tags to: Group related content; Provide easier navigation through site; Facilitate site searching.

17. Mobile Version 12% of websites offered mobile- friendly versions of their content This will become more and more important as adoption of mobile browsing and the popularity of new PDAs increases

18. Blogs 40% of magazines had blogs compared to 92% of newspapers 34% of magazines allowed blog comments compared to 78% of newspapers 16% of magazines linked to blogs compared to 32% of newspapers

19. Blogs: Best Uses Have reporters blog to supplement/complement the articles they write Blog as a way to Further the conversation about your print issues Break news and provide real-time updates on popular stories Provide in depth coverage of topics only touched on in print edition

21. Article Comments 8% of magazines allowed comments on articles compared to 16% of newspapers Use comments to: Build community Encourage discussion Generate feedback

23. Registration Requirement 38% of magazines required registration compared to 24% of newspapers If you are providing free content on your site, registration walls should be taken away

24. Bookmarking 14% of magazines had a bookmarking feature compared to 12% of newspapers These bookmarking tools are an easy way to make your content “travel” beyond your own site

25. Message Boards 46% of magazines had message boards compared to 64% of newspapers Good way to build community and further the discussion

26. Other Ideas: Wikis Wired Magazine has a “Big Questions” wiki where they encourage reader to help them grapple the big questions Chris Anderson has called for the “wikification” of stories so that they can evolve over time

27. Other Ideas: Story Format Online versions of articles too often mimic print version, creating a flat reading experience They should: Include source materials Link to blog discussion about the story Link to related articles Provide a different experience than print edition

29. Other Ideas: Reader Feedback Provide more ways to get reader feedback: Solicit corrections Publish every letter-to-the- editor Surveys

31. Other Ideas: Charging for Extended Content Some newspapers and online-only outlets are creating Web- specific content that is behind a pay wall Allow interaction with reporters and experts in addition to more in- depth content

32. Other Ideas: Embrace user-generated content Ask readers to submit their own news stories, ideas for stories or supplementary information Accept news in all formats

35. Conclusion: Our Recommendations Deliver your content in a compelling and user-friendly manner Make it easy for your content to be discussed and “travel” around the web Build a community around your brand and website www.bivingsreport.com www.bivings.com