Slow Journalism, Mobile Revenue Gap, TheAtlantic.com Blog, Idealliance “Going Mobile” Event, Adobe’s AEM Workshop, Extensis Font Seminar, Surviving as a Designer in a Digital World, Infographic Pick of the Week, InDesign CC Tip: Embed Publish Online Documents in Websites, Adobe Digital Publishing Solution v2015.3 Release: Performance Enhancements and Bug Fixes
Welcome to Technology for Publishing’s roundup of news and tips for media industry pros! This week, we’re sharing stories about “slow journalism” in the age of breaking news, how publishers’ mobile revenue isn’t keeping up with audience growth, TheAtlantic.com’s new blogging section, upcoming industry events, and more.
- While media outlets frantically tracked the wild ride that was the stock market this past week, with minute-by-minute real-time reports on its every movement, Nieman Lab took it down a few notches with an in-depth, insightful piece on “slow journalism,” a type of reporting that, while not new, is gaining momentum as a counter to today’s 24/7 news cycle. As the term suggests, the idea centers on long-form narratives created over months or even years, emphasizing an unfolding or discovery of stories, with openness, transparency, and participation, the report explains. A number of such projects are under way, it says, including a seven-year trek around the world by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Paul Salopek (pictured here in Ethiopia), who two years ago set off on foot to report on evidence of human beings some 60,000 years ago. “Everyone is going faster and faster and getting shallower and shallower,” he says. “[Before] I was flying around the world and telling stories of the crisis of the day that seemed disconnected.” While not an easy path—particularly when it comes to finding funding, which is most often through philanthropic grants or crowdfunding—it’s one with a growing number of adherents who are finding audiences willing to pay a premium for more immersive storytelling.
- Back in the realm of traditional and online news publishing, mobile audiences are growing by leaps and bounds—and that’s great. Problem is, revenue isn’t nearly keeping pace, something known in the industry as “the mobile gap,” according to a Wall Street Journal blog. What’s happening? For one, compared with desktop, publishers can’t show enough ads on mobile devices. Add to that the poor performance of traditional formats like banners and the fact that mobile ads can’t be easily tracked and targeted and it’s a tough sell. Meanwhile, because big companies like Facebook, Google, and Twitter don’t face the same issues, they’re taking in the lion’s share of marketers’ mobile budgets, with Facebook alone bringing in 37% of all U.S. mobile display ad revenue last year. The report notes that while the revenue gap has the most impact on publishers looking to offset losses on the print side, digital media companies are hurting too, since mobile brings in about half to two-thirds as much as desktop.
- At TheAtlantic.com, blogging is back with a new section called Notes, where each morning and afternoon editors will post a “Note” highlighting stories the site is following. Each Note will include both short stories and more in-depth articles, along with pieces written solely for the blog, explains Krishnadev Calamur, The Atlantic’s news editor. According to the site, the section is intended to serve as a place where readers can engage with writers across The Atlantic and where stories—including breaking news—can take form and readers can easily follow the thread. Check out the post for information on how you can contribute.
We’re sponsoring the Idealliance Tech & Trends “Going Mobile” industry event on Sept. 10 in New York! Join us to learn about new technologies and best practices for developing digital content for mobile. Reserve your spot soon!
- Other educational opportunities to mark on your calendar: Adobe next month is running an Adobe Experience Manager (AEM) workshop in Chicago (Sept. 22), New York (Sept. 24), and San Francisco (Sept. 29), covering key mobile trends, business challenges, and the value proposition of AEM apps, according to its release. Get more information and register for the event on Adobe’s site.
- Also, check out a free, one-day seminar called “The Challenges of Fonts in Publishing,” focusing on font licensing and intellectual property, font management tips, and publishing automation options, among other topics. The event, slated for Sept. 15 in New York, is being hosted by Extensis. Visit its website to register and get a seminar agenda.
On the Technology for Publishing Blog
- Publication designers today have to learn new terms, emerging content delivery approaches, diverse content creation tools, complex platforms…the list goes on. If you’re a designer trying to survive in the digital world, make sure to read Margot Knorr Mancini’s latest article. She offers some expert advice and educational resources to help you stay ahead of the curve.
- Our Infographic Pick of the Week takes a look at the “enthusiast” consumer, highlighting what kinds of media and products engage this super-influential audience category the most.
- Want to learn how to embed Publish Online documents in websites? Monica Murphy shows you the steps and a sample document in this week’s InDesign CC Tip.
- Also visit our blog to get all the performance enhancement and bug fixes in the Adobe Digital Publishing Solution (DPS) v2015.3 release.
- ICYMI: See TFP’s Adobe DPS 2015 infographic, along with our latest Women in Media roundup and August Book Picks on digital design.
Note: This Week in Publishing will be on hiatus next week in observance of Labor Day. We’ll be back on Friday, Sept. 11.
Image: John Stanmeyer, National Geographic/Nieman Lab
Check out our blog for highlights of interesting and noteworthy stories from the publishing world every Friday, and sign up for TFP’s This Week in Publishing newsletter. Think we missed something great? Let us know! Leave a comment below or drop us a note.
Posted by: Monica Sambataro
