Online news in rude health
Pew Research Center have produced a survey looking at the online habits of teens and young adults, in particular their use of social media and news consumption online. While the survey seems to suggest blogging has plateaued out to become a more niche pursuit, social networking and online news show no signs of waning.
Sixty two percent of teenagers online are currently getting their news-fix over the Internet, a stat that peaks at 77% during major news events. This compares favorably with the 72% of online adults who access the Web for news or political information.
While blogging (15% of youngsters) and Tweeting (8% of teens) don’t look to be capturing the imagination of the young, social networking certainly has. A whopping 73% of wired American teens now use social networking sites (up from 55% three years ago), similarly 72% of online young adults also such sites, both being significantly higher than the 40% of adults who do so.
Overall the survey produces an interesting snapshot of web usage among the young, and it’ll be interesting to see how these trends continue to shift in the future especially as sites like Facebook continue to integrate online news.
Add comment February 5, 2010
On paywalls and iPads..
(image credit skpy)
It seems a week can’t go by at the moment without the debate around newspaper paywalls generating more column inches. ReadWriteWeb picked up on an interesting story concerning Newsday and the apparent lack of success seen by its recent subscription revenue model. Having spent $4 million on redesigning the site anticipating the introduction of a paywall but the subsequent return of only 35 subscribers in a three-month period doesn’t look good. However, by digging a little deeper the figures aren’t quite so clear-cut, as subscribers to the local cable company also enjoy free access to the Newsday site, so it is probably unfair to draw too many conclusions on this example alone. The Guardian’s Alan Rusbridger also spoke out on paywalls this week, paidContent gives an excellent write-up on the speech here.
As we mentioned previously the much vaunted Apple iPad was announced this week and the potential for media does look attractive. The sharp, display, ability to embed videos into articles and the New York Times app already being demoed it looks like an exciting mix of the more traditional paper form and the digital future, although whether the device takes off and publishers create the dynamic content necessary remains to be seen.
Add comment January 29, 2010
Social media monitoring on the up
Integrated Marketing Solutions provider Alterian have released a pertinent study into the approaches and investments that marketers are presently utilising to work with their clients.
The CEO gives an interesting quote, stating “2010 marks the start of the digital decade for marketing” with the study going on to show that 66% of all those surveyed are planning to invest in social media marketing in the coming 12 months. The report also touches upon the growth of social media monitoring, with almost 40% of respondents intending to spend on social media tracking tools as we enter the new decade.
Alterian reflects upon the growing understanding that a forward thinking marketing strategy now has to listen to potential customers, especially if a ROI in social media is to be realised, with marketers now being required to appeal to customers at a one-to-one level. A growing power shift that is seeing more control in the hands of the consumer as networks of friends and influence continue to evolve over social networks.
For a full breakdown and details of the survey, sign up here.
Add comment January 22, 2010
Apple eyes publishers?
We blogged towards the end of last year about the prototype for an Sports Illustrated tablet and with ever increasing anticipation surrounding Apple’s entry to this market, the possibilities for digital publishing look interesting.
The Guardian considers the prospect of iTunes becoming a global gateway for online micropayments to allow a fast and simple way for users to access online content. Could the business model that has proved so successful for music lend itself to publishing?
1 comment January 21, 2010
Want breaking sport news? There’s an app for that..
Exciting news from the team here at Moreover, we’ve released our first iPhone app into the wild and are eager to hear what you think of it!
The app allows users to keep up-to-date with breaking sport headlines from global news sources across 25 different sport news feeds including football (soccer and American), baseball, basketball, Formula 1, golf, tennis and many more. You can also browse through the top sports stories of the day or search the news for the latest views and scores on your favourite team or athlete.
Behind the scenes the app is constantly checking the Web’s news sites for breaking headlines and links back to them whenever you click a headline. The Moreover Sport News app covers sport-specific and local news sites, along with the familiar sites such as the BBC and ESPN we all know, so whatever your sport we’ve got it covered.
Other features include a “more stories like this” functionality, email this article and post to Facebook.
Download the app here and be sure to leave us any feedback you have in the comments section below!
1 comment January 14, 2010
Don’t be private?
The issue of online privacy, or lack of it, has been a hot topic the past few days as the week started with Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg declaring that people no longer see privacy as a “social norm”. Arguing the rapid rise in social media has seen people become more and more at ease with sharing personal information, and Zuckerberg states that companies like Facebook need to respond to these changes in online behavior to stay competitive.
Watch the entire interview hosted by TechCrunch’s Mike Arrington here : http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/3848950
However, the major story this week has been Google v China over the issues of user privacy, cyber attacks and the Great Firewall of China resulting in Google’s likely exit from the Chinese market. Our old friends at VeriSign’s iDefense have indicated they “believe the attack is the work of actors operating on behalf of or in the direct employ of official intelligence entities of the People’s Republic of China”, which could have serious ramifications both politically and for the search engine space.
While Google may be basking in glory over this move to “not be evil”, and Zuckerberg’s comments have been met with some cynicism over whether Facebook, incidentally blocked in China, is reflecting social change or (with 350 million users) driving it. Both acts raise interesting discussions over online privacy and what it means in an increasingly connected world, who do you trust? Let us know your thoughts below!
1 comment January 14, 2010
RSS remains robust
(image credit HiMY SYeD / photopia)
RWW posted an engaging piece just before Christmas on the gradual ebbing away of the usage of RSS Readers as a means of consuming information, you can read that post here.
However, the ensuing debate and the new year have seen a new appreciate for our old friend Really Simple Syndication. Whilst it remains clear that Google sits firmly atop the RSS Reader pile people are still using RSS feeds as a handy and functional way of to keep up with news.
Readers still offer users a degree of control over content that you just don’t get with real-time streams, such as Twitter, although lists are a step in that direction. The categorisation and control that RSS Readers offer is invaluable to some, and as Readers continue to evolve, especially in the mobile space, I’m sure they will continue to have a future.
What RSS Readers do you use, any favourites? Don’t forget to check out the free Moreover RSS news feeds for content on a wide range of topics from news and blogs.
Add comment January 6, 2010
The future of print?
Sports Illustrated have unveiled a prototype of a rather snazzy looking tablet device capable of displaying rich SI content in the form of a digital magazine.
The video shows off the range of functionality the tablet should be capable off, a touch screen with plenty of customisable features to display photos, videos and interactive options certainly all looks very impressive, which could define where magazines are to go in an increasingly digital age.
Can we expect the SI Tablet to be on many a Christmas wish list sometime in the new decade or is something like the new Guardian iPhone app the future for digitalised content? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below and in the meantime have a very Merry Christmas, we’ll be back in the New Year with more from the world of Moreover and beyond!
3 comments December 22, 2009
News on Newsdesk
Just in time for Christmas we have unwrapped a few goodies in Newsdesk that we hope will deliver a little bit of festive cheer!
In a final Newsdesk update for 2009 we are adding a splash of colour to things by including news images alongside headlines, where available, and displaying source favicons next to source names in both news and social media search results.
Newsdesk source and favicon images.
Also in this update is the added functionality to now search over news sources from individual US States, complimenting the existing UK Counties search filter. So should the focus of your query only be based around New England sources then this update allows you to quickly and easily isolate those news sites relevant to you.
As mentioned in our previous post the social media content and coverage is continuing to grow, so alongside the news content Newsdesk provides a complete media monitoring package. Should you have any questions or feedback on these changes please let us know!
Add comment December 18, 2009
