New Media Newsletter

Virginia Press Association, January 2007

 

Virginia Online News Briefs

 

Fredericksburg creates virtual Thanksgiving plate

 

The Free Lance-Star ran a story and graphic in the paper noting the nutritional value of holiday foods, so we decided to take it to the next level online. Users were able to drag turkey, stuffing, etc., onto their plates and watch in real time as the nutritional value added up. As a bonus, we included suggested exercises to burn off the calories, which also updated with each new item they added to their plates. The feature was discussed on Richmond's Channel 8 news the night before Thanksgiving.

 

http://www.fredericksburg.com/News/Web/plate

 

- Brian Baer

 

 

DiscoverRichmond.com Named "Edgie" Finalist

 

DiscoverRichmond.com is a finalist in the NAA’s Digital Edge Award contest, in the category of Best Local or Entertainment Guide. Staffer Phil Riggan built up DiscoverRichmond.com with new photo and video tours, new sections and new features. Riggan also spent some reporting time producing his own photos of local parks and attractions to add to the site. This extra labor has caused DiscoverRichmond.com page views to double from 2005 to 2006.

 

- Mary Ellin Arch

 

 

fredericksburg.com brings high school football to life

 

We worked with the newsroom and Free Lance-Star programmers to create a database of local teams, players, schedules and results. Players, coaches, students and families can pull up something close to virtual "player cards" that include a photo of the player and his latest stats.

 

In addition, fredericksburg.com has produced more than 25 videos of the biggest games each week and posted them online each Friday night. We're also selling those videos on CDs. The newspaper has helped us out by providing prominent refers to our videos and bonus photos. We've also been sending out sms and email alerts during the playoffs, updating the score at the end of every quarter.

 

http://www.fredericksburg.com/community/hs_sports/2006/multimedia/fo otball

 

- Brian Baer

 

Multimedia Intern Wins Job at Winston Salem-Journal

 

Blair Goldstein, a former multimedia intern for Media General's Lynchburg-Danville-Roanoke convergence group, has left The News & Advance, where she was the legislative reporter, for a reporting job at the Winston-Salem Journal. Goldstein was the group's second multimedia intern. The first, Jeremy Crider, is currently working as a reporter for WSLS in Roanoke.

 

- Joe Stinnett

 

Industry Briefs

 

Online Job Ad Revenues Surpass Print

 

Employers spent more on online recruitment advertising than newspaper job ads--$5.9 billion to $5.4 billion--for the first time in 2006, according to a new study released Tuesday. The online shift will continue over the next five years as Internet job listings hit $10 billion in 2011, or 13.7% of overall recruitment dollars compared to 6.5% for newspaper ads, according to market research firm Borrell Associates Inc. MediaPost.com

 

Useful Tips 

 

Create slide

shows cheaply

 

Joe Stinnett, managing editor of the Lynchburg News-Adance, provides a great tip on producing Web slide shows cheaply.

 

A new product Called Soundslides costs only $40 and is in use and getting great reviews at several Media General newspaper sites. Go to www.soundslides.com for more information.

 

Site Focus:

Charlottesville

 

Noteworthy features of the Charlottesville Daily Progress site include:

 

- Site registration

 

- Breaking news video from AP

 

- Podcasts from a contractor

 

- Searchable classifieds with the ability to submit ads online.

 

  _____  

 

Google Loses

Advertisers

 

Google keyword prices are soaring, returns are diminishing and click fraud is still an uncontained problem. So many small-to-midsize advertisers say they plan to do less business with Google than in years past. Why? Keyword costs for certain retail items have skyrocketed in the last few years. MediaPost.com

 

About the Newsletter

 

Email Scott Bateman with your news briefs or if you wish to subscribe to the new media newsletter.