A digital future for newspapers
Lucia Adams, Deputy Head of Digital with The Times and The Sunday Times, explained its transition into digital platforms at agendaNi’s seminar on the future of media. New connections with online readers are opening up and helping to influence content.
Becoming the first British newspaper to add a paywall to its website made The Times appear a pariah back in 2010. Taking its and its Sunday counterpart into the digital world has involved a steep learning curve but Lucia Adams sees many positives in the change.
Originally from County Antrim, Adams is the Deputy Head of Digital for the two papers, both of which are firmly established in the UK’s media. The Times started publishing as The Daily Universal Register in 1785 and adopted its current name three years later. The Sunday Times was established separately in 1821 and the two papers came under common ownership in 1966.
In 2010, The Times started off with four editions: print, website, mobile and e-paper. As well as starting to charge for online content in that year, it became the first British newspaper to have its own app for the newly launched iPad.
“That was an enormous challenge,” she related. “We were developing an app for something that we hadn’t experienced. We didn’t know how this thing was going to fit into people’s lives.” The final version was a “linear reading experience” but readers have appreciated the experience of reading a newspaper, albeit in a different format.
Kindle, iPhone and Android apps were added in 2011 and have since been joined by versions for Android tablet, the Samsung phone (Olympics app), Blackberry and Windows 8. The digital team tries to ensure that a customer’s experience is consistent across the different platforms as a fault reflects badly on the brand of the paper as whole.
The key problem facing newspapers is that advertising revenue “has fallen through the floor and it’s not coming back.” Digital advertising is rising at a much slower rate than this decrease. The two trends would only cross well into the future and at a relatively low financial level.
Charging for online content proved controversial at first but the model now has 140,000 digital subscribers. Every newspaper is now trying to solve the revenue problem in a similar way. At first, only The Times and the Financial Times were charging on their websites. The Telegraph now has a metered access model and The Independent charges overseas customers.
“Everybody is dipping their toe in it,” Adams reflected. “The advent of apps really opened the door to publishers, to feel comfortable about charging.” Previously, there had been an “ideological resistance” to online charging even though newspapers had always charged for their printed content. US newspapers have “a lot less fear of charging on the web.”
There is a perception that advertising does not work in a paid-for model but www.the-times.co.uk has seen its online advertising yield triple since 2010. Two-hundred and fifty brands now advertise in the iPad edition.
The newspaper also has more paying readers now than it did when the paywall was launched, despite the initial scepticism of journalists. Compared to print readers, digital readers are more likely to be earning above £50,000 and have children; they are also more likely to be female. Their average age (49) matches that of the UK and is younger than the print average of 61 years.
Quality of experience
“Having paying customers means that we must focus on the experience,” she emphasised. “That is the most important thing.” For The Times, engagement with readers isn’t “just a fluffy concept” but a “hard and fast business imperative.”
Newspapers which do not charge need to pursue a relentless flow of traffic as shown by the Daily Mail’s online celebrity column. The Times is able to focus more on what matters to its readers and what the values of its brand stand for.
These values reflect traditional journalism e.g. getting exclusives, capturing the reader’s attention and making them want to return again and again. The Times+ membership club also gives readers access to events with Caitlin Moran, David Aaronovitch and other writers. Research indicates that Times+ members are 43 per cent more likely to keep up their subscription than other digital readers.
Readers can now “get involved in the story” and help the paper to make an impact. The ‘Cities fit for cycling’ campaign started in 2012 and included a page where people could sign up, share their own stories, tweet their support (#cyclesafe) and write to their MPs.
“That was a very powerful page,” Adams commented. “It was actually quite simple technologically. It was using APIs from twitter and other websites but it was tremendously effective and the impact has been enormous. We had 33,000 pledges in the first week. It never fails to amaze me: how much people are willing to give their time and give their experiences and give us material to work up a campaign like this.”
Journalists are also encouraged to respond to comments under articles. One reader described an online debate between Matthew Parris and Phil Collins on Syria as “pure gold”.
Digital ideas don’t have to be complex. One night, football editor Tony Evans decided to “live blog” as he was clearing up the sports section, commenting on late-filed stories, typos and the pressure of the impending deadline. The next day, the paper saved this as a story file for readers who missed it.
The Live Olympics Hub ran across all platforms, giving readers scores and the latest news but also acting as a “companion” for other London 2012 coverage. A reader, for example, may be watching TV but could turn to the hub for context, analysis and The Times “voice”.
Looking back at the lessons learned, Adams remarked that “creating habit” is key. Customers who use a variety of channels are less likely to cancel their subscriptions, and people spend as much time reading the iPad as they do when reading the print edition. The digital team has to be honest about technical faults, fix problems and answer feedback from customers.
“Ask readers and act on feedback,” she advised as she concluded. “Know what differentiates you and do it brilliantly.”
