Interesting reads (weekly)

• How social media is reshaping news | Pew Research Center

  Some new PEW research on how people use social media for news, and what that means for news brands.
  ” Facebook is an important source of website referrals for many news outlets, but the users who arrive via Facebook spend far less time and consume far fewer pages than those who arrive directly. The same is true of users arriving by search… visitors who go to a news media website directly spend roughly three times as long as those who wind up there through search or Facebook, and they view roughly five times as many pages per month. This higher level of engagement from direct visitors is evident whether a site’s traffic is driven by search or social sharing and it has big implications for news organizations who are experimenting with digital subscriptions while endeavoring to build a loyal audience.

  “

  tags: social media pew research journalism

• BBC College of Journalism – How to track a company or subject using a private Twitter list

  I saved this ages ago but think I’ve only just gotten around to reading it. Anyway, useful tips as ever from the BBC College of Journalism.

  tags: bbc journalism how to

• DML14: Fin de la nostalgia: la experiencia del sitio TN.com.ar – World News Publishing Focus by WAN-IFRA

  The weight of nostalgia could drag us all down. This article makes excellent points and also hits the nail on the head about conferences where the same issues are repeatedly examined, because people can’t or won’t accept that print is never going to enjoy a resurgence. “People want change, but they want to keep things as they were before. “

  tags: nostalgia publishing WAN-IFRA

• How to Sound Human: 8 Data-Backed Keys to Making Your Voice Sing

  Sound authentic, get shared more. This is an interesting piece of work, with 8 takeaways to sound more human online

  “To try and discover the magic formula for conveying that you are in fact a human on the internet, I’ve analyzed and tested over 1,500 quizzes that have been created through interact. My general hypothesis is that human sounding quizzes will get shared more, viewed more, and commented on more because people like them better. “

  tags: how to audio

• News for the Minecraft generation: Gannett experiments with virtual reality | Poynter.

  I do like this idea, and I think it’s exciting to see a big media group try something out like this but on the whole I think I see more potential for everyday useful information sharing using AR, in the style of Talk About Local, who demo-ed it very effectively at a Digital Editors Network meeting earlier this year.

  tags: VR innovation virtual reality augmented

• Publications See Pinterest as Key Ally – NYTimes.com

  Trendspotting on Pinterest – a really good idea. “Autumn is not yet upon us, but Jill Waage, a top editor at Better Homes and Gardens, has already predicted some of the biggest trends of the coming holidays. Painted pumpkins are about to replace carved pumpkins. Snowman cookies with jiggly eyes will overtake traditional gingerbread men. And decorative ribbons on Christmas presents are going to get much more creative.

  But instead of spotting these trends by consulting colleagues or outside experts, Ms. Waage has tapped Pinterest, the social media site that lets its members pin, or post, images of their favorite foods, hairstyles and clothes.”

  tags: pinterest

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.