Emma Piercy

The readers are the new dictators. The tyranny of analytics of search engine optimisation

and social media marketing are distorting the news agenda.

“The witnesses are taking over the news” – New York

academic and blogger Jeff Jarvis

• More and more users contribute to the news process via social media.

• Ignore Twitter/social media, and a mainstream news network loses its voice in a global conversation.

• Journalists are devoting investments on engaging in third-party networks to drive traffic and to pick up on what people are talking about.

SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMISATION (SEO)

Today's online publishers, editors

and reporters need a new style

that most effectively allows

their words to reach their intended

audiences.

“

”

SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING (SEO)

Facebook has risen over the last six months to challenge Google's place as the most important source of traffic to online publishers, according to data

from BuzzFeed's web referrals to about 200 publishing sites. http://www.buzzfeed.com/bensmith/one-chart-that-explains-the-transformation-of-medi

RESEARCH QUESTIONS

1. According to SEO analytics, what type of content does “writing for the readers” include?

2. How much news value do SEO-trending keywords have?

3. Once news executives know what people are searching for should they write stories to meet that demand?

4. What are the implications of a news agenda customised for SEO and its “idea triage” of keywords which serves to attract traffic to websites?

5. Will SEO news tailored for today’s 24/7 news format and for entertainment value end up superseding editorial values such as those of analysis and accuracy that traditional newspapers are struggling to save?

Reading

We the Media by Dan Gilmour

Here Comes Everybody by Clay Shirky

The Cult of Amateur by Andrew Keen.

I will also evaluate the constant stream of updates about SEO and SMM and its impact on journalism online.

RESEARCH METHODS

SurveysI will conduct surveys amongst readers to determine how many access news stories via search engines and social media.

InterviewsSocial media editors and reporters who work for mainstream news organisations

Patrick Smith – KU journalism graduateLuke Lewis – editor of NME.comRoo Reynolds – social media expert at BBC

PRACTICAL PROJECT

BLOG

• My practical project will be an experiment in the form of a blog to test and analyse what I learn throughout my research about SEO and SMM for journalism.

• I will do this by engaging in third-party networks and with readers with a “social” strategy.

• I will try my hand at SEO and SMM to see what the results are.

• I have a particular interest in visual journalism and I’m a freelance graphic designer so I will produce infographics and multimedia content for my blog based on statistics I gather and include pictures and videos of interviews.