Backgrounder PDF - Who Needs Newspapers?

Backgrounder
The Burlington Free Press: Interviewed September 21, 2010
Newspaper
Owner
Address
Phone number
URL
Circulation
Publisher
Name
Start date
Phone number
E-mail
Newspaper Staff
Total FTEs
Publication cycle
Current Circulation
Weekdays (6-day avg)
Sundays
E-edition
Price
Weekday newsstand
Sunday newsstand
Subscription annual
E-edition
Ancillary Businesses
Newsprint
Tons/annual
Digital
Pay wall?
Considering a pay wall?
Executive Editor
Name
Start date
Phone number
Email
News Staff
Total FTE
Reporters
Editors
Copy Desk
Photo
Bureaus
1
2
The Burlington Free Press
Gannett
191 College Street, Burlington, VT 05401
802-658-3321
www.burlingtonfreepress.com
32,450 (m-s); 42,679 Sunday
Jim Fogler
9-01-10
802-660-1800
[email protected]
160
7 days a.m.
2010 Circulation1
32,450
42,679
yes
2007 Circulation2
41,780
49,927
75 cents
$1.75
$201
free
Commercial Printing
No
Michael Townsend
2001
802-324-4547
[email protected]
37
16
8
6
3 (1 editor; 2 photogs)
State House: Montpelier, Vt.
Source: 2010 ABC Publisher’s Statement
Source: 2008 E&P International Yearbook
Valid Sources, “Who Needs Newspapers?” project; 1916 Pike Pl., Ste 12 #60, Seattle, WA.98101
www.whoneedsnewspapers.org
Backgrounder
The Burlington Free Press: Interviewed September 21, 2010
Coverage
Local government
Courts
Public safety
County government
School Board
Education
Business
Sports
Entertainment & arts
Environment
Agriculture
Digital Developer
Name
Start date
Phone number
Email
Digital News Staff
Size
Reporting/Photo staff
Does reporting staff feed materials for digital media
Website start date
Capabilities
Does your organization
write code?
Number of coders?
Flexibility & response time
Can you change web platform – coding, architecture,
software -- at least once a month? Do you?
Digital Tools
Crowd sourcing?
Data visualization?
Investigative reporting?
Documentary video?
Any other kinds of digital tools are being used?
Social Media
What is the overall organizational commitment to
collecting, creating, shaping and delivering all your
news/information products through these digital
channels?
To what extent is your newspaper connected to people
through social media?
Advertising
Is your advertising staff is able to provide competitive
digital services to merchants?
Does your advertising department sell "digital services",
More than 50% of their time
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
1 reporter
1
2 reporters
2 reporters
1 Reporter
Covered in part by business and environmental reporters
David Farré
2009
802-660-1867
[email protected]
(2) Digital Content Director & Web editor
Yes: All reporters file & all are blogging
Don’t know.
Yes
One; supported by Gannett Corporate (GMTI)
Yes.
Infrequently
Can’t with current software
Not yet; under consideration
Yes
Live streaming on web (video cam and laptop)
Yes: Facebook & Twitter
Extensively
Yes.
Yes created an agency unit – “191”
Valid Sources, “Who Needs Newspapers?” project; 1916 Pike Pl., Ste 12 #60, Seattle, WA.98101
www.whoneedsnewspapers.org
Backgrounder
The Burlington Free Press: Interviewed September 21, 2010
such as helping merchants with website production?
Assessment
How do you assess your digital news/information
products?
Page-views?
Monthly uniques?
Editing
Are there different procedures (layers of editing) for web
vs. print products?
Revenue
Do you charge for any digital news products?
Digital Delivery Systems
What delivery systems do you employ?
E-edition? (software?)
Smart Phone - apps
-- iPhone
-- Android
-- Blackberry
-- Palm
-- Other?
Tablets
-- iPad
Future
Do you foresee your news organization offering one
hundred percent digitally-delivered news/information
products in the foreseeable future? (See Interview)
Sources of Information
5.7M/month in Dec 2010
584K/month in Dec 2010
Yes
Yes: Archives
Archives; after 30 days they are behind a paywall.
Corporate Developing iPhone app
Mobile software in place
Mobile software in place
Corporate Developing iPad app
Poynter & Nieman
Valid Sources, “Who Needs Newspapers?” project; 1916 Pike Pl., Ste 12 #60, Seattle, WA.98101
www.whoneedsnewspapers.org