If newspapers and magazines thought it was hard to integrate their print and digital teams, they now face an even tougher challenge: integrating their technology and content teams.
“Try combining your technology and your newsroom,” said Wall Street Journal Digital Network managing editor Raju Narisetti in a panel discussion at the news:rewired conference today in London. “It’s infinitely more complicated because you’re dealing with two distinctly separate worlds.”
“Coders think what they do its art and content is stuff,” he said. “Journalist think what they do is art and the other things are stuff.”
Narisetti said he believes this is the most important priority for newsrooms.
“I feel newsrooms have to pivot from just focusing on creating amazing content to creating amazing experiences,” he said.
Narisetti said the user experience will determine success in digital news.
“The winners and losers are separated at the intersection of content and technology,” he said. “You need great content and to be managing technology to create an amazing experience for users who can go anywhere they want. The experience is what will make them stay and come back.”
Offering a better experience is a major way to attract and retain “promiscuous” digital audiences.
“The digital audience will be even more promiscuous than they are today because digital technology enables them to sample a variety of digital products and brands,” Narisetti said. “The promiscuity of our audiences is only going to dramatically increase.”
Along with integrating technology and content in newsrooms, Narisetti also said journalists need to be active in helping attract audience.
“In 2012, the definition of journalist must include bringing more people to my journalism,” he said. “It’s not enough to say ‘I report well, I write well’ … bringing more people to your journalism is part of who you are.”
