E-Media Tidbits

While slogging through backed-up e-mail from being on vacation last week, I found a note from a reader who asked: "I'm wondering how you see newspapers adding podcasting to their mix ... or should they?" That's a great question to answer publicly (though I certainly don't profess to have all the answers).

I think a key for newspapers is to think of podcast content that cannot be easily found elsewhere. For instance, some early newspaper podcasts involve someone reading the top headlines from the day's news. Now, for someone in a car, what's the point of that? It's easier to punch in a news channel on the AM/FM radio to hear headlines, rather than go to the trouble of syncing your iPod with your computer before heading out. So make sure the podcast content is something that can't be found with less hassle somewhere else.

I'm also a fan of original content for new-media formats. So audio interviews with newsmakers can be interesting -- say a full Q&A with a music artist who's been profiled in the newspaper. A conventional story might run in print (and on the Web), with pointers to the special audio interview. If this is a weekly feature, it can make for a great podcast.

Newspaper websites also can find a place in the music scene, offering regular podcasts of local bands' new releases.

But there's nothing wrong with "shovelware," too. For those who listen to podcasts while commuting, hearing an audio version of a favorite newspaper columnist could be compelling. Indeed, this is a no-brainer. After all, we all know the newspaper readership trends; in our busy society, people have less time to read the newspaper (if they read it at all). So offering an alternative (podcast) version of popular columns means a larger audience for the columnists.

Here's a suggestion: Create podcasts for every columnist. Have them record an audio version at the end of the editing process. It's an extra 5 minutes of work for them -- not a big deal -- yet serves people who prefer audio over the written word, and creates a new advertising vehicle for the newspaper and its website.

Those are just a few ideas. What are your newspapers doing with podcasting? What else should they do? Add a comment here to let us know.