The online journalism diploma module at JOMEC
Online Lecture: Antony Mayfield
Or: no website is an island.
Something that can be understood by anyone who uses the internet even on a casual level the principle that is at the heart of the internet age itself: the web as a social network.
Ten years ago this took the form of mailing lists where parties with similar interests would gather to geek out about whether the Nazgul have usable wings. Now utilising interest groups is a multi-million dollar business.
Anthony Mayfield spoke to us on the issues journalists must tackle in order to make the most of the always expanding markets of readymade consumers. Writing must work in tandem with search engines, especially Google which ranks articles as well as simply searching for them. If one wants to reach outside of a niche audience one must speak the language of the person doing the searching. Online newspapers and magazines must show they have something more to offer than just advertising space – today everyone expects their individual needs to be met.
The greatest lesson Mayfield had for us however is one that contains all of these points within it. Find a way to make what you write personal. Take a lesson from the blogs: there is a reason they are so popular. A blog has a unique voice, and this is what readers respond to. What’s more – and this is the crucial point – readers can respond to what they have read. The democratic ideals of the internet age are now truly being realised.
Something that can be understood by anyone who uses the internet even on a casual level the principle that is at the heart of the internet age itself: the web as a social network.
Ten years ago this took the form of mailing lists where parties with similar interests would gather to geek out about whether the Nazgul have usable wings. Now utilising interest groups is a multi-million dollar business.
Anthony Mayfield spoke to us on the issues journalists must tackle in order to make the most of the always expanding markets of readymade consumers. Writing must work in tandem with search engines, especially Google which ranks articles as well as simply searching for them. If one wants to reach outside of a niche audience one must speak the language of the person doing the searching. Online newspapers and magazines must show they have something more to offer than just advertising space – today everyone expects their individual needs to be met.
The greatest lesson Mayfield had for us however is one that contains all of these points within it. Find a way to make what you write personal. Take a lesson from the blogs: there is a reason they are so popular. A blog has a unique voice, and this is what readers respond to. What’s more – and this is the crucial point – readers can respond to what they have read. The democratic ideals of the internet age are now truly being realised.
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