Thursday, 6 Octorber 2011
Journalists at Norwegian title VG are recommended to spend around 10% of their working time on social media, according to the publisher’s executive editor Helje Solberg.
Solberg, speaking at a session on newsroom architecture at the News:Rewired conference in London this morning, said driving engagement across social media platforms had become part of a journalist’s job, rather than employing community managers within the organisation.
“They need to multi-skilled and participate – that’s why we don’t have community managers,” said Solberg.
She added that each editorial department within VG has a Facebook page and Twitter account with their own followers, and this was important in news gathering, as well as to engage users.
Social media platforms had been instrumental in the title’s coverage of the Oslo bombings in July. After the event, VG created an international “connection” platform with around 250 countries, with “bry deg” content attracting a Facebook following of 102,000 users.
VG is working on a paid-content strategy across mobile platforms, according to Solberg, and this had presented more of a “product problem” than a “platform problem”.
“We’re working on differentiation of products,” she said. “Trying to get people to pay – it has to be something that you don’t get on a browser. This is a challenge – what content should be paid for, what should be opened, what should be closed.”
The magazine was following a content strategy of “the very best pictures, combined with written stories”, while the iPad is based around interactivity and mobile is about reaching users where they are.
The title’s coverage of the Royal Wedding, for example, had spanned across all platforms, stemming from six hours of live TV coverage and expert comment, while online delivered a more chronological experience, as well as alternative content options. Ipad content had delivered interactive video and images.
“We’re now a merged organisation with around 200 [employees] on the paper and 60-70 online,” she said. “You have to decide where to publish content. It’s decided by departments.”
VG’s online business is profitable, according to Solberg, and made €65m (£56.4m) last year. Around 90% of its online revenue was from ads.
“The website is making money thanks to ads,” said Solberg.
