Citizen Journalists. Facts about the myth.
Figures, insights and success factors from 25 local newspaper portals based on Gogol Publishing’s technology, including 350,000 active citizen journalists.
From the centre of society. The typical citizen journalist.
I have commented
times
I have uploaded
I have already written
images
Posts
I am
My posts were printed
years old on average
times
I have been an active member for almost
Resources: Activities of a citizen journalist on a typical five-year-old citizen journalism portal powered by gogol´s technology. Evaluation of 47,281 citizen journalists (represents 23 % of more than 205,321 citizen journalists.)
years
I almost spend
minutes per day on the portal
Eyes and ears everywhere. Every 30th citizen is a citizen journalist.
Resources: Figures according to the citizen journalism community myheimat.de. Comparison of registered citizen journalists in relation to city population.
Almost every choir, every fire department, every school class and every sports club has someone who reports as a citizen journalist.
Writing maniacs require followers. Everyone is important in a network of citizen journalists.
Number of written posts: 500 + 100 – 499 50 – 99
of all citizen journalists post genuine contents that are the focus of discussions in the following.
10 – 49 2 – 10 1
of all citizen journalists act as commenter, group member, follower and inspire per conversations, feedback and attention the commitment of the authors.
Resources: Evaluation of all citizen journalists and posts on the citizen journalism community myheimat, which has existed for 6 years.
The editorial team cannot provide everything. Citizen journalists add perspectives and niche contents.
If citizen journalists do not have a local platform for their topics, they will write somewhere else.
Topics of citizen journalists include: Youth soccer Taekwondo competition Summer party Theatre play Visits at flea markets Excursion hiking group Flowers in front garden Meeting diabetes group Concert civic centre My holiday report ...
Quantity is the key. Citizen journalists are the local kings of online reach.
Every single post has a small target group only.
Only Âťlousy penniesÂŤ?
However, posts of 350,000 citizen journalists add up to amazing reaches.
And generate 253,000 readers this way! Resources: Posts and readerships of all customer portals powered by gogol Publishing Cloud.
You find it you recommend it. You like reading contents of citizen journalists.
Search: Readers find local content on Google. Ice
‌ 79 per cent of visitors access a citizen journalism portal via search engines.
These visitors view 3.4 pages on the portal on average.
Thereby, they generate 59 per cent of page impressions on the portal.
Social: Citizen journalists discover local contents via recommendations.
Resources: Evaluation of accesses (visitors), Stickyness (pages/visit) and reach (page impressions) based on data according to the citizen journalism community myheimat. The so-called “social� reach combines thereby all social channels of community processes, from direct visits and visited links to visits which arise from social networks.
... of visitors access a citizen journalism portal via recommendations.
Visitors, who access the portal via recommendation, view 10.5 pages on average.
Thereby, they generate 41% of page impressions despite the low amount of visitors.
Relevant topics for the printed paper. Citizen journalists are reliable suppliers of content.
Resources: Average imprints of posts among gogol´s customers Madsack Heimatzeitungen, Regionalmedien Austria AG, mh bayern.
articles with the participation of citizen journalists
articles with the participation of citizen journalists
articles with the participation of citizen journalists
daily
weekly
monthly
Total circulation:
Total circulation:
Total circulation:
daily copies
weekly copies
monthly copies
Titles:
Titles:
Titles:
Publishing company:
Publishing company:
Publishing company:
Madsack Heimatzeitungen
Regionalmedien Austria AG
mh bayern
Home from every perspective. Civil journalists provide useful artwork.
An average citizen journalism community puts 600 new pictures from their region online every day. Thus, a pool of 220,000 pictures gathers after one year, including:
pictures of events
pictures of associations
pictures of nature
Reprint rights inclusive. Only among an own citizen journalism community the provided pictures can be used easily. In contrast, the copyright on pictures of fans on Facebook or other social networks must be always obtained individually.
picures of blue lights
Resources: Evaluation based on a typical citizen journalism community of a publishing house with a circulation of ca. 100,000 copies.
pictures of office holders
Sensitive microcosm. Civil journalists require the right frame.
Source: Empirical value of gogol medien.
Only if citizen journalists can create own contents equally, they will feel appreciated and will be committed.
Real names ensure transparency and respect. They are easy to implement in local communities.
Civil journalists need quick feedback on questions and concerns. The community often accomplishes this task by itself.
Citizen journalists are liable for their contents autonomously, but will be supported in the case of a dispute.
Barely any weirdoes, trolls, flame wars*. A well guided citizen journalist makes little effort.
* Flamewars are sprawling discussions, among those participants argument abusively and subjectively. Resources: Evaluation of messages concerning misuse on myheimat from 2008 until 2011.
On average only 1 out of 9,000 posts per month has to be deleted. Thus a community manager can supervise ca. 10,000 citizen journalists. It is important that he moderates reasonably and consistently and is enthusiastic about this subject.
Many mistakes already made. 6 years advantage through 350,000 citizen journalists.
Today already more than
page impressions for 25 customers of publishing houses 3.) With gogol´s solution for citizen journalists you use the most successful software on the market right from the start.
2.) … until the success comes.
1.) The development of a software for citizen journalists takes years…
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
E-mail feedbacks
Suggestions from the community
New releases
Fixed bugs Resources: Page impressions from AW-Stats of gogol medien, Bugs from the Bugtracking-System of gogol medien, Community-Feedback from community-management-tools provided by the myheimat support team, number of cups of coffee according to the counter of Saeco coffee machine.
Cups of coffee
2012
Citizen journalists are the future of local media. Strong local media are the central forum of their place or their region. A dynamic place for all local news and discussions. And therefore, the best place for local stores and vendors, too. Over decades the central forum was reliable in the local weekly newspaper or local newspaper. But the digital age creates new places for exchange. Easily traceable places. Places for different topics. Places, where everybody can easily contribute. Weekly newspaper and local newspaper develop strong competition. Strong, local citizen journalism communities are active forums of their place or their region. Connected to local newspapers or weekly newspapers, they develop the advantages of digital opportunities: easy traceability, diverse topics and space for every post. Including news of readers and discussions. Therefore, citizen journalists are the future of local media. www.gogol-publishing.de / en/leserreporter