Online news priorities & practices

As our journalism practices change, we know it’s important to identify and maintain our core values. With that in mind, APME would like you to take a quick survey about journalism ethics and standards regarding a few aspects of the online newspaper world.

Section A: User-generated content

On a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being "least" and 5 being "most," please rate the next three items:

1. What value does your company place on user-generated website content, such as comments on stories and forums and user-submitted photos?

1 2 3 4 5

2. How comfortable are you with your current methods of editing or moderating user-generated content?

1 2 3 4 5

3. What priority do you place on increasing staff resources to manage this content?

1 2 3 4 5

4. An argument at one extreme is that completely unfiltered user comment is what Web users demand. An argument at the other extreme is that all content should be edited or moderated to protect the news company’s credibility and authority. Please explain your feelings on this issue, and where in the spectrum you fit.

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Section B: Multimedia production

On a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being "least" and 5 being "most," please rate the next three items:

1. What value does your company place on staff-generated multimedia content, such as audio slideshows, podcasts and video reports?

1 2 3 4 5

2. How comfortable are you with your newsroom's standards for creating multimedia content?

1 2 3 4 5

3. What priority do you place on increasing staff resources to produce and manage multimedia content?

1 2 3 4 5

4. Please explain any concerns you might have regarding the quality of your company's multimedia work, staffing and training in multimedia, and whether this is worth shifting resources away from other areas.

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Section C: Breaking news online

On a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being "least" and 5 being "most," please rate the next three items:

1. What value does your company place on the speed at which news reports are posted to your Web site?

1 2 3 4 5

2. How comfortable are you with the quality and accuracy of writing and editing of breaking news on your Web site?

1 2 3 4 5

3. How comfortable are you sacrificing completeness of a breaking news report in exchange for speed and the ability to constantly update?

1 2 3 4 5

4. Please explain what concerns you might have regarding staffing and training for breaking news on the Web, and whether this is worth shifting resources away from other areas.

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Section D: Online advertising

On a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being "least" and 5 being "most," please rate the next three items:

1. How much emphasis does your company place on discussing methods of online advertising with top editors?

1 2 3 4 5

2. How comfortable are you with your Web site's current forms of online advertising?

1 2 3 4 5

3. How comfortable are you with the following kinds of online advertising:

Static display ads:

1 2 3 4 5

Ads with motion and/or video:

1 2 3 4 5

User-controlled ads that cover portions of editorial content:

1 2 3 4 5

In-text advertising (paid links for key words contained in stories):

1 2 3 4 5

4. How and when are you willing to voice your concerns about the kinds of advertising that might encroach on the visual space of editorial content, or blur the lines between advertising and editorial content? How much does financial pressure affect your willingness to speak out?

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