Page 10 - PR Communication Age APRIL 2016

ing and social network analysis to sur- tablets and soon wearables like Google an important source of news and infor-
face topics, eyewitnesses and amplifi- Glass. It's a constant transition driven mation and will increasingly become a
ers when a big news story emerges. by audience habits for getting the infor- critical part of the mix. Many are
mation it needs. That's where the pub- funded by independent foundations,
Meanwhile, a number of universities in lisher needs to make it accessible across including big names such as the award-
the USA are experimenting with ways the full range of platforms - read on the winning investigative newsroom in the
to enhance this new collaboration. phone, see on a tablet, watch on desk- USA, ProPublica. Most have increased
Northwestern University's Knight Lab is top, read the newspaper and optimiz- their revenue, some significantly, and
a joint initiative between the college's ing the experience for all those plat- many are building a diverse set of rev-
engineering and journalism schools, forms. enue sources that go beyond tapping
teaming technologists, journalists, de- into donors to include sponsorships,
signers and educators to come up with What has changed is the sources that events and syndication. Their long-
original ways to tell stories and report consumers use for their news. They no term sustainability, the report notes,
the news in a digital-first environment. longer depend on a handful of media, may be dependent on their ability to
Columbia's Graduate School of Journal- but rather access a range of outlets. create the organizational infrastruc-
ism and Stanford's School of Engineer- Headlines may come from Twitter, ture that enables them to innovate as
ing are partners in The Brown Insti- with details available from a main- they build social and economic value.
tute for Media Innovation, underwrit- stream news site. News updates may
ten to increase the connection be- be part of a friend's Facebook feed. 5. Arrival of the age of the
tween journalism and technology. Local news may come from hometown individual
media or social media. Apps like
3. Management of multi- Flipboard are gearing up to deliver and There have always been "name-brand"
screens package news and content from these reporters and columnists, but their
seemingly disparate sources in a con- ability to publish often depended on
News has moved from the daily paper sistent flow. the support of an established media
and the nightly broadcast to the 24- organization. But today and into the
hour on-demand cycle that we consume 4. Development of not-for- future, they may be building their
today. The next challenge for news or- profit news reputations and readerships indepen-
ganizations is managing consumption dent of larger concerns. Think of them
across the devices and media that their In the shifting journalism landscape, as turbocharged bloggers.
audiences use -- desktop, smartphones, non-profits will continue to emerge as

Soon mobile-like portability in DTH, cable TV

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) will soon allow interoperability between cable service and DTH (di-
rect-to-home) service providers, allowing users to change their cable operators, similar to the telecom segment. As of
now, cable operators and DTH service providers offer their services bundled with a set-top box which comes at a cost
of Rs 1,500-2,000. However, if a consumer is not satisfied with his service provider, he is forced to buy a new set-top
box from the other operator because of technical issues. Even the amount paid for the box is non-refundable.

TRAI is framing its views on the issue and the final guidelines will be out within a couple of months, said sources. A
consultation paper on draft tariff order, prescribing framework for commercial interoperability of customer premises
equipment - set top box - in DTH services was floated in February last year. However, the final recommendations are
pending. Trai will now float a new concept paper on the same issue asking for ways to implement interoperability.

"Be patient with yourself. Self-growth is tender; it's holy ground. There's no greater investment."

10 PR COMMUNICAT ION AGE April 2016