Future of Journalism Discussed at NY Times Social Media Conference

Woody Lewis

February 25, 2009

Tim O'Reilly, head of O'Reilly Media, was the keynote speaker at TimesOpen, a seminar organized by the New York Times Developer Network to publicize its latest offerings. The Times has systematically opened portions of its archives to Web developers by releasing APIs (application programming interfaces) that allow third parties to connect to its database. O'Reilly, publisher of many books on Web technology, drew an audience of Web developers eager to hear his thoughts on digital journalism. After opening remarks from Times CEO Janet Robinson, O'Reilly spoke about the digital future of newspapers.

He said that Web 2.0, a term he coined in 2004, is about finding meaning in user-generated data, and turning that meaning into real-time services. Social networking will be a key element of those services, as demonstrated by those in the room who sent messages summarizing his presentation to a Twitter list (called a hashtag), for those unable to attend.

O'Reilly emphasized that people who use social networks gain and bestow status as they associate with others. Publishing brands bestow status by what they pay attention to. If a brand only pays attention to itself, it's not as valuable to its community. A newspaper with a digital platform will find its customers and partners are the first to build new features (functionality, not stories).

Recruiting third-party developers might be a lifesaver, but the Times has carefully defined their place in the food chain. The answer to one of its Frequently Asked Questions, "What's the intended audience for your APIs?" states that "We've designed our APIs for the web developer community, but all noncommercial users are welcome." Presumably, commercial developers will get a share of any revenue generated by their product.

Tim O'Reilly's kickoff generated a lot of excitement. A few days from now, the Times will release its TimesNewsWire API, which will give developers access to live headlines. They're off and running, and there'll be no shortage of spectators with a stake in their success.

(Reposted from Save the Papers - social media strategy for newspapers and other fine print.)

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