Commentary
The Mail Treats Online News More Like A TV Network Than A Newspaper
- by Joe Mandese @mp_joemandese, February 16, 2013
When the Mail Online Publisher Martin Clarke showed data on the daily useage patterns of online news consumers throughout their day, Mobile Insider Summit chair Steve Smith was struck by the
“dayparting” aspect of the content flow, and observed, “A newspaper starts thinking like a TV network.”
“We already do,” acknowledged
Clarke, noting that news consumption “daypart” patterns tend to begin on a serious note and end on “lighter fare,” though he said users tend to use a mobile device or app to
check the latest news just before they go to sleep.
Stepping back and thinking about that daypart flow -- the fact that people start their days more serious and end them
on a lighter note -- is actually antithetical to some research Twitter has shown about the way people tweet: They tend to start their days on a lighter, more upbeat note, and end their day on Twitter,
more snarky, cynical and downbeat. No wonder they want to read lighter “news” fare.
Joe Mandese is the Editor in Chief of MediaPost. You can reach Joe at joe@mediapost.com.
