Convergence Case study
Topeka Capital Journal
Author: James Gentry
Primary partners
The Topeka Capital-Journal –
News projects are organized to fit the best interests 60,000 daily, 67,000 Sunday
CJ Online – More than 170,000
of each medium. Each newsroom considers itself a
newsgathering operation and uses all media forms to unique page views daily
distribute information: online, newspaper, television WIBW Radio – AM station with
news/sports format
and radio.
94 Country – FM station with
country music format
KSNT-TV – Channel 27, NBC
affiliate in Topeka. Nielsen DMA
138.
What they do
Ownership
Morris Communications owns
The Capital-Journal, CJ Online,
WIBW-AM Radio and 94
Country-FM; Emmis
Broadcasting owns KSNT.
For example, Capital-Journal reporters did in-depth
profiles on the candidates for governor and attorney
general before the August primary. The profiles ran
on Sundays and Mondays in the newspaper, but the
writers appeared on KSNT-TV on Saturday and
Sunday nights preceding the publication of the
articles, and on Sunday and Monday mornings on
WIBW-AM radio to discuss the stories. Broadcasting
those segments before they were printed promoted
the articles that followed in The Capital-Journal.
In addition, audio and visual are gathered and
shared among the partners. CJ Online benefits by
using video from KSNT and audio from WIBW. WIBW
benefits from audio that Capital-Journal print
reporters gather at news events. CJ Online also
employs a full-time videographer and KSNT
occasionally uses his video.
Structure
The Capital-Journal and CJ
Online are located in downtown
Topeka, WIBW-AM and 94
Country-FM are about five miles
away and KSNT is about 15
minutes away on Highway 24.
The Capital-Journal has a
broadcast studio on its top floor
where reporters can tape their
radio broadcasts for transmission
to WIBW-AM Radio.
Driving forces behind
partnerships
John Fish, publisher, CapitalJournal; Gary McNair, general
manager, KSNT.
Making it happen
Will Kennedy, executive editor,
Capital-Journal; Jim Debth, new
CJOnline has a reporter in the newsroom who writes media director, CJ Online; Corey
stories for both the newspaper and online. He makes Shoup, managing editor, CJ
Online; Kevin Pope, station
sure that breaking stories, mainly police and fire
events, are online before most residents get to their manager, KSNT; and Liz
Montano, news director, WIBWjobs each morning.
AM Radio.
Capital-Journal writers and photographers also
produce in-depth work that appears in greater
volume online than it does in the printed editions.
Reporters and editors also work on short, fast versions of breaking news stories
online well in advance of print edition deadlines. Those stories are then updated
and lengthened for the newspaper.
The partners promote themselves as “Topeka’s Total Convergence Team.”
Strategic focus
All the partners hope to build and extend the reach of their brand, and grow
revenue, through a combination of news initiatives, cross promotion, and
community projects.
Keys to making the partnership work
Be systematic about finding the right partner
When Publisher John Fish decided to create a partnership with a local television
station, working with consultant James K. Gentry, he launched an in-depth process
to identify a number of criteria with which to assess a potential partner. Ultimately,
the Capital-Journal’s “Futures Committee,” which consisted of 12 employees from
five different departments, decided to examine 57 characteristics in categories of
“top management,” “basics” and “financial.”
“Top management” included items such as levels of trust with top management, ad
staff ethics, company priorities, etc. “Basics” included ratings today and past,
demographic coverage, recent awards, etc. “Financial” included advertising
management quality and credibility, prior convergence efforts, ad revenues, etc.
Make the partnership a strategic priority
Developing partnerships with WIBW-AM and a television station were priorities for
Fish from early in his time in Topeka. After KSNT was selected, General Manager
Gary McNair joined Fish in pushing to make the partnerships work as much as
possible.
Make sure everyone knows this is management’s top priority
Fish, then McNair, were clear to their staffs from the beginning about the
importance of the partnerships.
If the partners are not in the same building, put an emphasis on
communication
The Capital-Journal, KSNT and WIBW all exchange news budgets via e-mail daily.
This serves as a news-tip service. Each partner is allowed liberal use of what
appears on the websites. Additionally, Capital-Journal editors send “convergence
headlines” to the radio and televisions stations, which they then broadcast as
teasers to those stories in the next morning’s newspaper.
When special projects are being contemplated, they usually begin with a series of
meetings among the partners. Scheduling for the project’s start, story ideas and
other plans are mapped out.
Not being selfish
When a project is planned, the partners don’t fret over when it goes to print, or
when broadcast gets a first shot at it. They look at what makes sense for each
medium and follow that path.
Training
When Capital-Journal reporters did their in-depth profiles, KSNT provided a talent
coach who helped prepare the print reporters for their broadcast appearances.
Routine converged activities
The partners share budgets and stories daily. Capital-Journal editors send
convergence headlines that radio and television tease to promote the next day’s
newspaper. Editors routinely use print reefers to the electronic media and the
electronic media reefer to the newspaper.
The Capital-Journal uses television’s weather anchor, Bruce Jones, in its daily
weather package and promotes his nightly appearances on the news. Jones also
writes a weekly column for a special agriculture publication, Farm and Auction,
which is published by the Capital-Journal and delivered to about 20,000 homes
each week. Radio’s farm expert, Kelly Lentz, also writes a weekly column for Farm
and Auction. The partners use a KSNT report on a most-wanted fugitive. Radio
sportscaster Greg Sharpe writes a weekly college football column in the CapitalJournal.
The partners also select a high school football and basketball game to feature. This
Game of the Week package has been sold to a major sponsor the last two years
and includes house ads each week promoting the game, live broadcast of the game
on WIBW, live pre-game and post-game coverage from KSNT, sponsorship of a
special three-minute video highlights package on CJOnline’s Prep Zone site Friday
night immediately after the game, and other elements.
One sports newsperson from each partner makes picks of the week for high school
football. Capital-Journal sports writers routinely appear on WIBW radio sports talk.
Capital-Journal reporters regularly appear on television and radio. Pete Goering, C-J
columnist, does short sports commentary break-ins for commuters during drive
time on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Reporters Alicia Henrikson and Mike Hall
phone in breaking news for radio following county commission and city council
meetings. Political and government reporters Jim McLean and Chris Grenz
frequently appear on television analyzing Statehouse and political stories. Audio
and video are collected and shared by all media. All of these radio reports/shows
are promoted three times a week in the Capital-Journal through house ads.
Noteworthy examples
The partners are especially proud of this year’s election coverage. Each partner
shared in the expanded coverage driven by The Capital-Journal’s newsroom that
included polling, focus groups and in-depth profiles. All of the partners shared in
the cost of the project.
A project late in 2001 focused on the prevalence of methamphetamine labs in the
area.
An ongoing project examines Signal 13 calls (officer needs assistance).
One special community initiative was the Jefferson Awards, a national program
designed to recognize outstanding volunteerism in the community. The partners
sold a major sponsor for the awards and organized an extensive six-week campaign
promoting volunteerism and soliciting nominations. One of the local winners was
named one of five national winners at the annual ceremony in Washington, D.C.
The partners received more than 200 nominations in what national organizers
called the most successful first-year program ever.
The partners also organized an emergency blood drive to assist with a dwindling
blood supply in the area in 2001. After just a week of heavy promotion from all the
partners, the city had its largest blood drive in history.
One of the more ambitious projects was the sale of a major advertising contract to
the largest furniture store in the city. Management and advertising representatives
met numerous times, including five times with the advertiser, to secure a $300,000
contract.