Editor-in-Chief, Huffington Post
Have we turned a corner where online journalism has become such a force that it warrants communications professionals treating both old and new media equally? Yes, I believe that communications professionals now see that online news outlets and blogs can be as powerful in their reach and impact as their traditional media counterparts. Because of our linked economy, a well-respected niche blog covering a specific industry or company can often be as influential as a story in a major newspaper or TV network news program.
What is the most prominent example of Huffington Post either breaking news or providing detailed coverage in the way old media traditionally would have done? And was there an added advantage that you had over traditional media? The Huffington Post broke many stories during the 2008 US presidential campaign, from “Bitter-gate,” which was reported by Mayhill Fowler, one of our citizen journalists, to dozens of stories by our political team that had an impact on the news cycle. More recently, HuffPost’s Senior News Editor Nico Pitney kept a constantly-refreshed, nearly-around-the-clock “liveblog” covering the uprising in Iran. It was a great example of something the new media does best – cover a story obsessively, aggregating the best available news and information, from tweets to cell phone video uploaded by ordinary Iranians to stories by major news outlets, all in real time. It has been a must-read for anyone interested in what’s happening in Iran.
What is the Investigative Fund and what do you hope it will achieve? As the newspaper industry continues to contract, one of the most commonly voiced fears is that serious investigative journalism will be among the victims of the scale-back. And, indeed, many newspapers are drastically reducing their investigative teams. Yet, given the multiple crises we are living through, investigative journalism is all the more important. The Huffington Post Investigative Fund’s goal is to produce a broad range of investigative journalism created by both staff reporters and freelance writers, with a focus on working with the many experienced reporters and writers impacted by the economic contraction. The pieces will range from long-form investigations to short breaking news stories and will be presented in a variety of media including text, audio and video.
How is Huffington Post working to ensure profitability as an online-only site? We are focused on expanding our audience and attracting advertisers interested in reaching that audience. Ad revenue for the site has been strong and it continues to grow.
Aside from the Investigative Fund, what are the next steps in new media accepting some of the best practices of old media that you have spoken about? The Huffington Post is continuing to direct resources into our original reporting. Our two most recent hires were Dan Froomkin and Jose Antonio Vargas from the Washington Post. Dan will be working with our original reporters, regularly blogging the news and working with our Eyes and Ears citizen journalism team to access the wisdom and knowledge of our community. And Jose is responsible for our recently launched Technology vertical (site section) and will report on all the ways innovations in technology impact our lives. He will also play a key role in helping us continue to innovate from leveraging social networking to expanding the ways we use citizen journalism. Leveraging the power of our community is something I’m particularly excited about; Nico Pitney’s liveblogging about Iran showed how powerful citizen journalism can be when harnessed effectively.
Arianna Huffington is the co-founder and Editor-In-Chief of The Huffington Post, a nationally syndicated columnist, and author of 12 books. She is also co-host of “Left, Right & Centre,” public radio’s popular political roundtable program.