Personalisation on www.telegraaf.nl
Subscribers of De Telegraaf say the articles in their newspaper are interesting and relevant to them. However, using algorithm-based personalisation, De Telegraaf can become even more relevant to its readers. By looking at someone’s reading behaviour, the algorithm can show them the most appropriate content. Readers get used to such a personalised offer and, subconsciously, come to expect it.
What content the newspaper publishes, in what format and when remain decisions made by the editors. On www.telegraaf.nl the algorithm is applied selectively. Initially, the homepage had three spots that were immediately visible when the reader visited the site. This was expanded to include a number of spots when scrolling down the page. The newspaper has seen an increase in clicks on spots filled by the algorithm, indicating that the offer is correctly matching readers’ interests.
Analysis of the offer based on the algorithm provides interesting information for editors and other colleagues within Mediahuis, and these insights can help them make decisions that best serve subscribers.
Dagblad van het Noorden on top of gas news
2022 was an eventful year for gas, with Dagblad van het Noorden diving into the news about earthquakes and extraction problems in the Northern Netherlands. The paper worked with NRC on the topic.
The year was less than a week old when the government announced that Groningen’s gas tap would be opened further, contrary to previous promises. A few days later, long queues of locals waited in the cold for subsidies to make their homes more sustainable. It was a blunder by the government, which knew it was short of money.
It resulted in a torchlight procession of up to 10,000 earthquake victims through central Groningen. Dagblad van het Noorden invited readers to show solidarity with their neighbours and send in a selfie with a clenched fist. These photos were compiled into a powerful front page.
It was also the year of the parliamentary inquiry into gas extraction in Groningen, 10 years after the Huizinge earthquake. Journalists Bas van Sluis and Lyanne Levy followed the dozens of public testimonies from The Hague. Every day they reported the most important news from the inquiry online and in print. At the end of the week, with presenter Arnoud Bodde, they made the podcast Aftershocks.
The joint publications of Dagblad van het Noorden and NRC were regularly referred to during the interrogations. With four NRC colleagues, Lyanne and Bas delved into the relevant documents a year before the inquiry began and interviewed dozens of those directly involved. It produced great reconstructions and incisive news. It was a collaboration that readers appreciated: “This sort of investigative journalism is why we read the newspaper.”
New version of NRC podcast app
NRC has updated its podcast app. The changes are mainly based on quantitative data and qualitative listener research, to provide the best possible user experience. For example, data shows that 93% of the more than 90,000 weekly plays are of NRC’s own podcasts. User surveys revealed that listeners mainly use the app to listen to NRC podcasts. The new version has therefore opted for an entirely new design, with more space for its own productions and less focus on providing a total offering, which has to compete with platforms such as Apple and Spotify. The revamped app now features a large shop window where new episodes can be seen more clearly. There is also a uniform experience of NRC podcasts on the platform. The design of the website and soon the news app too is similar to the audio app. The result is an improved place to showcase podcasts with a unified user experience.
Duurzame Dertig
In June 2022 Mediahuis Noord rounded off a great initiative: the Duurzame Dertig (Sustainable Thirty), a joint project by Dagblad van het Noorden, Leeuwarder Courant and Friesch Dagblad. The project highlighted sustainable initiatives in the three northern provinces of the Netherlands in the hope of inspiring readers. Entries ranged from energy cooperatives and green roof installations to small projects in private gardens. An expert jury made a shortlist of 30, which were whittled down to the top three in each province based on the votes of thousands of readers. The winners received media coverage to share their sustainable message in Mediahuis Noord’s titles. Mediahuis Noord received a gold designation from SDG Netherlands for this initiative for its contribution to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.
Mediahuis Limburg returns to Maastricht
Mediahuis Limburg moved from Sittard to the provincial capital Maastricht after the summer, back to the roots of the 176-year-old De Limburger. As well as the symbolic advantage of the local newspaper being based in the heart of the region, the new office facilitates an open and hybrid way of working. A working group of employees from all parts of the company, led by facilities manager Marcel Noten, with a project designer and an interior designer, set to work on the functional design of the office. This is characterised by a playful split-level layout and a large reception area on the top floor, including company restaurant and roof terrace that gives great views over the city. All the work areas, meeting rooms and management offices have become flexible spaces. In addition to the functional design, the physical layout of the office was also addressed and made more sustainable. The aim was to make the ecological footprint as small as possible, through a range of large and small measures: from reusing 100% of the former occupant’s furniture to doing away with single-use coffee cups, and from installing energy-efficient LED lighting to maximising waste separation. Lots of greenery was chosen in the form of moss walls, alongside a number of identity walls, on which historical headlines and mission statements are displayed in large format.
2022 was a very successful year for top Dutch athletes. Cyclist Annemiek van Vleuten made history with wins in the three major cycling tours and the world road title.
Photo Getty Images
Paywall data guides editors’ choices
Can a newsroom use paywall data to increase the quality of its website and paper while maintaining the brands’ independence and identity? Mediahuis Nederland regional titles in North and South Holland prove that it can be done.
In December 2018, the editors of Noordhollands Dagblad, Leidsch Dagblad, Haarlems Dagblad, IJmuider Courant and De Gooi- en Eemlander chose to adopt a web-first approach. The focus shifted from good stories for print to good stories for digital, with the main difference being that it became possible to recognise in the data what audiences thought were good stories. The journalistic compass turned out to be pretty well calibrated, but editors were regularly surprised by topics and approaches to stories that did better than they expected.
The various papers remained what they had always been, but became a better version of themselves. And where reading time is still a good barometer of whether they are delivering the right stories, paywall hits have become the main indicator of success. This is the part of the customer journey that newsrooms have complete control over. The more appealing the stories and the better the distribution, the more paywall hits. To illustrate this, some figures. In early 2019, the titles achieved a combined total of just under 300,000 paywall hits a week. They are now hitting the million mark and subscription sales via digital have almost tripled.
