President dies in a plane crash. Flood hits the country. When news breaks, it's a moment of truth for all newsmedia -- run by professional journalists with a legacy and those amateurs turned into accidental reporters. A story by Grzegorz Piechota, head of social campaigns at Gazeta Wyborcza, the best read quality newspaper in Poland. Presented at the WAN-IFRA Newsroom Summit in London (9/9/2010).

1. ACCIDENTAL
JOURNALISM
TWO STORIES,
DIFFERENT LESSONS
FOR NEWSMEDIA
PRESENTATION BY GRZEGORZ PIECHOTA
GAZETA WYBORCZA, POLAND
WAN-IFRA NEWSROOM SUMMIT
LONDON 9/9/2010

2. 10/4/2010 TEXT MESSAGE IN THE MORNING:
“TURN ON A TV SET. NOW!”

3. POLISH PRESIDENT IS DEAD
GOV’T PLANE CRASHES IN RUSSIA / NO SURVIVORS

4. DAMNED PLACE FOREST IN KATYN
NEAR SMOLENSK

5. 1940 POLISH OFFICERS MURDERED BY SOVIETS
ALL SHOT IN THEIR HEADS, NECKS

6. 22,000 KILLED
GERMAN ARMY DISCOVERED
GRAVES HERE IN 1943

7. LIES STALIN BLAMED GERMANS FOR KILLINGS
TABOO TOPIC IN POLAND UNTIL 1989

8. 70 YEARS LATER: 96 DEAD
TOP POLITICIANS, ARMY OFFICERS, KATYN FAMILIES
ALL COMING HERE TO COMMEMORATE ANOTHER TRAGEDY

9. BACK TO GAZETA NEWSROOM
IS ALREADY FULL

10. ONLINE LIVE COVERAGE / NEWSWIRES,
OWN STAFF, GAZETA, OTHER MEDIA

11. REDESIGN SWITCH TO B&W IN 3 HOURS
MAJOR RE-DESIGN IN 8 HOURS

12. EXTRA SATURDAY AFTERNOON EXTRA EDITION
READY IN 5 HOURS AFTER THE CRASH

13. EXTRA SUNDAY MORNING EXTRA EDITION
READY IN 15 HOURS AFTER THE CRASH

14. EXTRA MONDAY’S BOOK OF THE DEAD /
ALL 96 VICTIMS FEATURED IN 30 HOURS

15. MAGS WEEKLY SUPPLEMENTS RECALLED,
RE-EDITED FROM SCRATCH IN 36 HOURS

16. ADS NO ADVERTISING IN ANY MEDIA OUTLETS
EXCEPT OBITUARIES IN PRINTED PAPERS

17. TV NETWORKS SHIFT TO 24/7 LIVE COVERAGE
FILLED WITH OFFICIAL EVENTS, STUDIO DEBATES

18. TEARS THE MOST EMOTIONAL NEWS COVERAGE
SINCE DEATH OF POPE JOHN PAUL II

19. VOX POPULI RUMOURS, RESENTMENTS SNEAK
INTO UN-EDITED STREET POLLS

20. UGC USER GENERATED KITSCH / NO ADDED
VALUE TO LEGACY MEDIA FOR DAYS

21. UGC AMATEUR VIDEOS USED TO SPREAD
HOAXES, CONSPIRACY THEORIES

22. SOCIAL NET
CRASH-RELATED PROFILE GETS
MORE FANS THAN OUR GAZETA

23. JOURNALISM NEWSPAPERS LEAD IN
INVESTIGATIONS, SCOOPS

24. LEGACY MEDIA IN FACT SET AGENDA
FOR THE PUBLIC, AGAIN

25. THE PUBLIC SOCIAL NET HELPS ACTIVISTS
TO COORDINATE ACTIONS...

26. RESPONSE ... AND THESE ACTIONS HAVE AN
IMPACT ON NATIONAL AGENDA

27. CHRONICLE OF GRIEF IMAGES I’LL
REMEMBER

35. IMAGES EXHIBITED ON STREETS
PUBLISHED AS A BOOK

36. THE MOST WISHED PICTURE?
RUSSIAN PRESIDENT COMING DESPITE THE ASH CLOUD

37. INITIATIVE CALL FOR RECONCILIATION: LIGHT
CANDLES ON WW II ANNIVERSARY

38. INSPIRATION FOUND ONLINE, PICKED-UP
BY GAZETA, INTELLECTUALS

39. CANDLES
OLD CEMETERIES OF
RUSSIAN SOLDIERS
BURIED IN POLAND

40. THE AFTERMATH

41. EARLY PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION
IN THE SHADOW OF COFFINS
TWO OUT OF FOUR MOST POPULAR CANDIDATES DIED

42. IN THE NAME OF THE BROTHER
PRESIDENT’S TWIN BROTHER ALMOST WINS, GETS 47%

43. FRONT-RUNNER’S SOUR VICTORY
NEW PRESIDENT GETS HAUNTED BY THE GHOSTS

44. DEFENDERS OF THE CROSS
NEW PRESIDENT’S FIRST CHALLENGE: DIVIDED SOCIETY

45. AND WHY DID THEY CRASH?
WHY DID THEY TRY TO LAND?
RECKLESS PILOTS?
PRESSURE OF THE BOSSES?
ERROR OF CONTROLLERS?

46. LESSONS FOR NEWS MEDIA?
CRISIS: A MOMENT OF TRUTH
PAPERS MAKE A DIFFERENCE
PUBLIC NEEDS JOURNALISM
LEGACY CAN BE AN ASSET

47. BETWEEN
THE CRASH
AND ELECTIONS

48. THE BIG FLOOD 15 OUT OF 16 REGIONS
AFFECTED / 25 DEAD

49. WAVE COMES TO WROCLAW
PEOPLE JOIN FIRE-FIGHTERS, DEFEND THEIR CITY

50. REPORT FROM A STRONGHOLD
KOZANOW DISTRICT / SATURDAY / MAY 22 / 5.00 AM

51. REPORT FROM A STRONGHOLD
BARTEK | PEOPLE TAKE AWAY CARS FROM PARKINGS
AND ESCAPE. WHERE ARE THE CITY OFFICIALS?
MICHAL | KOZANOW DISTRICT’S FIGHTING. 9 LORRIES
WITH SOLDIERS, 4 DIGGERS, HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE HELP
KAJETAN | I AM BACK FROM KOZANOW. WORKING ALL
NIGHT. NEIGHBOURS BROUGHT US STRAWBERRIES
KIEPAS | FOG OVER THE CITY. TEMPERATURE 13
DEGREES. HUMIDITY 93%. NO RAIN AT THE MOMENT

52. REPORT FROM A STRONGHOLD
AMATEUR FOOTAGE TAKEN WITH A MOBILE PHONE

53. WROCLAW UNDER WATER

54. WHERE ARE THE MEDIA?

55. MEDIA MOGUL OF THE FLOOD
29 YEARS OLD / SMALL COMPANY OWNER / BLOGGER

56. BLOG VS. NEWSPAPERS
24/7 LIVE COVERAGE / UPDATED TEXT, PHOTOS, VIDEOS

57. PAWEL’S BLOG IN 5 DAYS
157,000 UNIQUE USERS
499,000 VISITS
2,489,000 PAGE VIEWS
50% TRAFFIC VIA SEARCH

58. PAWEL’S BLOG IN 5 DAYS
300 CONTRIBUTORS
3,000 NEWS ITEMS RECEIVED
4 GB MULTIMEDIA UPLOADED
8,500 COMMENTS POSTED

59. HOW THE HELL
DID HE MAKE IT?

60. BIG HUNGER FOR LOCAL NEWS
POOR OFFICIAL INFO / NO UPDATES / SITE OFTEN DOWN

61. DISTRUST TOWARDS GOV’T
MAYOR: “KOZANOW DISTRICT IS THE SAFEST PLACE”

62. TV FOCUSED ON HOT SPOTS
TV NEWS CHANNELS JUMPED FROM ONE CITY TO ANOTHER
“THEY ALWAYS SHOW OTHER STREET THAN MINE”

63. COULDN’T THE RIVER WAIT?
WEEKEND’S DEAD FOR PAPERS / NO SUNDAY EDITIONS

64. LOCAL INTERNET SHINES
MORE COMPREHENSIVE THAN BROADCASTING, BUT...

65. EVERYBODY’S A REPORTER NOW
DIGITAL CAMERAS / MOBILE PHONES / 3G INTERNET

66. PEOPLE WANT TO SHARE
LEGACY MEDIA USE UGC, BUT THEY DO IT ON THEIR TERMS

67. COMMUNITY ALREADY EXISTED
BLOG ESTABLISHED 5 YEARS AGO / LINKS ON 569 SITES
2,600+ FRIENDS ON FACEBOOK / OTHER FEEDS PRESENT

68. PROMOTED BY LEGACY MEDIA
COOL STORY FOR NEWSPAPERS, RADIO, TV, WEBSITES

69. COMMITMENT IS CRUCIAL
SIMILAR BLOGS DID NOT SUCCEED EVEN IN WROCLAW

70. POST-FLOOD GRILLING
OPINION BY LEGACY MEDIA STILL COUNTS MORE

71. BOLD OPINION DEBUNKING MYTHS ABOUT
2010 FLOOD IN WROCLAW

72. SO WHAT ARE THE LESSONS?
CRISIS: A MOMENT OF TRUTH
TECH MAKES A DIFFERENCE
JOURNOS NEED THE PUBLIC
LEGACY IS NO LONGER ENOUGH

73. HOW IS IT TO BE CHALLENGED
BY OUR OWN READERS?

74. WE’VE BROUGHT IT
UPON OURSELVES!

75. 1989 UNDERGROUND OPPOSITION, COMMUNISTS
AGREE ON THE FIRST FREE ELECTIONS

76. GAZETA UNDERGROUND JOURNALISTS LAUNCH IT
TO PRESENT NON-COMMUNIST CANDIDATES

77. 21 YEARS SUPPORTED REFORMS, NATO, EU
HELPED TO CREATE OPEN SOCIETY

78. TODAY GAZETA + MAGS + BOOKS + OUTDOOR + WEB
+ RADIO + MUSIC, TV PROD. + CINEMAS

79. GAZETA BESTSELLING QUALITY NEWSPAPER
38% SHARE IN DAILIES’ AD MARKET
347
thousand copies
sold in newstands
on average day
in 2009
4.2
million readers
reached in
an average
week (2009)
Source: PBC, Agora, 2009

80. GAZETA.PL POLISH PORTAL NO. 2 / SITE NO. 4
UMBRELLA FOR 90+ NICHE BRANDS
In websites’ categories
11.7 Category
total Polish online market
Position
4
million real users Recruitment 1
in March 2010 Real estate 1
Social networks 2
6.1 Sport
News, opinions, media
2
2
million real users Education 3
on news services Lifestyle 4
Automotive 5
64.4% New technologies
Business, finance, law
5
6
total reach among Culture, entertainment 8
Polish internet users Tourism 11
Source: PBI/Gemius, Feb. 2010

81. FORUMS MEETING PLACES ON 6,294 TOPICS
111,194,000+ POSTS / 1,854,000+ PHOTOS

82. BLOGS 176,000+ INDIVIDUAL ACTIVE BLOGS
BIGGEST BLOGGING PLATFORM IN PL

83. ONE OF US PAWEL’S BLOG BECAME NO. 1
OF OUR PLATFORM’S TOP 1000

84. WE MAKE MONEY TOGETHER
PAWEL USES OUR SELF-SERVICE ADVERTISING NETWORK

85. AD NETWORK FOR NICHE SITES
80% OF OUR PORTFOLIO / 13,000 INDEPENDENT PUBLISHERS

86. ADVICE FOR NEWSMEDIA
DO CARE ABOUT
YOUR LEGACY

87. BUT GO BEYOND

88. GRZEGORZ PIECHOTA HEAD OF SOCIAL CAMPAIGNS
AT GAZETA WYBORCZA | VICE-PRESIDENT OF INMA EUROPE
LEARN MORE: FORUM4EDITORS.COM
FOLLOW ME: TWITTER.COM/FORUM4EDITORS
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ANDOTHERCREATORS,ANDWEREUSEDHEREFORINFORMATIONALPURPOSESONLY