USA Today On Deadline is basically a real-time breaking news blog. It is written by a pair of bloggers. They're not just bloggers, mind you, but full-time bloggers. According to USATODAY.com VP/Editor-in-Chief Kinsey Wilson the two are "mashing must-read scoops against weird-news quirks at a feverish pace of 30 posts a day." Some of these posts even make it into print.
On Deadline is a natural fit for a brand that for years was nicknamed McPaper. It's consistent with USA Today's trademark short, often quirky stories. Although blogs are not helping newspapers (yet) attract younger readers to their sites, blogs like On Deadline point to a future where newspapers - and perhaps all media - will be published mostly in bite-size chunks. The success of the 10 minute clip on YouTube also highlights our love for the quick and the fun.
USA Today already has lots of blogs but what they're missing is a real-time blog on sports, another one of their strengths. I would love to see them take the On Deadline model and roll out blogs that give NBA, MLB, NFL and NHL game-by-game updates in near real-time. They could break these blogs down by team too. Celebrity gossip is also an area where USA Today should play with blogs.
Whether they take this to the next level or not is still an open question. What is known, however, is that USA Today, with On Deadline, is changing journalism and with it PR. As newspapers increasingly rely on blogs and short videos, our client reports are going to consist of a lot more quick hits than in-depth reports.
