Panel of newspaper editors discusses successful op-eds and mentions new media

Earlier today, I listened in on an audioconference about developing successful op-ed placements and was interested by one newspaper editor's comments about the integration of new media with traditional newspaper op-eds.

The editor said that because his/her newspaper's readership has shifted overwhelmingly to online, the op-ed section now mainly consists of four or so columnists writing a brief for the paper and then posting a lengthy piece on the Web site.

Another example of this integration is creating online op-eds in the form of podcasts. This is something I hadn't really given much thought to, but like most new media ventures, it's smart if it's done right. Obviously editing is still involved, but it does add the extra element of voice, which is especially convenient when you can listen and do whatever.

Media integration as a trend will obviously not go away, quite the opposite in fact. Integration like we've seen in these two examples only further the point that we are seeing traditional media learning to adapt and enhance what we read in the paper and what we read online.