Mobile must not be left an afterthought in a news organization; it must become the first thought. It’s the first thought already for our audience – the way that more and more people are first hearing about breaking news, or even non-breaking viral news, online.
I don’t disagree with Robert Niles’ imploration to media to make mobile a centerpiece of their publishing strategies. His comment quoted here is exactly right in noting mobile as a predominant element in the public’s lifestyle today and therefore justifying the same position with media management.
But I do cringe when stories such as the death of Osama bin Laden happen and suddenly they become the example around which media should build their workflows. It is the same flawed logic that grabs the experience of the New York Times or the Wall Street Journal and tries to force it upon all other newspapers regardless of their very different situations from those atypical players. Using such over-the-top examples weakens the overall applicability of the argument except for those prone to knee-jerk analysis.
