WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.090 (KR Information Design Lab The Tablet Newspaper: A vision for the Future) 00:00:03.090 --> 00:00:06.446 (Copyright 1994 Knight-Ridder, Inc) [Printing noise] 00:00:06.446 --> 00:00:11.510 [Off voice, female] For more than 500 years, ink printed on paper has been the best medium 00:00:11.510 --> 00:00:15.490 for delivering written information. 00:00:15.490 --> 00:00:20.199 But as the world becomes increasingly digital, all that is changing. 00:00:20.199 --> 00:00:25.199 Here, at the Knight-Ridder information Design Lab in Boulder, Colorado, 00:00:25.199 --> 00:00:31.169 a team of journalists, designers, technologists and researchers 00:00:31.169 --> 00:00:35.850 is putting together the tools that will take today's newspaper into the electronic age. 00:00:35.850 --> 00:00:38.630 [Roger Fidler] We will have the interactive graphic now. 00:00:38.630 --> 00:00:43.360 So, when you click on the graphical animate on the front page, or you click on the story 00:00:43.360 --> 00:00:48.620 [off voice] Roger Fidler established the lab for Knight-Ridder in the Fall of 1992. 00:00:48.620 --> 00:00:51.350 Today, he serves as its director. 00:00:51.350 --> 00:00:55.930 [Fidler] All human communication systems are undergoing a transformation -- 00:00:55.930 --> 00:00:57.700 from one form to another. 00:00:57.700 --> 00:01:03.080 And that's all being brought about by emergent technologies and by cultural changes. 00:01:03.080 --> 00:01:09.680 Now, several years ago, I coined the word "mediamorphosis" to describe this transformation. 00:01:09.680 --> 00:01:12.100 Newspapers are certainly going through that now, 00:01:12.100 --> 00:01:17.760 but all forms of media that we know today will be transformed over the next 10, 15 years. 00:01:17.760 --> 00:01:23.870 [off voice, male] The transforming inventions are of course the computer and digital telecommunications, 00:01:23.870 --> 00:01:30.870 We're finding that our capacity to be able to process and deliver information 00:01:31.430 --> 00:01:34.970 through information superhighways and computer systems, 00:01:34.970 --> 00:01:40.409 are increasing in efficiency and they're resulting in reduced costs for publishing. 00:01:41.409 --> 00:01:45.710 I do believe that for the first time, we're going to begin seeing an alternative to ink on paper. 00:01:46.570 --> 00:01:50.280 It may be difficult to conceptualize, the idea of digital paper, 00:01:50.280 --> 00:01:53.080 but in fact, we believe that that's what's going to happen. 00:01:53.080 --> 00:01:55.860 [Fidler] IDL is a media think-tank: 00:01:55.860 --> 00:02:01.496 we bring people to the lab to give us more insights into the developments of technologies 00:02:01.496 --> 00:02:05.530 and particularly, digital technologies and digital communication. 00:02:05.530 --> 00:02:09.789 Our role is to investigate the opportunities that may be there for newspaper companies 00:02:09.789 --> 00:02:11.290 over the next few years 00:02:11.290 --> 00:02:16.080 and to also try to develop a long-range vision of where the newspaper industry is headed 00:02:16.080 --> 00:02:18.270 over the next 5, 10, 20 years. 00:02:19.131 --> 00:02:21.371 [Off voice, female] An important part of this evolution 00:02:21.371 --> 00:02:24.056 is the emergence of the electronic tablet. 00:02:24.810 --> 00:02:29.773 This device is under development at consumer electronics companies around the world. 00:02:30.189 --> 00:02:33.111 Tablets will be a whole new class of computer. 00:02:33.111 --> 00:02:35.530 They'll weigh under two pounds. 00:02:35.530 --> 00:02:37.260 They'll be totally portable. 00:02:37.260 --> 00:02:41.320 They'll have a clarity of screen display comparable to ink on paper. 00:02:41.813 --> 00:02:46.693 They'll be able to blend text, video, audio and graphics together. 00:02:47.201 --> 00:02:50.427 And they'll be part of our daily lives around the turn of this century. 00:02:51.412 --> 00:02:54.398 We may still use computers to create information, 00:02:54.398 --> 00:03:00.349 but we'll use the tablet to interact with information: reading, watching, listening. 00:03:00.349 --> 00:03:03.530 [Fidler] Our goal here, at the Information Design Lab, 00:03:03.530 --> 00:03:08.250 is to develop the appropriate interfaces and appropriate technologies, 00:03:08.250 --> 00:03:14.988 so that when we actually do produce electronic editions of newspapers for these tablets, 00:03:15.687 --> 00:03:21.002 that we could hand it to you and you would immediately know how to use the .... [check] 00:03:21.002 --> 00:03:22.450 because it looks familiar to you. 00:03:22.450 --> 00:03:25.877 In fact, what we are doing is building a bridge of familiarity. 00:03:25.893 --> 00:03:31.860 When we talk about human communication systems, what we discover throughout history 00:03:31.860 --> 00:03:36.583 is that they have evolved and new forms tend to take on 00:03:36.584 --> 00:03:40.093 many of the characteristics of older forms for some period of time. 00:03:40.623 --> 00:03:44.915 Over time, of course, they do evolve and take on their own characteristics. 00:03:44.915 --> 00:03:48.220 I believe the same thing will happen in our transition 00:03:48.220 --> 00:03:53.620 from ink on paper to digital forms of newspapers and magazines and books. 00:03:53.620 --> 00:03:59.562 But in the beginning, they will retain many of the familiar characteristics of print products today. 00:04:00.584 --> 00:04:02.220 And I think that's absolutely essential. 00:04:02.758 --> 00:04:06.094 We don't want to have to issue people manuals to read their newspaper. 00:04:06.525 --> 00:04:10.278 You already know how to read a newspaper, you know how to turn pages, pull out a section, 00:04:10.278 --> 00:04:12.988 find things that are interesting to you. 00:04:12.988 --> 00:04:18.369 We can enhance that with electronic technology and make it much more useful 00:04:18.369 --> 00:04:19.880 and add value to it. 00:04:20.710 --> 00:04:24.189 But we believe we have to build a bridge of familiarity first, 00:04:24.758 --> 00:04:29.570 to get us from the ink on paper product into the digital world. 00:04:29.570 --> 00:04:34.070 [Off voice, female] Let's take a closer look at the Information Design Lab's vision 00:04:34.070 --> 00:04:36.606 of the electronic newspaper of the future. 00:04:37.175 --> 00:04:40.530 On first glance, it looks just like a printed newspaper. 00:04:40.945 --> 00:04:46.066 In fact, you can browse stories and turn pages just as you would on paper. 00:04:46.836 --> 00:04:50.347 But if a story interests you, you can read it more deeply. 00:04:50.839 --> 00:04:54.000 Suppose this story about Bosnia catches your attention. 00:04:54.461 --> 00:04:57.616 Just touch the text, and the full story appears. 00:04:58.262 --> 00:05:02.229 What you read is no longer limited to the physical constraints 00:05:02.229 --> 00:05:04.740 of the printing press and production process. 00:05:05.293 --> 00:05:10.047 A story is edited for content and completeness, not for news ..... [check] 00:05:10.493 --> 00:05:14.897 And the tablet newspaper extends communication beyond the written word. 00:05:15.897 --> 00:05:18.546 Touch the map, and it comes alive, 00:05:18.562 --> 00:05:22.340 using the tools of sound and animation to tell the story. 00:05:22.340 --> 00:05:25.614 [Off voice, male] To understand the land divisions proposed today, 00:05:25.614 --> 00:05:30.038 one must look at how the diverse cultures of the Balkans, recently, were part of Yugoslavia, 00:05:30.514 --> 00:05:33.349 which formerly held a prominent position in Central Europe. 00:05:34.364 --> 00:05:37.306 [Off voice, female] Access to information concerns everyone. 00:05:37.753 --> 00:05:42.902 This vision of an electronic newspaper lets its readers move beyond physical barriers. 00:05:43.625 --> 00:05:48.994 If you can't read small type, enlarge it until the type size feels comfortable for you. 00:05:50.692 --> 00:05:56.153 Tablet newspapers can also combine video and audio clips with written stories. 00:05:58.340 --> 00:06:03.539 For example, in this sports story, sound bites and instant replays mean 00:06:03.539 --> 00:06:06.169 you don't have to worry about missing that exciting play. [subs for the sports comment marked [check] from here to 6:47 are guess work: someone who knows baseball should revise them] 00:06:06.169 --> 00:06:07.432 [off voice, male] The whole play is gone. [check] 00:06:08.924 --> 00:06:10.741 It's close in the air [check] 00:06:10.741 --> 00:06:12.661 it might be .... the score [check] 00:06:12.691 --> 00:06:15.085 but underneath, he's got a great arm [check] 00:06:15.085 --> 00:06:19.302 Here comes the rudder here comes the draw, they got him! [check] 00:06:19.302 --> 00:06:21.021 he never got to the plate [check] 00:06:21.021 --> 00:06:22.231 [Woman] Hey, look at this! 00:06:24.401 --> 00:06:26.676 [Male voice]... swing the bat here, the double play is gone [check] 00:06:28.168 --> 00:06:32.255 [off voice other male] It goes in the air, it might ... the score batting underneath [check] 00:06:32.486 --> 00:06:36.372 [Off voice, female] And unlike television, you can watch it as many time as you want, 00:06:36.372 --> 00:06:40.176 or slow the video down to look at just one frame. 00:06:41.130 --> 00:06:46.591 [off voice, some male] ... strikes the baseball, and ... is gone down and that is how... [check] 00:06:47.083 --> 00:06:50.894 [Off voice, female] The tablet paper even flags items of special interest to you. 00:06:51.494 --> 00:06:55.460 We've included a personal profile page where you can tell the newspaper 00:06:55.460 --> 00:06:58.656 to find ads or stories that match your interests. 00:06:59.287 --> 00:07:02.297 You can see an index of the entire newspaper 00:07:02.297 --> 00:07:05.720 with items that match your special interests highlighted, 00:07:06.550 --> 00:07:10.415 turn to a set of abstracts that match your personal profile, 00:07:12.323 --> 00:07:16.458 and jump from the index or the abstract to the full story. 00:07:17.673 --> 00:07:21.383 But moving to a new form doesn't mean you should give up anything, 00:07:21.859 --> 00:07:25.909 including the ability to save and share pieces of the newspaper. 00:07:26.756 --> 00:07:32.050 Just like the printed form, with the tablet newspaper, you can clip and save articles, 00:07:32.050 --> 00:07:34.472 or send them electronically to a friend. 00:07:35.041 --> 00:07:38.160 You can do all this without using a manual, 00:07:38.160 --> 00:07:41.553 because everyone already understands how a newspaper works. 00:07:42.892 --> 00:07:46.316 One of the things that helps readers navigate through the newspaper 00:07:46.316 --> 00:07:48.523 is its familiar look and feel. 00:07:48.523 --> 00:07:53.609 We know how to find everything in our newspaper, it's the one we read everyday. 00:07:53.609 --> 00:07:58.801 Retaining that look and feel is very important, because people don't buy generic news. 00:07:58.801 --> 00:08:02.269 They buy a specific newspaper with a branded identity. 00:08:03.223 --> 00:08:05.800 [Fidler] For most people, a newspaper is like a friend. 00:08:05.800 --> 00:08:08.609 It's somebody you know, you have come to trust. 00:08:08.609 --> 00:08:13.300 Over the last 15 years, there have been many attempts to develop electronic newspapers 00:08:13.300 --> 00:08:17.319 and many of the technologists who have been pursuing these objectives 00:08:17.934 --> 00:08:20.319 assume that information is simply a commodity 00:08:20.319 --> 00:08:23.459 and people really don't care where that information comes from 00:08:23.489 --> 00:08:26.669 as long as it matches their set of personal interests. 00:08:27.515 --> 00:08:29.380 I disagree with that view. 00:08:29.380 --> 00:08:32.018 People recognize the newspapers they subscribe to. 00:08:32.018 --> 00:08:34.959 They don't even have to see the name on the name plate. 00:08:34.959 --> 00:08:40.129 If it is on a news stand, they immediately recognize the New York Times 00:08:40.129 --> 00:08:41.740 or the Wall Street Journal or Philadelphia Inquirer. 00:08:42.371 --> 00:08:46.125 And it's also true for the local newspapers in small towns. 00:08:46.786 --> 00:08:50.850 And there is a loyalty attached to those - those names. 00:08:50.850 --> 00:08:54.910 When you buy that newspaper and you go to the newspaper, you know how it's organized. 00:08:54.910 --> 00:08:56.350 It feels comfortable to you. 00:08:56.350 --> 00:09:00.517 [Off voice, female] Advertising is an important of the Knight-Ridder model. 00:09:00.533 --> 00:09:03.460 It helps underwrite the cost of the newspaper, 00:09:03.460 --> 00:09:09.153 making the news accessible to everyone -- plus, people like advertising. 00:09:09.153 --> 00:09:12.882 It's a part of the local information package and at times, 00:09:12.882 --> 00:09:15.371 it can be as important as the news itself. 00:09:15.740 --> 00:09:19.402 Most people want to know what's on sale this week at the department store, 00:09:19.402 --> 00:09:21.986 and they want to clip the Sunday coupons. 00:09:22.740 --> 00:09:26.458 The tablet newspaper takes advertising to new dimensions, 00:09:26.458 --> 00:09:30.017 making the ad more useful to readers who are interested in it, 00:09:30.017 --> 00:09:33.315 without annoying readers who aren't at all interested in it. 00:09:33.992 --> 00:09:38.070 Just as you can go deeper into a story, you can go deeper into an ad. 00:09:39.009 --> 00:09:43.272 Plus, the tablet has two-way communication's capability. 00:09:43.272 --> 00:09:46.290 So you can buy and sell electronically, 00:09:46.290 --> 00:09:47.379 make reservations, 00:09:47.379 --> 00:09:50.040 or request more information. 00:09:50.040 --> 00:09:54.955 [Fidler] Well, you have to think of ads somewhat differently in electronic publishing. 00:09:55.494 --> 00:09:59.495 In a sense, the are very much like a shopping center. 00:10:00.356 --> 00:10:05.181 In the print model, we find that, you know, you have a surface 00:10:05.181 --> 00:10:08.766 and it's a two-dimensional world, so what you see is what you get. 00:10:09.212 --> 00:10:11.959 The advertiser presents their image or their sale 00:10:11.959 --> 00:10:18.119 but requires you then, after you've seen the ad, to go do something later with it. 00:10:18.119 --> 00:10:22.549 In the electronic world, we're really dealing with a three dimensional world. 00:10:22.549 --> 00:10:26.559 The advertising on the surface pages that you browse, just like a newspaper today, 00:10:26.559 --> 00:10:30.175 are in a sense, the store front window. 00:10:30.730 --> 00:10:34.546 If I'm interested in that ad and want to know more, 00:10:34.546 --> 00:10:37.339 it's simply a matter of touching that ad, 00:10:37.339 --> 00:10:43.098 and at that point, I go through an electronic doorway into the advertiser's space. 00:10:43.098 --> 00:10:49.660 And in that space might be a video clip for 15 or 20 seconds, sort of a TV commercial, 00:10:49.660 --> 00:10:50.519 but I'm in control. 00:10:51.226 --> 00:10:55.360 [Off voice, female] The tablet makes information 100% accessible. 00:10:55.360 --> 00:10:57.186 It goes where you go. 00:10:57.816 --> 00:11:01.960 If you don't want to read the paper, the tablet can read the stories to you. 00:11:01.960 --> 00:11:03.537 [woman driver] Read story. 00:11:04.230 --> 00:11:09.015 [Speech-to-text] Geneva. Adopting the language and locale of a bygone diplomatic era... 00:11:09.015 --> 00:11:12.156 [Off voice, female] And you can get your news anywhere. 00:11:12.156 --> 00:11:17.369 We envision kiosks that would download your publications onto electronic cards 00:11:17.369 --> 00:11:19.244 that go inside the tablet. 00:11:21.075 --> 00:11:24.868 So if you're doing business in Miami but your home town is Denver, 00:11:24.868 --> 00:11:28.429 you can still get your local paper delivered every morning. 00:11:28.429 --> 00:11:33.449 [Fidler] This is one of the most exciting places to be in the newspaper industry today. 00:11:33.449 --> 00:11:38.100 This is where, I think, we're going to play a role in changing - changing history. 00:11:38.100 --> 00:11:45.568 And the people that we have here, in our laboratory are creative, energetic, 00:11:45.568 --> 00:11:49.529 and very concerned about the newspaper industry itself 00:11:49.529 --> 00:11:54.649 and how to build on the strength of the industry rather simply restarting all over again. 00:11:55.387 --> 00:11:59.309 There are many people who believe that newspapers are dinosaurs 00:11:59.309 --> 00:12:04.228 and that they are going to become the "road kill" on the information super-highway 00:12:04.228 --> 00:12:05.701 in a not too distant future. 00:12:06.563 --> 00:12:08.822 We believe exactly the opposite. 00:12:08.822 --> 00:12:15.369 We believe that newspapers, in fact, can evolve into a new form of media 00:12:15.369 --> 00:12:19.813 that blends the old familiar aspects of a newspaper 00:12:20.398 --> 00:12:22.910 with the new technologies that are emerging, 00:12:22.910 --> 00:12:29.689 so that you have the ability to read and browse and scan, as we do today, 00:12:30.658 --> 00:12:35.319 but at the same time, being able to interact with the newspaper, 00:12:35.319 --> 00:12:38.529 to interact with advertisers through your newspaper 00:12:38.529 --> 00:12:41.380 in ways that are not possible in print media today. 00:12:43.681 --> 00:12:47.361 (Presented by Knight-Ridder, Inc.) 00:12:48.178 --> 00:12:50.488 (Producer Brian Doubleday) 00:12:51.070 --> 00:12:54.039 (Script Teresa A. Martin) 00:12:54.890 --> 00:12:57.486 (Camera Brad Wallace) 00:12:58.509 --> 00:13:01.612 (Editor Izzie Jimenez) 00:13:02.626 --> 00:13:05.276 (Off-line Editor Lily Gabriel) 00:13:06.271 --> 00:13:08.643 (Associate Producers Deborah Fellner Bill Skeet) 00:13:09.756 --> 00:13:13.515 (Thanks to KRT News In Motion - National Junior College Athletic Association) 00:13:13.515 --> 00:13:15.023 (Clarion Harvest House, Boulder, Colorado) 00:13:15.511 --> 00:13:20.029 (Executive Producer Teresa A. Martin)