A letter from the editors of the online version of BBC News details the seemingly simple problem of handling outbound site links. I say “seemingly” because their apparent intent is to discover how (and whether) people use links within or related to their articles. I contend the issue is really one of credibility, connectivity and knowledge sharing.
According to the letter, “director general Mark Thompson set as one of its goals a major increase in outbound links from the BBC website.” Makes sense from a limited profit perspective perhaps, but the days of measuring efficacy through page views and popularity by outbound links may be nearing an end in some respects. Even some of the feedback comments hint at fundamental disconnect between the way the organization views itself (current and in touch) and the way readers view the organization (trusted archive). Many of the 70+ responses cite usable design and perceptions of trust and content validity as areas of concern. If the BBC can go beyond the narrow goal of linking policy, they might come to the conclusion that what they’re really grappling with is how to tap social media and other reverberating communications to extend their reach beyond the Point A -> Point B vision.
I’ll be the first to admit that media outlets like the BBC and New York Times have come a long way from the days of pasting 3-column pages on a domain and calling it a website. Aside from figuring out how to monetize and protect their content, traditional media is still bounded by its own world of carefully constructed walls. It’s no longer a question of whether and how source linking should be managed or even if inbound links can easily be posted to Twitter. That sort of thinking does not constitute real participation in the immediacy and intimacy of social media. Do these organizations want to really be in touch? Then it’s time to explore how to become a credible, trusted source capable of facilitating conversations and expanding their reach into areas they may not control but can no longer ignore if they hope to stay relevant – and profitable.
Adapt. That way lies staying power.
