By Victoria Anna Gil Nolskog.
Getafe, Madrid.
This week on Teenformation we are exploring different takes on digital journalism provided by experts on media and communications. Alfonso Llopart, director of Shangay Magazine, has joined us to share his view on how the digital age has shaped traditional journalism and, in his words, “drastically changed the way news are consumed”.
Q1- In a broad sense, how would you say that the digitization of the media has influenced journalism?
I would say that the way the public consumes news has drastically changed. Through digital devices, people are no longer interested in reading things carefully, rather in a more frugal consumption. In Shangay, we’ve had to adapt to this when planning our digital project. Perhaps in the generalist newspapers it is something different, because people are looking for more specific things, but we are a magazine aimed at the LGBTQ+ public, mostly publishing on topics regarding leisure and culture, although sometimes we get into politics or social issues. People won’t give you more than a couple minutes of their time online. Hence, before we took more care with large publications, like extensive articles with photos resembling reports. Today, everything we publish has to be based on rapid consumption, which does not take more than a minute to read.
Q2- In Shangay, are you still printing more or less frequently than before?
We have significantly reduced the number of magazines we publish. Before, we edited around 50 magazines a year, since we used to publish one every 2 weeks. Little by little the number has decreased and after the pandemic we had to radically reduce the number of magazines we edited. Today we only publish about 15 a year.
Q3- Today, do you consider the work you carry out on online platforms (web and social networks) more important than printed one?
Not necessarily. Going back to what I said before, online news consumption is very superficial. News are consumed very quickly, and something that is news one day won’t matter the next one, that’s why we have to be very concise on what we publish. On the other hand, we do like to take more time assembling and put more emphasis on the printed version, since we don’t publish it as often.
Q4- Do you think that this media evolution has been positive or negative?
It is not that it is neither positive nor negative, rather different, let's say. It has changed the custom of buying the newspaper or monthly magazines to read or browse as it was done before. Today we all have an electronic device that makes us have information in the palm of our hand almost immediately, the options are so many that you even get lost. Perhaps my generation still resists and continues to consume in a more traditional way, but you don't see young people buying the newspaper. New generations won’t invest their money and time on seeking printed news if they have them at a more comfortable reach through their devices. It could be said that the essence of what was traditional journalism has been lost, but I don't think that the change can be categorized as positive or negative, since it is not comparable. Simply different.
Q5- In Shangay, do you listen to what the public wants when publishing?
That has always been done. Before, I remember that we used to send emails through our newsletter so that people could tell us what they expected from our magazine. Although curiously we don't do it as much as before. Even though it’s easier with technology, I mean. I think that the public's desire or need to give an opinion has been lost, even more so when there are so many media that publish similar things. Here’s how I understand it, before people gave their opinion because they read your outlet and wanted to read something that interested them, now they have thousands of options at a simple "click", if your page bores them, they will go to another.
Q6- Being an LGBTQ+ magazine, how is it to deal with online opinion?
Actually, a few years ago we had to limit the publication of comments on most of our networks because the hate speech was too much. Constant discussions, homophobic people attacking the gay community, others disregarding our work... It wasn't pretty.
Q7- How do you measure the impact of your stories in Shangay? When publishing, do you think about the cultural bias, the feeling it will cause, the influence, virality etc.?
Of course, we have no choice but to keep that in mind constantly, because that will dictate the traffic that our publications have. The more traffic, the more advertising campaigns you sell and the more money you generate. So it is essential to have control over the visits and publish according to them, since it is the only way we have to monetize ourselves. In the end, it’s the same for every newspaper in terms of survival.
Q8- In which ways do you optimize your webpage to make it reach a higher position on engine searches?
We've really been having a lot of trouble with that. Since Shangay is an LGBTQ+ magazine, there is content that Google brands as “aimed at mature audiences", which penalizes us. We have to be careful with what we publish because many times we are punished for certain articles. It is getting more and more complicated, these robots are controlling everything that is published and done on the internet and they are driving us crazy. In a way we understand it as a type of modern censorship haha.
Q9- What has working in a digital communication medium contributed to your personal qualities?
Well, the truth is that I have always been a very social person, so it has only increased my desire to socialize and meet people. Specially in the part that I do, which is direction and management, you deal with people and build relationships, you meet very interesting characters and many of these work relationships end up becoming lifelong friendships. I consider all my work colleagues as a big family. We are not a typical communication medium, since only 11 people work in the magazine, so the atmosphere is very friendly, which makes the work simple and fun.
Q10- Do you think traditional journalism will become extinct in the future to be replaced solely by digital media?
I don't really think so. Specially with printed media like Shangay, which is completely free. For sure, digital media will be even bigger than now and printed media will become something more specialized, for specific themes and hobbies. But in the LGBTQ+ market there will always be a bar or a coffee shop where LGBTQ+ meet and Shangay will be there... So I hope!
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