Transcripts from "Building Trust on the Web"
Consumer Reports WebWatch's First National Summit on Web Credibility

General Assembly and Welcome: ...view
Speaker: Jim Guest, President and CEO, Consumers Union

Jakob Nielsen: Why Usability Matters
Dr. Jakob Nielsen, "the guru of Web page usability" according to the New York Times, provides insights into how a Web site's design can alienate consumers. ...view

Speaker:
Dr. Jakob Nielsen, User Advocate and Principal, Nielsen Norman Group

Search Engines Panel
Consumer Reports WebWatch's research on search engines examines consumer behavior in understanding the differences among paid listings, paid inclusion and advertising; and examines search engine business models, past, present and future. What should consumers be concerned about when using search engines? ...view

Speakers:
Eugenie Prime, Librarian, Hewlett-Packard
Matt Cutts, Software Engineer, Google, Inc.
Doug Leeds, Senior Director, Business Affairs, Overture Services Inc.
Leslie Marable, Researcher, Consumer Reports WebWatch
Sandy Schlosser, New Media Product Manager, ConsumerReports.org

Hotel-Booking Sites Panel
Consumer Reports WebWatch's new research on hotel Web sites examines the best hotel-booking services on the Web, and why. Is information bias a concern in a crowded market in which hotels compete against themselves on their own Web sites and among big-name portals? ...view

Speakers:
Robert Mayer, Professor of Family and Consumer Studies, University of Utah
Al Comeaux, Vice President, Public Relations, Travelocity
Gary R. Doernhoefer, Vice President and General Counsel, Orbitz
John Hawks, President, Association of Retail Travel Agents
Bill McGee, Consultant, Consumer Reports WebWatch
Kevin Mitchell, Chairman, Business Travel Coalition

Health Sites Panel
This discussion focuses on credibility issues still facing health Web sites in light of current understanding of consumer behaviors in seeking health information. Participants also explored new research on "Rating the Raters" of health Web sites and the impact of seals-of-approval in the media and for consumers. ...view

Speakers:
Lee Rainie, Director, Pew Internet & American Life Project
Guy D'Andrea, Senior Vice President, URAC
Peter Goldschmidt, Director, Health Improvement Institute
Dr. Thomas W. Langfitt, President-Elect and Chair, Committee on Program, The College of Physicians of Philadelphia
Dr. Joe Turow, Robert Louis Shayon Professor of Communications, Annenberg School for Communication, University of Pennsylvania

Keynote Speaker Louis Freeh
Former FBI director Louis Freeh provided the summit's keynote address, discussing the need for greater online disclosure by e-tailers if consumers are to trust in Web sites and the online marketplace as a whole. Such faith is critical for e-commerce to succeed, says Freeh. ...view

Developing Guidelines for Best Practices on the Web
Why should publishers care about the credibility of their Web sites? Representatives from Time Out New York magazine, ABCNEWS.com, The Dallas Morning News, Meredith Publishing, the Associated Press Managing Editors Credibility Roundtables and the Medill School of Journalism gathered to talk about the challenges and opportunities of developing guidelines for better practices online. ...view

Speakers:
Cyndi Stivers, President and Editor-in-Chief, Time Out New York
David Kurns, Editor-in-Chief, Meredith Interactive Media
Stuart Wilk, Vice President and Managing Editor, Dallas Morning News
Carol Nunnelley, Director, Associated Press Managing Editors Credibility Roundtables
Janice Castro, Assistant Professor of New Media, Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism
Dorian Benkoil, ABCNEWS.com

Separation of Church and State Gets Muddied Online
For traditional publishers, separating news from advertising is akin to maintaining the separation of church and state. Web sites would do well to uphold this tradition, and for the same reason: If visitors have confidence in your news report, they're more likely to trust your advertising message. ...view

Speakers:
Kinsey Wilson, Vice President and Editor-in-Chief, USAToday.com
Joel Gurin, Executive Vice President, Consumers Union
Joseph Jaffee, New Marketing Consultant, jaffee
Jason Krebs, Vice President of Sales, New York Times Digital
Rich Jaroslovsky, Ziff Brothers Investments and Founding President, Online News Association
Len Apcar, Editor-in-Chief, New York Times Digital

What is Online News, and Why Does it Matter?
Many Web sites say they offer news, but how have blogs, relationships with partner organizations and other devices unique to the Internet affected the online news product? If you want to maintain credibility, it is important that what you describe as news is recognized as news by visitors to your site. Our panelists will strive to define news and journalism in ways that are relevant to a wide array of Web sites. ...view

Speakers:
MJ Bear, Founder and Principal, MJBEAR.com
Barry Abisch, Assistant Managing Editor, The Journal News
Len Apcar, Editor-in-Chief, New York Times on the Web
Douglas Feaver, Executive Editor, Washingtonpost.com
Betsy Morgan, Vice President, Business Development, CBS News.com
Sree Sreenivasan, Associate Professor of Professional Practice, Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism

Why Don't Consumers Trust the Web?
"Phishing" scams, 419 fraud and identity theft are just some of the concerns consumers have about shopping and retrieving information online. Representatives from the Federal Trade Commission, New York State Attorney General's office, MSNBC.com and other groups addressed the online fraud landscape and legal countermeasures....view

Speakers:
Charles W. F. Bell, Program Director, Consumers Union
Martin E. Abrams, Executive Director of the Center for Information Policy Leadership, Hunton & Williams
Anna Fielder, Director, Office for Developed and Transition Economies, Consumers International
Bob Sullivan, Senior Writer, Technology, MSNBC.com
Don Tellock, Assistant Attorney General, Internet Bureau, Office of the New York State Attorney General
Commissioner Mozelle Thompson, Federal Trade Commission

Toward a More Credible Web
Web credibility initiatives have come and gone, with negligible lasting impact. What other means are available to consumers and Web publishers to improve Web site credibility? Panelists explore guidelines and other means to hold Web sites to standards of responsible publishing to improve the consumer's online experience in the future....view

Speakers:
Beau Brendler, Director, Consumer Reports WebWatch
Douglas Feaver, Executive Editor, Washingtonpost.com
Jim Isaak, Consultant, Institute of Electronic and Electrical Engineers (IEEE)
Cyndi Stivers, President and Editor-in-Chief, Time Out New York
Frank Torres, Director of Consumer Affairs, the Microsoft Corporation
Lisa Carparelli, Communications Director, Online Publishers Association