If you're going to create a digital edition -- and as I've said before, the only reason to do so is "so that a print product can be sent to people who otherwise wouldn't get it in a timely fashion" -- check out the work of GIE Media.
The B2B publisher is launching a digital edition of Lawn & Landscape Magazine, even though, as the press release says in immodest fashion, L&L already "offers you a fantastic Web site, dynamic interactive message boards, an online Dealer Search feature and numerous other Web tools."
In other words, GIE is offering a digital edition in addition to its Web site, not instead of a Web site.
It's also worth noting that GIE's Web offerings really are pretty close to "fantastic." This is a company that understands the nature of conversational editorial. Heck, even the press release has a feedback function!
That's not to say that I'm completely thrilled with GIE. And here's why. The announcement of the digital edition is, as I said earlier, a press release. It's a well-written press release. It's informative, sort of fun and gets its point across well. But it is a press release.
And it offends me when a publisher runs its own press releases as editorial content. Giving editorial space to someone in marketing -- whether it's someone from your company or from some other company -- is a violation of our ethics standards. And pretending that these ethical standards don't apply to our own ads and our own marketing material is a mistake.
I mean seriously, if the world of journalism has a belief system it can be summed up in these two sentences:
Only the laziest reporter runs a press release without editing it.
Only an unethical company runs ads in the space reserved for editorial content.
I've written before about what I see as GIE's lapses in this area. And people from GIE have responded by phone and email. Some of them have agreed with me. One did not.
GIE isn't the only B2B publisher to engage in such behavior. I've lost track of the number of times I've seen promos for publisher-sponsored trade shows dropped in the middle of news pages.
In response to such practices, I have suggested that ASBPE, which is in the process of revamping its ethics guidelines, clearly state that in-house marketing material is an advertisement, and must be clearly delineated as such per the ad vs. edit guidelines.
tags: journalism, b2b, media, trade press, magazines, advertising, newsletters
Tuesday, November 15, 2005
Monday, November 14, 2005
Diverse newsrooms for a global economy
In the past few months I've met with around 300 journalists from a few dozen B2B magazines at around a half dozen publishers in several different cities.
And this is what I've seen:
White people.
Lots of them.
On occasion I've seen some Asian faces...perhaps as much as 1 or 2 percent of the editorial staff at some companies. I think I've met one editor with a South Asian name. I've run into two or three folks from the former Soviet Union (although they too were white.) I've met a few folks with Spanish-sounding last names. I don't think I've met anyone with a background from the Middle East other than some Israelis.
And, believe it or not, I've only seen two black people.
Now for the record, I'm a white guy. I am, in fact, a member of the most common demographic in publishing --I'm a middle-aged white guy.
So when someone like me winds up consistently shocked by the lack of diversity in B2B newsrooms, then we can probably assume that the situation is pretty severe.
Look -- I don't care what your politics are. And you shouldn't care about mine. Diversity should be your goal for business reasons as much as for political or ethical reasons. I've said before that given our increasingly global economy, business-to-business publishers need to hire journalists who speak languages other than English. I've suggested that ambitious journalists may want to expand their language skills. But even putting language skills aside, B2B publishers should be aiming for a more diverse workforce. Because -- and trust me on this -- it has become positively creepy to visit your newsrooms.
When I look out on a sea of all-white faces, the question that comes to mind is this:
What racist imbecile is doing the hiring here?
Now of course I realize that question is unfair. And of course I realize that there are thousands of factors other than racism that can create a monochromatic newsroom.
But that is the question that pops into my head.
And I would suggest that you should begin to wonder how often that same question enters the head of your customers, sources and advertisers.
Today's Wall Street Journal has a very interesting piece on the "business imperative" of diversity.
And if you're in New York this week, check out the Magazine Publishers of America's discussion of the multicultural audience.
tags: journalism, b2b, media, trade press, magazines, advertising, newsletters
And this is what I've seen:
White people.
Lots of them.
On occasion I've seen some Asian faces...perhaps as much as 1 or 2 percent of the editorial staff at some companies. I think I've met one editor with a South Asian name. I've run into two or three folks from the former Soviet Union (although they too were white.) I've met a few folks with Spanish-sounding last names. I don't think I've met anyone with a background from the Middle East other than some Israelis.
And, believe it or not, I've only seen two black people.
Now for the record, I'm a white guy. I am, in fact, a member of the most common demographic in publishing --I'm a middle-aged white guy.
So when someone like me winds up consistently shocked by the lack of diversity in B2B newsrooms, then we can probably assume that the situation is pretty severe.
Look -- I don't care what your politics are. And you shouldn't care about mine. Diversity should be your goal for business reasons as much as for political or ethical reasons. I've said before that given our increasingly global economy, business-to-business publishers need to hire journalists who speak languages other than English. I've suggested that ambitious journalists may want to expand their language skills. But even putting language skills aside, B2B publishers should be aiming for a more diverse workforce. Because -- and trust me on this -- it has become positively creepy to visit your newsrooms.
When I look out on a sea of all-white faces, the question that comes to mind is this:
What racist imbecile is doing the hiring here?
Now of course I realize that question is unfair. And of course I realize that there are thousands of factors other than racism that can create a monochromatic newsroom.
But that is the question that pops into my head.
And I would suggest that you should begin to wonder how often that same question enters the head of your customers, sources and advertisers.
Today's Wall Street Journal has a very interesting piece on the "business imperative" of diversity.
And if you're in New York this week, check out the Magazine Publishers of America's discussion of the multicultural audience.
tags: journalism, b2b, media, trade press, magazines, advertising, newsletters
Thursday, November 10, 2005
Shifting from print to online
Over at the Poynter Institute, Steve Outing has a post about a journalist at the New York Times making the move from print reporter to multimedia reporter. Steve warns other print reporters that similar changes are "in their (near) future."
That's exactly the message I've been trying to get across to folks in B2B journalism in posts such as this one. (But read through the comments section to get a feel for how frustrated I am in this fight.)
If you're looking for further proof that our jobs are becoming less about print and more about multimedia, then check out the latest news from Reed Business. The giant of business-to-business publishing has named Tad Smith as its new chief executive officer.
Smith, who will now oversee more than 100 B2B titles, is the former head of Internet operations at Reed. And his "top priority" in his new job is growth ... "especially in the electronic realm.”
Note: Although Smith is clearly an online advocate, I'm not very impressed with much of what he's done online. Smith's most recent gig at Reed involved overseeing the publications of the media division. That means he's the guy who ran Variety. And as much as I love what Variety has done with blogs, I find that site a cluttered mess. Furthermore, the site seems to freeze and crash more than any other site I visit. The media division also includes Multichannel News and Broadcasting and Cable. I like the look of those sites, but they are essentially print products dropped onto a Web page. Links are nearly nonexistent. There's no conversation and very little graphic material. (Multichannel News has a particular feature that annoys me -- a "feedback" function that doesn't let readers post a comment, but instead sends an email to some unnamed person.) The media group also includes Video Business, a site that does seem to understand online content. It has a few flaws, but it's generally a good Web-based product. In particular, I'm pleased by the comment function that runs with the columns.
tags: journalism, b2b, media, trade press, magazines, newsletters
That's exactly the message I've been trying to get across to folks in B2B journalism in posts such as this one. (But read through the comments section to get a feel for how frustrated I am in this fight.)
If you're looking for further proof that our jobs are becoming less about print and more about multimedia, then check out the latest news from Reed Business. The giant of business-to-business publishing has named Tad Smith as its new chief executive officer.
Smith, who will now oversee more than 100 B2B titles, is the former head of Internet operations at Reed. And his "top priority" in his new job is growth ... "especially in the electronic realm.”
Note: Although Smith is clearly an online advocate, I'm not very impressed with much of what he's done online. Smith's most recent gig at Reed involved overseeing the publications of the media division. That means he's the guy who ran Variety. And as much as I love what Variety has done with blogs, I find that site a cluttered mess. Furthermore, the site seems to freeze and crash more than any other site I visit. The media division also includes Multichannel News and Broadcasting and Cable. I like the look of those sites, but they are essentially print products dropped onto a Web page. Links are nearly nonexistent. There's no conversation and very little graphic material. (Multichannel News has a particular feature that annoys me -- a "feedback" function that doesn't let readers post a comment, but instead sends an email to some unnamed person.) The media group also includes Video Business, a site that does seem to understand online content. It has a few flaws, but it's generally a good Web-based product. In particular, I'm pleased by the comment function that runs with the columns.
tags: journalism, b2b, media, trade press, magazines, newsletters
Tuesday, November 08, 2005
Public-relations departments don't need us now
I've written before about how public-relations executives have adopted the tools of citizen journalism, turning themselves into publishers and bypassing the press to speak directly with customers.
It's a development that journalists should be worried about. One role we journalists play in the marketplace is as a filter for public relations. But now p.r. pros are learning new, more sophisticated ways to get their message across, build brand trust and keep us out of the equation.
This development should also embarrass journalists. Here's why:
Our world has changed. The media has been altered forever by blogging software and the other tools of citizen journalism. Our readers have found their own voices. Yet many "professional" journalists have reacted with disdain to the rise of the "amateurs."
Many public-relations executives, on the other hand, have done a good job of adapting to the rise of conversational media. They follow developments in the blogosphere. They engage in public discussions with their customers.
And many p.r. pros have started blogs of their own like this and this, taking their message directly to the audience they want to reach.
So it's worth noting that the godfather of the public-relations blogs is closing this week after a year of operation. That's exactly how it was planned. General Motors' launched its smallblock engine blog a year ago to celebrate the 50-year anniversary of the small-block engine. And in the past 12 months, GM product managers and mid-level executives have turned the site into a must-see destination for car enthusiasts, engineers and others.
Take a look at the blog. Take a look at what Kevin Dugan at Strategic Public Relations says about GM's efforts.
Then ask yourself if it's time you got over yourself and stopped looking down your nose at p.r. pros, bloggers and the rest of the media world.
tags: journalism, b2b, media, trade press, magazines
It's a development that journalists should be worried about. One role we journalists play in the marketplace is as a filter for public relations. But now p.r. pros are learning new, more sophisticated ways to get their message across, build brand trust and keep us out of the equation.
This development should also embarrass journalists. Here's why:
Our world has changed. The media has been altered forever by blogging software and the other tools of citizen journalism. Our readers have found their own voices. Yet many "professional" journalists have reacted with disdain to the rise of the "amateurs."
Many public-relations executives, on the other hand, have done a good job of adapting to the rise of conversational media. They follow developments in the blogosphere. They engage in public discussions with their customers.
And many p.r. pros have started blogs of their own like this and this, taking their message directly to the audience they want to reach.
So it's worth noting that the godfather of the public-relations blogs is closing this week after a year of operation. That's exactly how it was planned. General Motors' launched its smallblock engine blog a year ago to celebrate the 50-year anniversary of the small-block engine. And in the past 12 months, GM product managers and mid-level executives have turned the site into a must-see destination for car enthusiasts, engineers and others.
Take a look at the blog. Take a look at what Kevin Dugan at Strategic Public Relations says about GM's efforts.
Then ask yourself if it's time you got over yourself and stopped looking down your nose at p.r. pros, bloggers and the rest of the media world.
tags: journalism, b2b, media, trade press, magazines
When print fades
This is not a good week for news about print news.
Newspaper circulation continues to fall -- dropping another 2.6%, according to the latest figures.
MediaLife magazine is predicting that one of the three major newsweeklies will soon fail.
A giant of the daily newspaper industry -- Knight-Ridder -- is facing pressure from shareholders who want to exit the business.
And, of course, the culprit cited again and again in these tales of woe is the Internet.
I should be more sympathetic. Dozens of people I care about deeply work in print. But as I've written before, I'm having a hard time being nice anymore. I hear too much whining these days. Sure, the Internet was a confusing place a few years ago. I remember in the early 90s when all of this was new and I was a bureau chief at Knight Ridder. When I talked about online back then, everyone was confused. Hell, I was confused, and I was the one trying to convince my bosses to move some of our products to the Internet.
But this is 2005. And how the hell can anyone still be confused?
If you're a reporter or editor who bemoans the loss of the past and resents the future, here's what you need to know:
-- your publication can't survive in print alone, and nor can you.
-- your publication is becoming a multimedia operation, and you best become a multimedia operator.
-- you can not transplant much of what you believe is good about your work in print (story structure, writing style, story length) to an online environment. Having worked in print does not make you an expert in online.
-- the people you work with and for are growing less patient with you, your lack of new media skills, your glamorized vision of print, your lack of enthusiasm for new products and new storytelling techniques, your stubborn personality and your delusional belief in the value of your outdated skills.
For more on journalism's problems and how to fix them, check out this post on a blog by Will Bunch, a senior writer at the Philadelphia Daily News.
tags: journalism, b2b, media, trade press, magazines
Newspaper circulation continues to fall -- dropping another 2.6%, according to the latest figures.
MediaLife magazine is predicting that one of the three major newsweeklies will soon fail.
A giant of the daily newspaper industry -- Knight-Ridder -- is facing pressure from shareholders who want to exit the business.
And, of course, the culprit cited again and again in these tales of woe is the Internet.
I should be more sympathetic. Dozens of people I care about deeply work in print. But as I've written before, I'm having a hard time being nice anymore. I hear too much whining these days. Sure, the Internet was a confusing place a few years ago. I remember in the early 90s when all of this was new and I was a bureau chief at Knight Ridder. When I talked about online back then, everyone was confused. Hell, I was confused, and I was the one trying to convince my bosses to move some of our products to the Internet.
But this is 2005. And how the hell can anyone still be confused?
If you're a reporter or editor who bemoans the loss of the past and resents the future, here's what you need to know:
-- your publication can't survive in print alone, and nor can you.
-- your publication is becoming a multimedia operation, and you best become a multimedia operator.
-- you can not transplant much of what you believe is good about your work in print (story structure, writing style, story length) to an online environment. Having worked in print does not make you an expert in online.
-- the people you work with and for are growing less patient with you, your lack of new media skills, your glamorized vision of print, your lack of enthusiasm for new products and new storytelling techniques, your stubborn personality and your delusional belief in the value of your outdated skills.
For more on journalism's problems and how to fix them, check out this post on a blog by Will Bunch, a senior writer at the Philadelphia Daily News.
tags: journalism, b2b, media, trade press, magazines
Sunday, November 06, 2005
When online content is really offline content
I'm back at home after spending a few days talking about the future of online journalism with the folks at IDG. I had a wonderful time, met some interesting people and got to hear some of the more talented folks in publishing share where they think our industry is heading.
I gave lectures at IDG's offices in Massachusetts and in San Francisco -- jabbering on about the things that interest me for about four hours at a time.
At no point did I mention digital editions of magazines. Nor did anyone ask me about them.
And I suppose that is predictable. I don't much like digital magazines. Nor, in fact, have I ever met anyone who did. Digital editions are often what publishers do when they can't figure out what to do online. And I can't see how these things would play much of a role in journalism's future.
So I shouldn't be surprised by the negative attention given to the digital editions of Folio's tradeshow daily last week. Prescott Shibles, the smartest guy who ever worked for me, blasted the product on his blog. My fellow B2B bloggers David Shaw and Sue Pelletier agreed with Prescott.
Prescott argues that digital editions are kind of a pain to read online. Lord knows I agree. You can go blind trying to view these things on a computer screen.
And I agree that a publisher has to be crazy to use a digital edition as a substitute for a true Web product.
But I don't think that's what Folio was doing. Folio didn't produce the edition instead of a Web product. Folio opted not to produce a Web product. Folio decided instead to create a print product -- a traditional, tradeshow daily paper. It made the product available at the show. And it also sent it out via email to people like me who couldn't attend the show. And that's the only reason anyone should have a digital edition -- so that a print product can be sent to people who otherwise wouldn't get it in a timely fashion.
I mean sure, these things are sort of goofy. And sure, they don't work as well on the screen as a product created for the Web. But that's missing the point. It's soft of like complaining about a "print this" button on a Web page. Of course the printed version is less compelling than the Web version. But sometimes people have to print the thing anyway.
Prescott also argued that blogs may be better suited than print products for capturing the mood of the tradeshow floor. And that makes sense. Blogging software allows for real-time reporting -- and that, for example, gives reporters the opportunity to tell readers what is happening during a keynote speech. More importantly, blogs are conversational -- users help to create the content by posting comments, etc. And at tradeshows in particular, the converstation often is the news.
Prescott points to the work that Primedia Business did at the Supercomm tradeshow as an example of how blogs and other Web-based products can produce compelling online content.
But when I look at what the Primedia staff produced from the floor show, I'm just as disappointed as I am when I read Folio's digital edition.
The Supercomm blog doesn't have a feedback function. The stories don't have external links. Nothing seems to be written in real time. In other words, Primedia has a blog that ignores the blogging culture and has Web-based products that aren't taking advantage of the Web. (The absence of feedback functions and external links is a recurring shortcoming of blogs produced by Primedia. Look here or here or here.)
So what's the lesson?
Putting a print product on a computer screen doesn't make it an online product. Thinking like a print reporter while working online is a mistake. The end result is every bit as silly as a newspaper reporter hosting a TV newscast by sitting in front of a camera and typing.
Journalists need to change -- not just their software, not just their delivery systems, but the very nature of their work.
This is what I told the journalists at IDG last week: You don't need to launch a blog (although you may want to.) But you need to be more bloglike in everything you do. Learn to link. Accept that people interact with content, not just read it. Add a feedback function to your stories. Accept that journalism has become less of a lecture and more of a conversation. Learn multimedia. Accept that you are no longer just a writer, but are becoming a producer.
(DISCLOSURE: I do some consulting at Primedia Business these days, although not on the products mentioned above. Also, Folio magazine has launched a channel about digital magazines. I was interviewed for the section by one of the editors. My comments about RSS appear in this article. My comments about digital magazines weren't used.)
tags: journalism, b2b, media, trade press, magazines, newsletters, conversational media
I gave lectures at IDG's offices in Massachusetts and in San Francisco -- jabbering on about the things that interest me for about four hours at a time.
At no point did I mention digital editions of magazines. Nor did anyone ask me about them.
And I suppose that is predictable. I don't much like digital magazines. Nor, in fact, have I ever met anyone who did. Digital editions are often what publishers do when they can't figure out what to do online. And I can't see how these things would play much of a role in journalism's future.
So I shouldn't be surprised by the negative attention given to the digital editions of Folio's tradeshow daily last week. Prescott Shibles, the smartest guy who ever worked for me, blasted the product on his blog. My fellow B2B bloggers David Shaw and Sue Pelletier agreed with Prescott.
Prescott argues that digital editions are kind of a pain to read online. Lord knows I agree. You can go blind trying to view these things on a computer screen.
And I agree that a publisher has to be crazy to use a digital edition as a substitute for a true Web product.
But I don't think that's what Folio was doing. Folio didn't produce the edition instead of a Web product. Folio opted not to produce a Web product. Folio decided instead to create a print product -- a traditional, tradeshow daily paper. It made the product available at the show. And it also sent it out via email to people like me who couldn't attend the show. And that's the only reason anyone should have a digital edition -- so that a print product can be sent to people who otherwise wouldn't get it in a timely fashion.
I mean sure, these things are sort of goofy. And sure, they don't work as well on the screen as a product created for the Web. But that's missing the point. It's soft of like complaining about a "print this" button on a Web page. Of course the printed version is less compelling than the Web version. But sometimes people have to print the thing anyway.
Prescott also argued that blogs may be better suited than print products for capturing the mood of the tradeshow floor. And that makes sense. Blogging software allows for real-time reporting -- and that, for example, gives reporters the opportunity to tell readers what is happening during a keynote speech. More importantly, blogs are conversational -- users help to create the content by posting comments, etc. And at tradeshows in particular, the converstation often is the news.
Prescott points to the work that Primedia Business did at the Supercomm tradeshow as an example of how blogs and other Web-based products can produce compelling online content.
But when I look at what the Primedia staff produced from the floor show, I'm just as disappointed as I am when I read Folio's digital edition.
The Supercomm blog doesn't have a feedback function. The stories don't have external links. Nothing seems to be written in real time. In other words, Primedia has a blog that ignores the blogging culture and has Web-based products that aren't taking advantage of the Web. (The absence of feedback functions and external links is a recurring shortcoming of blogs produced by Primedia. Look here or here or here.)
So what's the lesson?
Putting a print product on a computer screen doesn't make it an online product. Thinking like a print reporter while working online is a mistake. The end result is every bit as silly as a newspaper reporter hosting a TV newscast by sitting in front of a camera and typing.
Journalists need to change -- not just their software, not just their delivery systems, but the very nature of their work.
This is what I told the journalists at IDG last week: You don't need to launch a blog (although you may want to.) But you need to be more bloglike in everything you do. Learn to link. Accept that people interact with content, not just read it. Add a feedback function to your stories. Accept that journalism has become less of a lecture and more of a conversation. Learn multimedia. Accept that you are no longer just a writer, but are becoming a producer.
(DISCLOSURE: I do some consulting at Primedia Business these days, although not on the products mentioned above. Also, Folio magazine has launched a channel about digital magazines. I was interviewed for the section by one of the editors. My comments about RSS appear in this article. My comments about digital magazines weren't used.)
tags: journalism, b2b, media, trade press, magazines, newsletters, conversational media
Friday, October 28, 2005
Offline and on the speaking circut
I'm heading out of town for nearly a week, off to speak to journalists from IDG.
I'll be in Massachusetts for awhile, then flying to San Francisco.
The whole thing is putting me in a very good mood. I love to travel and I love to talk. And I love these things even more when I'm getting paid to do them.
I don't expect to do much blogging until I return to New York...although that could change.
In the meantime, if you're so very twisted that you can't wait a week, check out the ASBPE newsletter. There's an interview with me in the latest edition.
tags: journalism, b2b, media, trade press, magazines, newsletters
I'll be in Massachusetts for awhile, then flying to San Francisco.
The whole thing is putting me in a very good mood. I love to travel and I love to talk. And I love these things even more when I'm getting paid to do them.
I don't expect to do much blogging until I return to New York...although that could change.
In the meantime, if you're so very twisted that you can't wait a week, check out the ASBPE newsletter. There's an interview with me in the latest edition.
tags: journalism, b2b, media, trade press, magazines, newsletters
Wednesday, October 26, 2005
Learning the basics of conversational editorial
A portion of my life these days involves trying to explain blogging and the world of conversational media to B2B journalists. And these journalists are divided into three distinct camps.
First, there are the bright and ambitious. Some of them have started blogs of their own. All of them are aware of the blogosphere and are participating by posting comments on other blogs. All of them have at least a passing understanding of the fundamental shifts in media.
The second group -- much larger than the first -- consists of people who don't understand a thing about conversational editorial, but think that they do. These folks tend to think only in stereotypes and to demonstrate shockingly low levels of curiosity. They don't read blogs. They often don't think anyone should read blogs. And they like to defend their ignorance with the sort of flawed logic that can give you a headache: "I practice reporting -- I do research, conduct interviews and collect facts. Bloggers don't do these things. I know this even though I have never researched, conducted interviews or collected facts about blogging."
When a publisher convinces someone from this group to create a blog, you'll get the lamest product imaginable. It will be "irreverent." It will likely use words such as "curmudgeon" or "rant" in the title. It won't be conversational. There won't be a feedback function. It won't have external links. All you'll get is a poorly written column that appears in reverse chronological order.
The third group, growing smaller every day, is completely unaware of what has happened in the past few years. They don't know what a blog is. They are still upset that the company started a Web site and they don't believe they should have to write for it. They have never heard of Jeff Jarvis, let alone Adrian Holovaty. They are print reporters, and they never miss an opportunity to tell you that. They are often quite delusional about their writing ability and their influence in the industries they cover. And each and every day they grow less valuable to the companies that employ them.
If you have people on your team from Group 1, you should celebrate.
If you have people on staff from Group 3, cut them loose.
But if your reporters and editors are stuck in Group 2, there is still hope.
Start by showing them this pdf file from a presentation by Amy Gahran to a group of science journalists. Then send them this post from Amy's blog and tell them to listen to the audio file.
After that, if you haven't noticed a new open-mindedness among these reporters, a new willingness to engage readers, then put them into Group 3 and start asking other people to take over their responsibilities.
tags: journalism, b2b, media, trade press, magazines, conversational media
First, there are the bright and ambitious. Some of them have started blogs of their own. All of them are aware of the blogosphere and are participating by posting comments on other blogs. All of them have at least a passing understanding of the fundamental shifts in media.
The second group -- much larger than the first -- consists of people who don't understand a thing about conversational editorial, but think that they do. These folks tend to think only in stereotypes and to demonstrate shockingly low levels of curiosity. They don't read blogs. They often don't think anyone should read blogs. And they like to defend their ignorance with the sort of flawed logic that can give you a headache: "I practice reporting -- I do research, conduct interviews and collect facts. Bloggers don't do these things. I know this even though I have never researched, conducted interviews or collected facts about blogging."
When a publisher convinces someone from this group to create a blog, you'll get the lamest product imaginable. It will be "irreverent." It will likely use words such as "curmudgeon" or "rant" in the title. It won't be conversational. There won't be a feedback function. It won't have external links. All you'll get is a poorly written column that appears in reverse chronological order.
The third group, growing smaller every day, is completely unaware of what has happened in the past few years. They don't know what a blog is. They are still upset that the company started a Web site and they don't believe they should have to write for it. They have never heard of Jeff Jarvis, let alone Adrian Holovaty. They are print reporters, and they never miss an opportunity to tell you that. They are often quite delusional about their writing ability and their influence in the industries they cover. And each and every day they grow less valuable to the companies that employ them.
If you have people on your team from Group 1, you should celebrate.
If you have people on staff from Group 3, cut them loose.
But if your reporters and editors are stuck in Group 2, there is still hope.
Start by showing them this pdf file from a presentation by Amy Gahran to a group of science journalists. Then send them this post from Amy's blog and tell them to listen to the audio file.
After that, if you haven't noticed a new open-mindedness among these reporters, a new willingness to engage readers, then put them into Group 3 and start asking other people to take over their responsibilities.
tags: journalism, b2b, media, trade press, magazines, conversational media
Monday, October 24, 2005
News from the micro beats
A few years ago I worked with a guy who had a thing for Altoids. He loved Altoids. He decorated his desk with the little metal boxes the mints are sold in, and he covered his cubicle walls with Altoids advertisements.
He didn't get any money for it. He just really, really enjoyed Altoids. And his personal brand was tied to the Altoids brand. Even folks at the office who had never spoken to him knew him. He was the Altoids guy.
That level of obsessive interest in a company is cherished by branding folks. They know the power of one-to-one style marketing. And they know that folks like the Altoids guy are important to their success.
But people with that sort of passion have also become important in B2B journalism -- producing and analyzing news about their obsessions.
Today's New York Times has an interesting article about bloggers who specialize in news about a single company.
I've written about this phenomenon before both here and here, and suggested that this particular form of standalone journalist poses a threat to traditional B2B publishers and an opportunity for entrepreneurial reporters.
It's time to ask yourself, if you're in this game for the money, how can you compete against someone who is in it for love?
tags: journalism, b2b, media, trade press, magazines, advertising, entrepreneurial journalism, standalone journalism
He didn't get any money for it. He just really, really enjoyed Altoids. And his personal brand was tied to the Altoids brand. Even folks at the office who had never spoken to him knew him. He was the Altoids guy.
That level of obsessive interest in a company is cherished by branding folks. They know the power of one-to-one style marketing. And they know that folks like the Altoids guy are important to their success.
But people with that sort of passion have also become important in B2B journalism -- producing and analyzing news about their obsessions.
Today's New York Times has an interesting article about bloggers who specialize in news about a single company.
I've written about this phenomenon before both here and here, and suggested that this particular form of standalone journalist poses a threat to traditional B2B publishers and an opportunity for entrepreneurial reporters.
It's time to ask yourself, if you're in this game for the money, how can you compete against someone who is in it for love?
tags: journalism, b2b, media, trade press, magazines, advertising, entrepreneurial journalism, standalone journalism
Friday, October 21, 2005
Starting a blog with or without your company
Sometimes your boss is a knucklehead.
And perhaps that's what's going on with the editor mentioned in this post on Businessweek's blogspotting. The editor says his team wants to start a blog ... but the publisher will only back it if the blog supports itself with advertising.
Now just think about that for a second, and put yourself in that publisher's shoes.
Imagine your staff came to you and said they wanted to do more work and create a new product. Imagine they said there was no cost.
Can you imagine saying no? Can you imagine telling them to "sell" the thing first?
Look -- I run into this stuff fairly often. And it's these same publishers -- fearful of change and quick to crush an initiative -- who complain the loudest that their editorial staff isn't ambitious.
And I'm coming to believe that the best move is to just ignore such publishers.
The media word is changing. Someone is going to be left behind. And perhaps it should be your boss.
If you're an editor with a good idea and an entrepreneurial personality, then you don't need your publisher anymore. Heck -- that's the great lesson of citizen journalism. Anyone can be a publisher now. And if you have a few bucks saved, or if you're young and/or brave enough to risk the loss of stability, then you don't need anyone's approval to create a product.
Launch the product. You already have the editorial skills.
Monetize it. Here's a guide. (Or don't monetize it. Just do it for the potential it has for your career. Do it to prove that you're right. Do it because you can.)
You can do it on the side and still collect a paycheck. If you don't get caught first, tell your publisher what you've done after you've succeeded.
Or just quit now, and call the knucklehead in a few months and tell him he can buy your business.
tags: journalism, b2b, media, trade press, magazines, advertising
And perhaps that's what's going on with the editor mentioned in this post on Businessweek's blogspotting. The editor says his team wants to start a blog ... but the publisher will only back it if the blog supports itself with advertising.
Now just think about that for a second, and put yourself in that publisher's shoes.
Imagine your staff came to you and said they wanted to do more work and create a new product. Imagine they said there was no cost.
Can you imagine saying no? Can you imagine telling them to "sell" the thing first?
Look -- I run into this stuff fairly often. And it's these same publishers -- fearful of change and quick to crush an initiative -- who complain the loudest that their editorial staff isn't ambitious.
And I'm coming to believe that the best move is to just ignore such publishers.
The media word is changing. Someone is going to be left behind. And perhaps it should be your boss.
If you're an editor with a good idea and an entrepreneurial personality, then you don't need your publisher anymore. Heck -- that's the great lesson of citizen journalism. Anyone can be a publisher now. And if you have a few bucks saved, or if you're young and/or brave enough to risk the loss of stability, then you don't need anyone's approval to create a product.
Launch the product. You already have the editorial skills.
Monetize it. Here's a guide. (Or don't monetize it. Just do it for the potential it has for your career. Do it to prove that you're right. Do it because you can.)
You can do it on the side and still collect a paycheck. If you don't get caught first, tell your publisher what you've done after you've succeeded.
Or just quit now, and call the knucklehead in a few months and tell him he can buy your business.
tags: journalism, b2b, media, trade press, magazines, advertising
Wednesday, October 19, 2005
Transparency in the B2B media business model
A few months ago I wrote about Education Week's plan to revamp its business model.
I'm glad to hear that things are going well, and I'm even happier to see that Education Week is being transparent about its progress.
Check out this piece on API's site in which a producer from the Education Week site fills us in on some of the details.
I'm sure that many folks on the business side of publishing find such disclosures inappropriate -- even when the news is good.
But I expect to see more of this sort of thing.
The citizen-journalism movement is forcing editorial to be more transparent about how it does its job. And that new spirit of openness is spreading to marketing, advertising and beyond the media world.
Don't believe me? Look at this story about a guy who has the courage to blog about the failure of his business.
tags: journalism, b2b, media, trade press, magazines, advertising
I'm glad to hear that things are going well, and I'm even happier to see that Education Week is being transparent about its progress.
Check out this piece on API's site in which a producer from the Education Week site fills us in on some of the details.
I'm sure that many folks on the business side of publishing find such disclosures inappropriate -- even when the news is good.
But I expect to see more of this sort of thing.
The citizen-journalism movement is forcing editorial to be more transparent about how it does its job. And that new spirit of openness is spreading to marketing, advertising and beyond the media world.
Don't believe me? Look at this story about a guy who has the courage to blog about the failure of his business.
tags: journalism, b2b, media, trade press, magazines, advertising
Tuesday, October 18, 2005
The new ASME guidelines
As discussed yesterday, ASME has released its new set of editorial guidelines.
I've taken a quick look through them, and I like what I see.
Among the notable items are:
-- Clear rules on the inappropriateness of running ads on the cover of a magazine: "The front cover and spine are editorial space. Companies and products should appear on covers only in an editorial context and not in a way that suggests advertisement. (This includes use of cover “stickers.”)
-- Clear rules banning product placement and product guides: "Advertisers should not pay to place their products in editorial pages nor should they demand placement in return for advertising. Editorial pages may display and credit products and tell readers where to buy them, as long as those pages are solely under editorial control."
Thanks to everyone at ASME for their work on this!
Folio magazine has posted a pdf of the guidelines. Learn them. Live by them.
tags: journalism, b2b, media, trade press, magazines, advertising
I've taken a quick look through them, and I like what I see.
Among the notable items are:
-- Clear rules on the inappropriateness of running ads on the cover of a magazine: "The front cover and spine are editorial space. Companies and products should appear on covers only in an editorial context and not in a way that suggests advertisement. (This includes use of cover “stickers.”)
-- Clear rules banning product placement and product guides: "Advertisers should not pay to place their products in editorial pages nor should they demand placement in return for advertising. Editorial pages may display and credit products and tell readers where to buy them, as long as those pages are solely under editorial control."
Thanks to everyone at ASME for their work on this!
Folio magazine has posted a pdf of the guidelines. Learn them. Live by them.
tags: journalism, b2b, media, trade press, magazines, advertising
Winning awards, searching for bloggers
The American Society of Magazine Editors has announced what it says are the 40 best magazine covers of the past 40 years. The Annie Liebovitz photo of a naked John Lennon wrapped around Yoko Ono -- taken just hours before his death -- won the top prize.
But it's No. 7 on the list -- the "If you don't buy this magazine, we'll kill this dog" cover from National Lampoon in 1973 -- that is my personal favorite. That issue swept the halls of my high school like nothing I had ever seen. Within minutes we had all seen it. And within hours we had all adopted the poses of world-weary cynics and intellectual humorists.
Check out the winners here, and read about the awards here.
As I perused the winning covers today, I found myself wondering -- why haven't I come across any blogs by magazine designers or art directors? Does anyone know of such a site? Lord knows there's a lot of great stuff being written about online design. But is anyone from the magazine world participating in the blogging discussion? If not, maybe one of the nominees for the Ozzie Awards could be convinced to start a blog.
For a look at what such a site could be, take a look at newsdesigner.com, a blog about newspaper design (thanks to Cyberjournalist for pointing me to the site.) Mark Friesen, a designer at The Oregonian, has created the exact sort of blog that I love -- a passionate and informative product aimed at a small niche. I'd love to see something similar for the magazine world -- ideally by someone who knows both print and online design for our industry.
Or how about a blog about magazine circulation? Is there anyone out there writing about inserts and opt-in lists and such?
If you know of such blogs -- or of others that may be of interest to the world of B2B media -- let me know.
Or, if you're considering starting one, drop me a line. I'll do all that I can to encourage you to join us in the blogosphere.
ADDENDUM 10/21/05:
Yesterday, I received two emails from readers noting that the link I had provided to the photos of the covers was broken.
At first I thought I had made an error. But when I checked my work, I realized that ASME had removed the page with the photos from its site.
I sent an email to ASME asking for an explanation.
What I got back was an email with links to two other sites that have the photos. One of those pages is hosted by a company called Doceus, which sells Web site "solutions" software for trade associations.
The other page is hosted by the Desert Sun newspaper.
No explanation was given for what happened to the ASME page. Nor was there an apology. Heck, there wasn't even a simple greeting in the email. No "hi," no "hello" no "Dear Sir," no nothing. I was disappointed by the entire experience, because I expect a better sense of public relations from a media association.
So I have no idea what ASME was thinking ... because ASME apparently didn't think it was worth telling me what it was thinking.
At any rate, I have changed the link in the original post so that it now points to the Doceus site.
tags: journalism, b2b, media, trade press, magazines
But it's No. 7 on the list -- the "If you don't buy this magazine, we'll kill this dog" cover from National Lampoon in 1973 -- that is my personal favorite. That issue swept the halls of my high school like nothing I had ever seen. Within minutes we had all seen it. And within hours we had all adopted the poses of world-weary cynics and intellectual humorists.
Check out the winners here, and read about the awards here.
As I perused the winning covers today, I found myself wondering -- why haven't I come across any blogs by magazine designers or art directors? Does anyone know of such a site? Lord knows there's a lot of great stuff being written about online design. But is anyone from the magazine world participating in the blogging discussion? If not, maybe one of the nominees for the Ozzie Awards could be convinced to start a blog.
For a look at what such a site could be, take a look at newsdesigner.com, a blog about newspaper design (thanks to Cyberjournalist for pointing me to the site.) Mark Friesen, a designer at The Oregonian, has created the exact sort of blog that I love -- a passionate and informative product aimed at a small niche. I'd love to see something similar for the magazine world -- ideally by someone who knows both print and online design for our industry.
Or how about a blog about magazine circulation? Is there anyone out there writing about inserts and opt-in lists and such?
If you know of such blogs -- or of others that may be of interest to the world of B2B media -- let me know.
Or, if you're considering starting one, drop me a line. I'll do all that I can to encourage you to join us in the blogosphere.
ADDENDUM 10/21/05:
Yesterday, I received two emails from readers noting that the link I had provided to the photos of the covers was broken.
At first I thought I had made an error. But when I checked my work, I realized that ASME had removed the page with the photos from its site.
I sent an email to ASME asking for an explanation.
What I got back was an email with links to two other sites that have the photos. One of those pages is hosted by a company called Doceus, which sells Web site "solutions" software for trade associations.
The other page is hosted by the Desert Sun newspaper.
No explanation was given for what happened to the ASME page. Nor was there an apology. Heck, there wasn't even a simple greeting in the email. No "hi," no "hello" no "Dear Sir," no nothing. I was disappointed by the entire experience, because I expect a better sense of public relations from a media association.
So I have no idea what ASME was thinking ... because ASME apparently didn't think it was worth telling me what it was thinking.
At any rate, I have changed the link in the original post so that it now points to the Doceus site.
tags: journalism, b2b, media, trade press, magazines
Monday, October 17, 2005
More on ethics guidelines
Later today, the American Society of Magazine Editors will release an update of its ethics guidelines. I'm looking forward to it, because I expect ASME will state its opposition to calls from some advertisers for looser rules on product placement.
The American Society of Business Publication Editors is also revamping its guidelines. That group was kind enough to ask for my input. And just this morning I got around to sending my suggestions.
I'm a big fan of ethics guidelines...because I've seen far too much unethical activity in B2B publishing. I've seen shocking behavior by publishers and I've seen shocking behavior by trade associations. And I think ethics guidelines are a powerful tool in the fight against the dark side.
Not everyone agrees. Rex is more cynical about the usefulness of guidelines. And he urges that trade associations "call for transparency and accountability in revealing all relationships between marketers and media, rather than playing Church Lady and issuing "commandments" to define specific sins."
I've written before about some of the issues that I'm hoping ASBPE will address, and I too have suggested that the answer to our problems may be transparency.
And in keeping with that call for transparency, here are a few of the less traditional suggestions that I made to ASBPE:
1) In-house ads -- B2B publishers tend to cut corners for themselves that they might not cut for others. In particular, B2B media companies treat their own ads -- for trade shows, new products, etc. -- as news, not as advertisements.
I'd urge ASBPE to clearly state that in-house marketing material is an advertisement, and must be clearly delineated as such per the ad vs. edit guidelines.
2) Anonymous sources -- Even more so than the mainstream press, B2B writers tend to overuse anonymous sources. I would urge ASBPE to adopt the following:
The use of anonymous sources should be rare and must be justified.
Reporters should clear each and every use of an anonymous source with a senior editor. A reporter should have a compelling reason for granting anonymity -- the source would be at risk of job loss if his/her name was published, there is no other way to obtain the information, etc.
When anonymity is given, a reporter will make every effort possible to provide as much information about the anonymous source as is possible. In other words, referring to someone as "an anonymous source inside the investment bank" is better than "an anonymous source." And "according to two executives in the marketing department who wished to remain anonymous" is superior to "according to sources in the marketing department who wished to remain anonymous." It is unethical to misstate the number of sources in a story. "An anonymous source inside the company" can never be referred to as "sources."
3) Transparency -- Reporters should make every effort to make the process of journalism transparent to readers. All attempts should be made not to mislead readers. When possible, reporters should provide links to source material. When not possible, reporters should clearly explain the source of the material. For example, the phrase "'the company is doing great,' Jones said" implies that the reporter has spoken with Jones. That's fine, if it's true. Otherwise, use a phrase such as "'the company is doing great,' Jones said in a press release" or "'the company is doing great,' Jones said in a written statement."
tags: journalism, b2b, media, trade press, magazines, advertising
The American Society of Business Publication Editors is also revamping its guidelines. That group was kind enough to ask for my input. And just this morning I got around to sending my suggestions.
I'm a big fan of ethics guidelines...because I've seen far too much unethical activity in B2B publishing. I've seen shocking behavior by publishers and I've seen shocking behavior by trade associations. And I think ethics guidelines are a powerful tool in the fight against the dark side.
Not everyone agrees. Rex is more cynical about the usefulness of guidelines. And he urges that trade associations "call for transparency and accountability in revealing all relationships between marketers and media, rather than playing Church Lady and issuing "commandments" to define specific sins."
I've written before about some of the issues that I'm hoping ASBPE will address, and I too have suggested that the answer to our problems may be transparency.
And in keeping with that call for transparency, here are a few of the less traditional suggestions that I made to ASBPE:
1) In-house ads -- B2B publishers tend to cut corners for themselves that they might not cut for others. In particular, B2B media companies treat their own ads -- for trade shows, new products, etc. -- as news, not as advertisements.
I'd urge ASBPE to clearly state that in-house marketing material is an advertisement, and must be clearly delineated as such per the ad vs. edit guidelines.
2) Anonymous sources -- Even more so than the mainstream press, B2B writers tend to overuse anonymous sources. I would urge ASBPE to adopt the following:
The use of anonymous sources should be rare and must be justified.
Reporters should clear each and every use of an anonymous source with a senior editor. A reporter should have a compelling reason for granting anonymity -- the source would be at risk of job loss if his/her name was published, there is no other way to obtain the information, etc.
When anonymity is given, a reporter will make every effort possible to provide as much information about the anonymous source as is possible. In other words, referring to someone as "an anonymous source inside the investment bank" is better than "an anonymous source." And "according to two executives in the marketing department who wished to remain anonymous" is superior to "according to sources in the marketing department who wished to remain anonymous." It is unethical to misstate the number of sources in a story. "An anonymous source inside the company" can never be referred to as "sources."
3) Transparency -- Reporters should make every effort to make the process of journalism transparent to readers. All attempts should be made not to mislead readers. When possible, reporters should provide links to source material. When not possible, reporters should clearly explain the source of the material. For example, the phrase "'the company is doing great,' Jones said" implies that the reporter has spoken with Jones. That's fine, if it's true. Otherwise, use a phrase such as "'the company is doing great,' Jones said in a press release" or "'the company is doing great,' Jones said in a written statement."
tags: journalism, b2b, media, trade press, magazines, advertising
Thursday, October 13, 2005
Go East, young man
If I were young again and just starting out in journalism, I'd learn an Asian language. Heck, I'm not young anymore, and I've been in this business for a long time, but I recently decided to learn some Vietnamese. (PERSONAL DISCLOSURE: The love of my life was born in Vietnam, and although she's been a Brooklyn girl since she was a baby, she still speaks Vietnamese with her family. So my decision to learn that language has more to do with my heart than with my career.)
But regardless of who you love, you could do a lot worse than to learn a new language from the developing world -- for that's where the opportunity is in B2B journalism.
Check out the latest news from Reed Business, which is launching a new publication about the pharmaceutical industry in Asia.
Reed has made similar moves before, and it isn't the only publisher to sense that there is growth in the East. Look at what I've written about before here and here.
If you want to hear more about international opportunities in the trade press, try to attend this upcoming session at ASBPE's New England chapter. And follow developments at the blogs of my friends Paul and Hugo.
tags: journalism, b2b, media, trade press, magazines, advertising
But regardless of who you love, you could do a lot worse than to learn a new language from the developing world -- for that's where the opportunity is in B2B journalism.
Check out the latest news from Reed Business, which is launching a new publication about the pharmaceutical industry in Asia.
Reed has made similar moves before, and it isn't the only publisher to sense that there is growth in the East. Look at what I've written about before here and here.
If you want to hear more about international opportunities in the trade press, try to attend this upcoming session at ASBPE's New England chapter. And follow developments at the blogs of my friends Paul and Hugo.
tags: journalism, b2b, media, trade press, magazines, advertising
Wednesday, October 12, 2005
Vance buys Doane, expands into ag radio
I guess I got this one wrong.
I've been predicting for awhile now that Vance Publishing, where I was once a senior writer, would be sold to fellow Kansas City-based B2B publisher Ascend Media. But now comes word that Vance has acquired Doane Agricultural Services of St. Louis. The purchase doesn't mean that Vance won't be sold, but it sure doesn't make it more likely.
The Doane deal is an interesting one for Vance -- expanding the company's offerings from B2B publications into commodities analysis and advice. In addition, Vance picks up a radio program in the deal -- AgriTalk, a daily program broadcast through 74 affiliate stations.
I wish my friends at Vance well. Agriculture may be the most competitive space in today's B2B media world. I'm a fan of the changes at agriculture.com and I love such non-traditional publishers as agwired. And I've said before that agriculture seems particularly well-suited to coverage by standalone journalists (take a look at just such a site by Matt Mullen, a regular contributor to this blog.)
The Doane deal may prove to be a first step in exactly the sort of expansion beyond traditional publishing that Vance needs in this new environment. Most importantly, the deal gives Vance its first true multimedia holding -- pushing it into the big leagues of ag journalism alongside Farm Journal and DTN.
tags: journalism, b2b, media, trade press, magazines, advertising , entrepreneurial journalism, standalone journalism
I've been predicting for awhile now that Vance Publishing, where I was once a senior writer, would be sold to fellow Kansas City-based B2B publisher Ascend Media. But now comes word that Vance has acquired Doane Agricultural Services of St. Louis. The purchase doesn't mean that Vance won't be sold, but it sure doesn't make it more likely.
The Doane deal is an interesting one for Vance -- expanding the company's offerings from B2B publications into commodities analysis and advice. In addition, Vance picks up a radio program in the deal -- AgriTalk, a daily program broadcast through 74 affiliate stations.
I wish my friends at Vance well. Agriculture may be the most competitive space in today's B2B media world. I'm a fan of the changes at agriculture.com and I love such non-traditional publishers as agwired. And I've said before that agriculture seems particularly well-suited to coverage by standalone journalists (take a look at just such a site by Matt Mullen, a regular contributor to this blog.)
The Doane deal may prove to be a first step in exactly the sort of expansion beyond traditional publishing that Vance needs in this new environment. Most importantly, the deal gives Vance its first true multimedia holding -- pushing it into the big leagues of ag journalism alongside Farm Journal and DTN.
tags: journalism, b2b, media, trade press, magazines, advertising , entrepreneurial journalism, standalone journalism
Tuesday, October 11, 2005
Brace for change; protect yourself by changing
I've been laid off a few times in my career. It's an unpleasant feeling.
At its core, a layoff tells you two things.
First, your bosses have screwed up. What was once a successful business (or at least an optimistic business plan) has turned sour. Profit has turned to loss. Opportunities have been missed. Investments have been squandered. And the people at the top are the ones who are responsible.
But second, and far more important, getting laid off means that you have screwed up too.
If your boss was a fool, you should have seen it a long time ago and began looking for another job. If the company was being mismanaged into the ground, you should have quit and gone with a smarter bunch of people.
Or, as I see time and time again, if the industry itself was changing, than you needed to change even faster.
The Los Angeles Times has a piece today about the growing number of layoffs in the newspaper industry. And I read it with what I found to be a surprising lack of sympathy. The article is filled with phrases such as "collective funk," "dispirited" and "falling morale." But the article doesn't even mention what has caused the "problems" in the print industry -- a remarkable and fascinating shift in which new forms of storytelling have emerged and where the audience has become part of the news-gathering process. The news business has become a conversation -- and that may be the most exciting thing that has ever happened to us. But the L.A. Times piece has nothing to contribute to this conversation other than whining and self pity.
If you want to work in editorial, then you're going to have to accept that change is here. Learn to be one of those journalists that your publisher needs to help navigate the new world. If you haven't mastered multimedia skills, do so. If you're not participating in the conversation about conversational media, do so.
If you're not interested in changing, then get ready for that pink slip.
tags: journalism, b2b, media, trade press, magazines, newsletters, conversational media
At its core, a layoff tells you two things.
First, your bosses have screwed up. What was once a successful business (or at least an optimistic business plan) has turned sour. Profit has turned to loss. Opportunities have been missed. Investments have been squandered. And the people at the top are the ones who are responsible.
But second, and far more important, getting laid off means that you have screwed up too.
If your boss was a fool, you should have seen it a long time ago and began looking for another job. If the company was being mismanaged into the ground, you should have quit and gone with a smarter bunch of people.
Or, as I see time and time again, if the industry itself was changing, than you needed to change even faster.
The Los Angeles Times has a piece today about the growing number of layoffs in the newspaper industry. And I read it with what I found to be a surprising lack of sympathy. The article is filled with phrases such as "collective funk," "dispirited" and "falling morale." But the article doesn't even mention what has caused the "problems" in the print industry -- a remarkable and fascinating shift in which new forms of storytelling have emerged and where the audience has become part of the news-gathering process. The news business has become a conversation -- and that may be the most exciting thing that has ever happened to us. But the L.A. Times piece has nothing to contribute to this conversation other than whining and self pity.
If you want to work in editorial, then you're going to have to accept that change is here. Learn to be one of those journalists that your publisher needs to help navigate the new world. If you haven't mastered multimedia skills, do so. If you're not participating in the conversation about conversational media, do so.
If you're not interested in changing, then get ready for that pink slip.
tags: journalism, b2b, media, trade press, magazines, newsletters, conversational media
Monday, October 10, 2005
Instablogs stumbles, but the threat remains
Longtime readers of this blog know I like to warn B2B publishers that they face a competitive threat from standalone journalists -- sources, ex-employees and others who use the tools of citizen journalism to bring their work directly to users.
If you're a B2B journalist, you should be aware of the new opportunities you have now.
If you're a B2B publisher, you should be worried about these new standalone competitors taking away your business.
But whoever you are, it doesn't look like you have to worry about Instablogs.
Instablogs is a new collection of single-topic blogs -- some of which cover the business world. Among them are sites about the advertising and outsourcing industries.
But the network has stumbled badly in its opening days...and I'm just not seeing anything that would indicate the blogs have enough professionalism or passion to make a go of it.
First, I agree with Steve Outing at Poynter that publishing the blogs anonymously is a bad idea. I'm sure Instablogs has the same concern that I think B2B publishers should have -- letting a single person become the voice of your product leaves you vulnerable to the whims of that same single person. But running a blog that doesn't conform to the culture of the blogging world -- personal and transparent -- is a bigger mistake.
More importantly, whoever these anonymous bloggers are, it appears they aren't the most professional bunch around. Instablogs has already issued an apology for plagiarizing other writers. But in what I've already come to think of as Instablogs' flawed style, the apology itself is not transparent. In other words, it doesn't tell me what happened. It doesn't tell me why it happened. It doesn't even tell me what the offensive blog was.
Instablogs is getting crucified in the blogging world. I'll be surprised if this experiment lasts much longer.
But that doesn't mean that B2B publishers are off the hook. The threat from a new generation of entrepreneurial journalists -- many of whom already have name recognition in the industry you cover -- has arrived.
(ADDENDUM -- About two hours after I wrote this post, Instablogs responded to my complaint about the lack of transparency in the apology on their site. You can see their response here or by following the link in the comment section below. I'd like to give Instablogs credit for a rapid and professional response. Thanks folks.)
tags: journalism, b2b, media, trade press, magazines, advertising, entrepreneurial journalism, standalone journalism
If you're a B2B journalist, you should be aware of the new opportunities you have now.
If you're a B2B publisher, you should be worried about these new standalone competitors taking away your business.
But whoever you are, it doesn't look like you have to worry about Instablogs.
Instablogs is a new collection of single-topic blogs -- some of which cover the business world. Among them are sites about the advertising and outsourcing industries.
But the network has stumbled badly in its opening days...and I'm just not seeing anything that would indicate the blogs have enough professionalism or passion to make a go of it.
First, I agree with Steve Outing at Poynter that publishing the blogs anonymously is a bad idea. I'm sure Instablogs has the same concern that I think B2B publishers should have -- letting a single person become the voice of your product leaves you vulnerable to the whims of that same single person. But running a blog that doesn't conform to the culture of the blogging world -- personal and transparent -- is a bigger mistake.
More importantly, whoever these anonymous bloggers are, it appears they aren't the most professional bunch around. Instablogs has already issued an apology for plagiarizing other writers. But in what I've already come to think of as Instablogs' flawed style, the apology itself is not transparent. In other words, it doesn't tell me what happened. It doesn't tell me why it happened. It doesn't even tell me what the offensive blog was.
Instablogs is getting crucified in the blogging world. I'll be surprised if this experiment lasts much longer.
But that doesn't mean that B2B publishers are off the hook. The threat from a new generation of entrepreneurial journalists -- many of whom already have name recognition in the industry you cover -- has arrived.
(ADDENDUM -- About two hours after I wrote this post, Instablogs responded to my complaint about the lack of transparency in the apology on their site. You can see their response here or by following the link in the comment section below. I'd like to give Instablogs credit for a rapid and professional response. Thanks folks.)
tags: journalism, b2b, media, trade press, magazines, advertising, entrepreneurial journalism, standalone journalism
Friday, October 07, 2005
Kansas City's role in trade magazine history
I work from my home in Brooklyn. But years ago I worked in the suburbs of Kansas City for Vance Publishing. And there was much I loved about that life. The commute was easy. The folks I met were friendlier. And, although it bothers many of my fellow B2B journalists in New York when I say it -- my coworkers were generally of a higher caliber than can be found elsewhere.
I've written before about why I think Kansas City is one of the best possible places in the U.S. to practice trade journalism.
Now the Kansas City Star has published an interesting piece on the history of trade publishing in that city. It's worth a read, and I'd urge folks to take the time to see how our game became so big in the Midwest.
Also take a look at fellow B2B blogger David Shaw's take on the cities of B2B.
tags: journalism, b2b, media, trade press, magazines
I've written before about why I think Kansas City is one of the best possible places in the U.S. to practice trade journalism.
Now the Kansas City Star has published an interesting piece on the history of trade publishing in that city. It's worth a read, and I'd urge folks to take the time to see how our game became so big in the Midwest.
Also take a look at fellow B2B blogger David Shaw's take on the cities of B2B.
tags: journalism, b2b, media, trade press, magazines
Wednesday, October 05, 2005
More awards for B2B magazines
Folio magazine has announced the finalists for its annual Eddie and Ozzie awards. (The Eddies are sort of unusual -- they measure a magazine's performance against its own mission statement. The Ozzies are for magazine design.)
Longtime readers of this blog won't be surprised by the results. Some of my favorite magazines have done well in the Folio contests. CMO, for example, which may be the best overall publication in B2B, picked up four Ozzie nominations and one Eddie. CFO magazine, which I also adore, picked up three Ozzie nominations. And Millimeter, which has made some interesting moves on the Web, picked up an Eddie nomination.
But the biggest winner appears to be Bloomberg Wealth Manager, which picked up five Ozzie nominations.
Congratulations to all.
(DISCLOSURE: I do some consulting with Chief Marketer, which is owned by the recently sold Primedia Business. Chief Marketer competes with CMO. Millimeter is also a Primedia property. And although I don't work with that magazine now, I'm the former vice president of online content for Primedia Business. In addition, I used to work for Bloomberg, but did not work with Bloomberg Wealth Manager.)
tags: journalism, b2b, media, trade press, magazines
Longtime readers of this blog won't be surprised by the results. Some of my favorite magazines have done well in the Folio contests. CMO, for example, which may be the best overall publication in B2B, picked up four Ozzie nominations and one Eddie. CFO magazine, which I also adore, picked up three Ozzie nominations. And Millimeter, which has made some interesting moves on the Web, picked up an Eddie nomination.
But the biggest winner appears to be Bloomberg Wealth Manager, which picked up five Ozzie nominations.
Congratulations to all.
(DISCLOSURE: I do some consulting with Chief Marketer, which is owned by the recently sold Primedia Business. Chief Marketer competes with CMO. Millimeter is also a Primedia property. And although I don't work with that magazine now, I'm the former vice president of online content for Primedia Business. In addition, I used to work for Bloomberg, but did not work with Bloomberg Wealth Manager.)
tags: journalism, b2b, media, trade press, magazines
The poetry of content
"B2B writing,/ print, online or in email,/ would be prettier/ if more of us gave more thought/ to beauty than to word count."
You like that? It's my attempt at Tanka poetry, an ancient form of writing that has newfound popularity. In a lovely and unexpected development, young people in Japan have taken to sending Tanka text messages via cellphone. The Tanka craze is the latest example of consumers creating new forms of media from new types of technology. I'm always delighted by such things..and often amazed by the speed at which they arrive.
There are lessons here for B2B journalists and publishers. And at least one of them is something that I've written about before: the line between content producers and content audiences has disappeared.
But perhaps more important, we in B2B media should note that a new generation has emerged that has a true love of the written word. I'm old enough to remember when pundits bemoaned that young people had no interest in writing. When I was in college, it was common to complain that "no one writes letters anymore." But today, young people write...and read...letters at an extraordinary rate. Granted, those "letters" come in forms we couldn't have imagined just a few years ago -- email and instant messaging. And granted, these new forms have new rules that can confuse old-timers. But although the forms have changed, the center has held. Writing is still writing. And writing, when done well, is still poetry.
Tuesday, October 04, 2005
Awards and honors in B2B media
I missed a few things of interest while I was away last week.
1.) There was more acquisitions news, as my friends David Shaw and Paul Woodward reported.
2.) Trade association American Business Media announced the winners of its B2B advertising awards. (I had been looking forward to actually seeing the winners, but no one yet has seemed to think of putting the ads on the Creative Excellence in Business Advertising Web site or linking to them from the ABM press release.)
3.) And, most interesting to me, Folio announced its Dream Team of the best minds in magazine publishing.
Remarkably, I didn't make the list. But I'm sure that's only because Folio didn't have a category for best-looking consultant. But I'm not going to complain, because Folio did agree with my nomination for best editor-in-chief in B2B publishing -- Whitney Sielaff of National Jeweler. Longtime readers of this blog know I'm a fan of Whitney's work and an admirer of his career. The Dream Team honor is well deserved.
1.) There was more acquisitions news, as my friends David Shaw and Paul Woodward reported.
2.) Trade association American Business Media announced the winners of its B2B advertising awards. (I had been looking forward to actually seeing the winners, but no one yet has seemed to think of putting the ads on the Creative Excellence in Business Advertising Web site or linking to them from the ABM press release.)
3.) And, most interesting to me, Folio announced its Dream Team of the best minds in magazine publishing.
Remarkably, I didn't make the list. But I'm sure that's only because Folio didn't have a category for best-looking consultant. But I'm not going to complain, because Folio did agree with my nomination for best editor-in-chief in B2B publishing -- Whitney Sielaff of National Jeweler. Longtime readers of this blog know I'm a fan of Whitney's work and an admirer of his career. The Dream Team honor is well deserved.
tags: journalism, b2b, media, trade press, magazines, advertising
Monday, October 03, 2005
Writing with words, talking with pictures
Last week, while on vacation, I stood on a street corner in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, waiting for the light to change. And I was shocked to find that I was staring at an electronic sign that said "Don't Walk." Perhaps much of the country still has those things, but it has been ages since I've noticed one. I've grown accustomed to the graphic version, popular around the world, where a red hand tells me not to walk and a white outline tells me I'm free to cross. I'm not even shocked anymore when I find an artist here in New York has modified one of the graphic symbols.
But pedestrian directions in word form surprised me. It seemed old-fashioned, silly.
I thought of that again this morning as I read about an exhibit at the Science, Industry and Business Library of the New York Public Library about differences in advertising from medium to medium. Among the more notable observations is that online advertising -- more visual than radio or TV -- has more in common with print ads than it would first appear, using visual wit and "grabby graphics" to capture attention. At the same time, one lesson of the exhibit is that "the best online ads are not only visual but also kinesthetic."
There's a lesson here not only for the folks in the advertising department, but for editorial types as well. Interactivity, movement, graphical representations and visual presentation are the hallmarks of compelling online storytelling. Dropping text on a Web page does not create an online product. It's just a jarring reminder -- like a "Don't Walk" sign -- that things are out of date.
For a look at someone who understands the visual world of online storytelling, check out the beta version of CNET's redesign.
tags: journalism, b2b, media, trade press, magazines, advertising
But pedestrian directions in word form surprised me. It seemed old-fashioned, silly.
I thought of that again this morning as I read about an exhibit at the Science, Industry and Business Library of the New York Public Library about differences in advertising from medium to medium. Among the more notable observations is that online advertising -- more visual than radio or TV -- has more in common with print ads than it would first appear, using visual wit and "grabby graphics" to capture attention. At the same time, one lesson of the exhibit is that "the best online ads are not only visual but also kinesthetic."
There's a lesson here not only for the folks in the advertising department, but for editorial types as well. Interactivity, movement, graphical representations and visual presentation are the hallmarks of compelling online storytelling. Dropping text on a Web page does not create an online product. It's just a jarring reminder -- like a "Don't Walk" sign -- that things are out of date.
For a look at someone who understands the visual world of online storytelling, check out the beta version of CNET's redesign.
tags: journalism, b2b, media, trade press, magazines, advertising
Friday, September 23, 2005
Time for change, time for a break
For reasons that I'll probably never fully understand, I still live my life on an academic calendar. Perhaps it's a function of being raised in Boston, where each September brought thousands of new students to town. I never much cared for summer. It was too hot. And even as a child, summer seemed wasteful. Summer, it seemed, was for the less bright, the less ambitious.
But autumn was something else entirely. The city filed with students. And Boston seemed as full of promise as they did.
I left school a long time ago. But summer still bores me. And each September leaves me craving change, a new start. In the Septembers since I left grad school, I have moved seven times, started four new jobs and launched two businesses.
And as much as September leaves me yearning for something new, it also points me back toward the past. I miss New England in the fall. I want to be home in September, to see leaves of changing colors.
This year is no exception. Come morning, my love and I are heading out for vacation. We're driving north, leaving Brooklyn behind, and heading to the Berkshires. We'll do some hiking, sleep outdoors and take measure of what is important. It's September, when my year starts, and I'll begin anew in the mountains of New England.
Just a few days ago, I severed ties with OPIS, a publisher of B2B newsletters. It is September, after all, and time for change.
When I return in a week, my working life will be new. I'll be doing more consulting with Chief Marketer, an online product owned by Primedia Business. I'd done some work on that project in the past, but I've now been given the opportunity to increase my participation.
In the meantime, I don't expect to post much, if anything, to this blog.
I'll talk with you all again in October.
tags: journalism, b2b, media, trade press, magazines, newsletters
But autumn was something else entirely. The city filed with students. And Boston seemed as full of promise as they did.
I left school a long time ago. But summer still bores me. And each September leaves me craving change, a new start. In the Septembers since I left grad school, I have moved seven times, started four new jobs and launched two businesses.
And as much as September leaves me yearning for something new, it also points me back toward the past. I miss New England in the fall. I want to be home in September, to see leaves of changing colors.
This year is no exception. Come morning, my love and I are heading out for vacation. We're driving north, leaving Brooklyn behind, and heading to the Berkshires. We'll do some hiking, sleep outdoors and take measure of what is important. It's September, when my year starts, and I'll begin anew in the mountains of New England.
Just a few days ago, I severed ties with OPIS, a publisher of B2B newsletters. It is September, after all, and time for change.
When I return in a week, my working life will be new. I'll be doing more consulting with Chief Marketer, an online product owned by Primedia Business. I'd done some work on that project in the past, but I've now been given the opportunity to increase my participation.
In the meantime, I don't expect to post much, if anything, to this blog.
I'll talk with you all again in October.
tags: journalism, b2b, media, trade press, magazines, newsletters
Thursday, September 22, 2005
More on B2B journalism and Katrina
There has been considerable -- and well-deserved -- praise given to the mainstream media for its coverage of Hurricane Katrina. In particular, the tale of the Times-Picayune has captured the attention of the nation.
Industry watchers say Katrina may be remembered as a turning point in American media. The storm may have renewed mainstream media at the same time it introduced citizen media to millions of consumers.
But also worth noting is the response to the storm of B2B media.
As discussed here and here, the world of business-to-business publishing has tried to lend a hand to those affected by the storm. And most every day I hear word of other programs from trade publishers aimed at helping out.
I'm glad to see such kindness from our industry. And I applaud everyone who has gotten involved.
And I'll also take this opportunity to applaud Firehouse.com for its coverage of the storm. Take a look at this blog and the accompanying slideshow about an editor's journey with a rescue squad. And ask yourself if Katrina may also be remembered as the time when B2B journalism learned to embrace the immediacy of citizen journalism.
(FULL DISCLOSURE: Firehouse is owned by Cygnus Business Media. This summer I had the opportunity to teach a two-day seminar at Cygnus. Some of Firehouse's staff attended those sessions. But I can't take credit for anything the magazine has done in the wake of Katrina. The folks at Firehouse had a solid understanding of the potency of online storytelling long before they met me.)
Industry watchers say Katrina may be remembered as a turning point in American media. The storm may have renewed mainstream media at the same time it introduced citizen media to millions of consumers.
But also worth noting is the response to the storm of B2B media.
As discussed here and here, the world of business-to-business publishing has tried to lend a hand to those affected by the storm. And most every day I hear word of other programs from trade publishers aimed at helping out.
I'm glad to see such kindness from our industry. And I applaud everyone who has gotten involved.
And I'll also take this opportunity to applaud Firehouse.com for its coverage of the storm. Take a look at this blog and the accompanying slideshow about an editor's journey with a rescue squad. And ask yourself if Katrina may also be remembered as the time when B2B journalism learned to embrace the immediacy of citizen journalism.
(FULL DISCLOSURE: Firehouse is owned by Cygnus Business Media. This summer I had the opportunity to teach a two-day seminar at Cygnus. Some of Firehouse's staff attended those sessions. But I can't take credit for anything the magazine has done in the wake of Katrina. The folks at Firehouse had a solid understanding of the potency of online storytelling long before they met me.)
tags: journalism, b2b, media, trade press, magazines, advertising
Wednesday, September 21, 2005
Stealing stories
Every reporter knows what this is like: You break a big story. And the following day some rival organization takes your story, confirms it, and then publishes it as its own.
In daily newspapers, it's often the local TV station that "steals" stories and doesn't give credit.
In the B2B press, it's often the mainstream press that does the stealing.
And although I have heard a lot of reporters over the years complain about the practice, I've never seen anyone fight back until now.
Look at what Rafat Ali says about how the Wall Street Journal is taking stories from his PaidContent site and not giving credit.
The answer to this problem -- just as it is the answer to many of journalism's problems -- is transparency. If we can all learn to be more open about how we work, we will all wind up producing more truthful and professional work.
If you're unclear about how to attribute a story that someone else broke, use the phrase "was first reported in," as seen here and here.
ADDENDUM. 9/22: As reported in Cyberjournalist, the Wall Street Journal has seen the error of its ways.
tags: journalism, b2b, media, trade press, magazines
In daily newspapers, it's often the local TV station that "steals" stories and doesn't give credit.
In the B2B press, it's often the mainstream press that does the stealing.
And although I have heard a lot of reporters over the years complain about the practice, I've never seen anyone fight back until now.
Look at what Rafat Ali says about how the Wall Street Journal is taking stories from his PaidContent site and not giving credit.
The answer to this problem -- just as it is the answer to many of journalism's problems -- is transparency. If we can all learn to be more open about how we work, we will all wind up producing more truthful and professional work.
If you're unclear about how to attribute a story that someone else broke, use the phrase "was first reported in," as seen here and here.
ADDENDUM. 9/22: As reported in Cyberjournalist, the Wall Street Journal has seen the error of its ways.
tags: journalism, b2b, media, trade press, magazines
Tuesday, September 20, 2005
Changes at ICIS; changes for me
Reed Business' ICIS unit is rebranding its Chemical News and Intelligence service and adding coverage of the oil industry. The news operation, now known as ICISnews, has reporters based in London, Houston, Singapore, Shanghai, Moscow, Buenos Aires, Washington and New York.
It's a little unclear to me how much of the service is actually new. Chemical News and other Reed properties have been global players for quite some time in the chemical world. Reed's Chemical Market Reporter has been around for more than 130 years. And Reed already publishes some newsletters about petroleum product prices. Nonetheless, the new ICIS does seem to be offering something that the old Chemical News service did not -- daily news stories from around the globe about the petroleum industry.
That's good news for journalists. The new ICISnews may offer some interesting job opportunities for B2B reporters and editors. It's also good news for traders and others in the petroleum business, because information is vital in a market where a move of a penny can cost millions around the globe.
But it's bad news for those companies that already cover the petroleum industry -- notably Reuters, Platts, Pennwell and OPIS.
Now this is normally where I would disclose my ties to newsletter publisher OPIS, as I have in earlier posts. But those ties were severed just yesterday.
I'd been arguing that OPIS was vulnerable to new competition because its products were old-fashioned (the electronic publications are text only), often shoddy (many OPIS products are published without being edited) and unprofessional (in-house ads are run inside of news copy.) But I failed in my attempts to impose some of my beliefs about quality B2B journalism. First and foremost, I failed to convince the company of the need to edit copy. So OPIS and I have parted ways.
Now it would certainly be fun if I could say that ICISnews is exactly the sort of threat to OPIS that I envisioned. But that wouldn't be true.
ICIS will compete against OPIS in some limited areas, including feedstocks and crude oil. But ICIS isn't going after the core of OPIS' revenue -- news and pricing data from the wholesale gasoline market. OPIS is nearly all alone in that niche. Although a few competitors have risen over the years, they've been other Mom and Pop operations (sometimes started by OPIS employees) with similar less-than-stellar products. OPIS has beaten them back.
But I remain convinced that some new competitor will emerge in that space -- most likely someone such as Reed that is already the benchmark player in similar markets -- and take advantage of OPIS' weaknesses.
In the meantime, I'm off to new challenges. I'll post more about those in the next few days.
It's a little unclear to me how much of the service is actually new. Chemical News and other Reed properties have been global players for quite some time in the chemical world. Reed's Chemical Market Reporter has been around for more than 130 years. And Reed already publishes some newsletters about petroleum product prices. Nonetheless, the new ICIS does seem to be offering something that the old Chemical News service did not -- daily news stories from around the globe about the petroleum industry.
That's good news for journalists. The new ICISnews may offer some interesting job opportunities for B2B reporters and editors. It's also good news for traders and others in the petroleum business, because information is vital in a market where a move of a penny can cost millions around the globe.
But it's bad news for those companies that already cover the petroleum industry -- notably Reuters, Platts, Pennwell and OPIS.
Now this is normally where I would disclose my ties to newsletter publisher OPIS, as I have in earlier posts. But those ties were severed just yesterday.
I'd been arguing that OPIS was vulnerable to new competition because its products were old-fashioned (the electronic publications are text only), often shoddy (many OPIS products are published without being edited) and unprofessional (in-house ads are run inside of news copy.) But I failed in my attempts to impose some of my beliefs about quality B2B journalism. First and foremost, I failed to convince the company of the need to edit copy. So OPIS and I have parted ways.
Now it would certainly be fun if I could say that ICISnews is exactly the sort of threat to OPIS that I envisioned. But that wouldn't be true.
ICIS will compete against OPIS in some limited areas, including feedstocks and crude oil. But ICIS isn't going after the core of OPIS' revenue -- news and pricing data from the wholesale gasoline market. OPIS is nearly all alone in that niche. Although a few competitors have risen over the years, they've been other Mom and Pop operations (sometimes started by OPIS employees) with similar less-than-stellar products. OPIS has beaten them back.
But I remain convinced that some new competitor will emerge in that space -- most likely someone such as Reed that is already the benchmark player in similar markets -- and take advantage of OPIS' weaknesses.
In the meantime, I'm off to new challenges. I'll post more about those in the next few days.
tags: journalism, b2b, media, trade press, magazines, advertising
Monday, September 19, 2005
New plans, new media, new Web
I've spent some time in recent days feeling nostalgic for my time at CNN.fn.com, the online business-news site that is now known as CNN.Money.com. I was a producer there in the early days of the Internet boom. I worked with a slew of exceedingly bright people and we created some remarkably good work.
I've been thinking about the past because of an announcement about the future -- Time Warner plans to combine all of its business magazine Web sites into a single property under the banner of CNN.Money.
The move makes sense in at least one way -- editorial operations will be run by CNN.Money, which is a far superior site to anything else in the Time Warner universe.
And the consolidation was predictable, because Time Warner's Web operations continue to be roiled by corporate infighting. The purchase of AOL created open warfare among executives looking to control the conglomerate's new media offerings. There has never been peace. And it seems to me that battles are often fought solely for executive glory. So the latest decision may be nothing more than the result of corporate warfare; the new CNNMoney may prove to be an unmanageable mess held together, temporarily, by some leader's will and arrogance -- a sort of post-war Yugoslavia for the Internet.
Interestingly, Time Warner says the move is driven by advertising. And I'll confess to being confused by that. Take a look at what Prescott Shibles, the smartest guy who ever worked for me, thinks about Time Warner's ad plans.
But while I was reminiscing about CNNfn and contemplating the future, I had a thought worth exploring that may shed some light on what Time Warner is doing.
I worked the late shift at CNNfn, taking over the site a few hours after the markets closed in New York. I started my commute into Manhattan at around 3 p.m. or so, and just before I left my apartment each day I "synched" my Palm Pilot using a software system called AvantGo. The software would drop all of CNNfn's stories into my PDA. And I'd read those stories on the train. By the time I arrived at work, I was up to speed on everything we had covered around the globe while I slept.
Today I think of that software as an early warning of what I think now is a fundamental shift in information distribution. As I've written before, content is separating from its containers. RSS, podcasting, etc. are indicators of a new world where content moves outside the confines of a single Web site, magazine or device.
In this new world, a Web site becomes less important than the individual pieces of content that once lived on it. And thus, for someone like Time Warner, it becomes less important to operate a series of Web sites for each of its brands.
Instead, it may make more sense to consolidate all the content on a single site -- knowing that even that lone site is likely to grow less relevant with time -- and work on ways to distribute, monetize and brand content that moves across platforms. In other words, Time Warner may be making the exact right move -- dumping a bunch of unneeded Web sites and moving electronic content under the control of the smartest Web guys at the company.
For Businessweek's take on the new culture of the Web, click here.
I've been thinking about the past because of an announcement about the future -- Time Warner plans to combine all of its business magazine Web sites into a single property under the banner of CNN.Money.
The move makes sense in at least one way -- editorial operations will be run by CNN.Money, which is a far superior site to anything else in the Time Warner universe.
And the consolidation was predictable, because Time Warner's Web operations continue to be roiled by corporate infighting. The purchase of AOL created open warfare among executives looking to control the conglomerate's new media offerings. There has never been peace. And it seems to me that battles are often fought solely for executive glory. So the latest decision may be nothing more than the result of corporate warfare; the new CNNMoney may prove to be an unmanageable mess held together, temporarily, by some leader's will and arrogance -- a sort of post-war Yugoslavia for the Internet.
Interestingly, Time Warner says the move is driven by advertising. And I'll confess to being confused by that. Take a look at what Prescott Shibles, the smartest guy who ever worked for me, thinks about Time Warner's ad plans.
But while I was reminiscing about CNNfn and contemplating the future, I had a thought worth exploring that may shed some light on what Time Warner is doing.
I worked the late shift at CNNfn, taking over the site a few hours after the markets closed in New York. I started my commute into Manhattan at around 3 p.m. or so, and just before I left my apartment each day I "synched" my Palm Pilot using a software system called AvantGo. The software would drop all of CNNfn's stories into my PDA. And I'd read those stories on the train. By the time I arrived at work, I was up to speed on everything we had covered around the globe while I slept.
Today I think of that software as an early warning of what I think now is a fundamental shift in information distribution. As I've written before, content is separating from its containers. RSS, podcasting, etc. are indicators of a new world where content moves outside the confines of a single Web site, magazine or device.
In this new world, a Web site becomes less important than the individual pieces of content that once lived on it. And thus, for someone like Time Warner, it becomes less important to operate a series of Web sites for each of its brands.
Instead, it may make more sense to consolidate all the content on a single site -- knowing that even that lone site is likely to grow less relevant with time -- and work on ways to distribute, monetize and brand content that moves across platforms. In other words, Time Warner may be making the exact right move -- dumping a bunch of unneeded Web sites and moving electronic content under the control of the smartest Web guys at the company.
For Businessweek's take on the new culture of the Web, click here.
tags: journalism, b2b, media, trade press, magazines
Thursday, September 15, 2005
Journalists as entrepreneurs
I've been talking for awhile about the competitive threat that B2B publishers face from their own staff. As I've said here and here and here, the tools of citizen journalism enable everyone to be a publisher. A journalist no longer needs a middleman to communicate with an audience.
And it looks like at least one major player in media shares my belief.
According to a post on the ASBPE Boston Blog, Tony Silber, editor and publisher of Folio magazine quoted me in a recent speech in which he predicted that entrepreneurship will be the next publishing trend. (Thanks Tony!)
Now the simple truth is that there are lots of people in this industry who don't listen to me. And that's fine. Not that I'm ever wrong. But on very, very, very rare occasions, I've been less than fully correct.
But not listening to what Tony has to say would be a move of remarkable stupidity. So my guess is that business-to-business publishers may now start to pay more attention to what citizen journalism means for them.
tags: journalism, b2b, media, trade press, magazines, entrepreneurial journalism, standalone journalism
And it looks like at least one major player in media shares my belief.
According to a post on the ASBPE Boston Blog, Tony Silber, editor and publisher of Folio magazine quoted me in a recent speech in which he predicted that entrepreneurship will be the next publishing trend. (Thanks Tony!)
Now the simple truth is that there are lots of people in this industry who don't listen to me. And that's fine. Not that I'm ever wrong. But on very, very, very rare occasions, I've been less than fully correct.
But not listening to what Tony has to say would be a move of remarkable stupidity. So my guess is that business-to-business publishers may now start to pay more attention to what citizen journalism means for them.
tags: journalism, b2b, media, trade press, magazines, entrepreneurial journalism, standalone journalism
Rex, some magazines and Katrina
Magazine executive and blogger extraordinaire Rex of Rexblog has "adopted" a magazine publishing company that has been displaced by Hurricane Katrina.
Romney and Charley Richard are the publishers of "Louisiana Cookin'" as well as a B2B publication called "Sugar Journal." And they were forced from their home and offices by the storm.
Rex is looking for volunteers from our industry to help in the efforts to keep the magazines operating. Rex has created a site called keepcookin.org about his plans (although the site couldn't be reached when I tried this morning. If it's still down when you try, you can also reach Rex through Rexblog or his business site.)
For some other assistance efforts by B2B publishers and journalists, look at this earlier post and the comment section.
Romney and Charley Richard are the publishers of "Louisiana Cookin'" as well as a B2B publication called "Sugar Journal." And they were forced from their home and offices by the storm.
Rex is looking for volunteers from our industry to help in the efforts to keep the magazines operating. Rex has created a site called keepcookin.org about his plans (although the site couldn't be reached when I tried this morning. If it's still down when you try, you can also reach Rex through Rexblog or his business site.)
For some other assistance efforts by B2B publishers and journalists, look at this earlier post and the comment section.
tags: journalism, b2b, media, trade press, magazines, advertising, louisianacookin, keepcooking.org
Wednesday, September 14, 2005
More suggestions on journalism ethics
I'm really starting to think that B2B journalism is making some progress on ethics. I was pleased to see the topic is on the agenda at ABM's "Top Management Meeting," scheduled for Nov. 14-16 in Chicago. Rance Crain, president of Crain Communications, is hosting a one-hour session called "Editorial Integrity: Under Assault?" On the dais with Crain are Terry Evans, associate executive editor of Home Channel News; Pat Panchak, editor-in-chief of IndustryWeek; and B2B media's ethics hero -- Whitney Sielaff, editorial director and publisher of National Jeweler.
I'm afraid I won't be there. But I'd urge any of this blog's readers who can attend the meeting to make an effort to get to the ethics session.
Regular readers of this blog know that I've written quite a bit of late about ethics. I've published my thoughts on how to handle unethical requests by coworkers or advertisers.
I've applauded ASBPE for its decision to update its ethics guidelines, and did the same several months earlier when ABM issued its new guidelines. I've condemned the gross violators in our industry, and pointed with disgust at the unethical types who claim to lead us.
I'd like to think that my discussions of integrity in B2B journalism have some value; I'd like to think that my opinions have some influence. That's why I'm going to make a suggestion to the folks on the panel in Chicago (and to the board of ASBPE as it reworks that group's guidelines.).
No doubt much of the talk in Chicago will be about the blurring of lines between advertising and editorial. And I thank you for that in advance. I applaud any discussion aimed at recommitting B2B publishing to a clear line between those two worlds. I've spoken to too many journalists of late who face growing pressure from the dark side.
But I'm also going to ask that the panelists take on one of the trickier areas in B2B journalism ethics: the use of anonymous sources. I'm convinced that we are doing damage to our reputations through the casual and unjustified use of anonymity. And it's not a problem we can blame on the advertising staff.
I'll also ask that the panelists give some thought to the difficult area of reporting on our own companies -- for time and again I find that otherwise good companies stumble by confusing press releases with news, and by cutting corners for themselves that they wouldn't cut for others.
And I'll suggest that the answer to both problems can be found in the post-objectivity movement and Dan Gillmor's work on transparency.
I'm afraid I won't be there. But I'd urge any of this blog's readers who can attend the meeting to make an effort to get to the ethics session.
Regular readers of this blog know that I've written quite a bit of late about ethics. I've published my thoughts on how to handle unethical requests by coworkers or advertisers.
I've applauded ASBPE for its decision to update its ethics guidelines, and did the same several months earlier when ABM issued its new guidelines. I've condemned the gross violators in our industry, and pointed with disgust at the unethical types who claim to lead us.
I'd like to think that my discussions of integrity in B2B journalism have some value; I'd like to think that my opinions have some influence. That's why I'm going to make a suggestion to the folks on the panel in Chicago (and to the board of ASBPE as it reworks that group's guidelines.).
No doubt much of the talk in Chicago will be about the blurring of lines between advertising and editorial. And I thank you for that in advance. I applaud any discussion aimed at recommitting B2B publishing to a clear line between those two worlds. I've spoken to too many journalists of late who face growing pressure from the dark side.
But I'm also going to ask that the panelists take on one of the trickier areas in B2B journalism ethics: the use of anonymous sources. I'm convinced that we are doing damage to our reputations through the casual and unjustified use of anonymity. And it's not a problem we can blame on the advertising staff.
I'll also ask that the panelists give some thought to the difficult area of reporting on our own companies -- for time and again I find that otherwise good companies stumble by confusing press releases with news, and by cutting corners for themselves that they wouldn't cut for others.
And I'll suggest that the answer to both problems can be found in the post-objectivity movement and Dan Gillmor's work on transparency.
tags: journalism, b2b, media, trade press, magazines, journalism ethics,
advertising
Monday, September 12, 2005
Video clips for B2B news sites
Short-form video offerings -- brief clips of news or entertainment content distributed via the Web -- "are booming," according to the Wall Street Journal. The article suggests that as broadband penetration rises, the online medium becomes more video friendly.
More importantly, technology has put video production -- once the sole domain of those with TV studios and millions of dollars worth of equipment -- in the hands of everyone. Just as blogging means that anyone can now be a publisher, vlogging means that anyone can produce a TV newscast.
Some B2B publishers understand the potential.
You can find video offerings on CMO's Web site. CNET has tons of video. And Variety offers videos as well, although the publication recently downsized that department.
But most of our industry seems not to have noticed that video production has suddenly become easy and inexpensive. That's disappointing, but not surprising. Regular readers of this blog know that I have complained again and again that much of our industry doesn't seem to have a clue about even the basics of multimedia storytelling.
If you're a B2B journalist, it's well past the time for you to master multimedia skills -- if for no other reason than to increase your pay.
If you want to see one version of the journalist of tomorrow, keep your eyes on what Yahoo and Kevin Sites will do.
And if you want to see the video clip -- strange, lovely, addictive and otherworldly -- that I've been playing compulsively the past few days, click here.
tags: journalism, b2b, media, trade press, magazines
More importantly, technology has put video production -- once the sole domain of those with TV studios and millions of dollars worth of equipment -- in the hands of everyone. Just as blogging means that anyone can now be a publisher, vlogging means that anyone can produce a TV newscast.
Some B2B publishers understand the potential.
You can find video offerings on CMO's Web site. CNET has tons of video. And Variety offers videos as well, although the publication recently downsized that department.
But most of our industry seems not to have noticed that video production has suddenly become easy and inexpensive. That's disappointing, but not surprising. Regular readers of this blog know that I have complained again and again that much of our industry doesn't seem to have a clue about even the basics of multimedia storytelling.
If you're a B2B journalist, it's well past the time for you to master multimedia skills -- if for no other reason than to increase your pay.
If you want to see one version of the journalist of tomorrow, keep your eyes on what Yahoo and Kevin Sites will do.
And if you want to see the video clip -- strange, lovely, addictive and otherworldly -- that I've been playing compulsively the past few days, click here.
tags: journalism, b2b, media, trade press, magazines
Friday, September 09, 2005
Layoffs at CXO diminsh all of B2B publishing
Now this is discouraging news.
Some 10% of the staff at CXO Media have been laid off, according to Folio magazine.
Layoffs are always bad news. But CXO is the parent of CMO magazine -- which may be the best publication in B2B. I love CMO. And I'm not alone; the magazine has been a big winner in B2B journalism awards this year.
CXO is also the parent of CIO, a magazine I adore nearly as much as CMO.
And CSO, winner of three Neal Awards from ABM this year, is also a CXO property.
So I'm left more broken-hearted by these job losses than I would be by almost any other layoffs anywhere in B2B journalism. For the lesson here is unpleasant -- excellence doesn't protect us.
Granted, CXO says the job cuts are part of restructuring aimed at refocusing on growth areas -- including online. And I tend to agree with strategies that emphasize online over print. Also, Folio says editorial jobs "remain largely untouched" by the layoffs. And that's certainly good news. But other folks on the creative side, including people in the art department, have lost their jobs. I would imagine that every one of these people is talented. CXO's products are lovely, remarkable and extraordinary. And I would imagine that each of them will find new jobs soon.
But that doesn't lessen the loss to our industry. I fear we may be losing something rare and inspirational.
tags: journalism, b2b, media, trade press, magazines
Some 10% of the staff at CXO Media have been laid off, according to Folio magazine.
Layoffs are always bad news. But CXO is the parent of CMO magazine -- which may be the best publication in B2B. I love CMO. And I'm not alone; the magazine has been a big winner in B2B journalism awards this year.
CXO is also the parent of CIO, a magazine I adore nearly as much as CMO.
And CSO, winner of three Neal Awards from ABM this year, is also a CXO property.
So I'm left more broken-hearted by these job losses than I would be by almost any other layoffs anywhere in B2B journalism. For the lesson here is unpleasant -- excellence doesn't protect us.
Granted, CXO says the job cuts are part of restructuring aimed at refocusing on growth areas -- including online. And I tend to agree with strategies that emphasize online over print. Also, Folio says editorial jobs "remain largely untouched" by the layoffs. And that's certainly good news. But other folks on the creative side, including people in the art department, have lost their jobs. I would imagine that every one of these people is talented. CXO's products are lovely, remarkable and extraordinary. And I would imagine that each of them will find new jobs soon.
But that doesn't lessen the loss to our industry. I fear we may be losing something rare and inspirational.
tags: journalism, b2b, media, trade press, magazines
Thursday, September 08, 2005
B2B journalism and Katrina
Three times yesterday people asked me what the B2B publishing industry was doing to help in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
And I had to admit that I had little idea.
That may be because I haven't been paying attention. Or it may be a question of public relations -- some publishers may be taking action, but failing to issue a press release for fear that a public-relations statement would seem ... tacky.
For example, one company that I work with is taking steps to "adopt" a family left homeless by the storm. But the plan is being implemented quietly.
On the other hand, some B2B publishers with clear links to the recovery effort have been very open in their actions. Cygnus' Firehouse.com and Pennwell's Fire Engineering both serve the search and rescue community. Both sites are awash in Katrina coverage and links to charities.
I notice that the Magazine Publishers of America have published a page of ways to help. And ASBPE has a link to the Council of National Journalism Organizations, which is organizing help for journalists who were displaced by the storm.
And I've seen some individual efforts by some of the publications and bloggers that I follow on a regular basis. MeetingsNet, for example, has done interesting work related to New Orleans' convention industry.
If you're interested in helping, start by looking at Prescott Shibles' blog. He has links to finding banner ads for the Red Cross for your site and some discussion of what publications at the former Primedia Business are doing to help the storm's victims.
And I had to admit that I had little idea.
That may be because I haven't been paying attention. Or it may be a question of public relations -- some publishers may be taking action, but failing to issue a press release for fear that a public-relations statement would seem ... tacky.
For example, one company that I work with is taking steps to "adopt" a family left homeless by the storm. But the plan is being implemented quietly.
On the other hand, some B2B publishers with clear links to the recovery effort have been very open in their actions. Cygnus' Firehouse.com and Pennwell's Fire Engineering both serve the search and rescue community. Both sites are awash in Katrina coverage and links to charities.
I notice that the Magazine Publishers of America have published a page of ways to help. And ASBPE has a link to the Council of National Journalism Organizations, which is organizing help for journalists who were displaced by the storm.
And I've seen some individual efforts by some of the publications and bloggers that I follow on a regular basis. MeetingsNet, for example, has done interesting work related to New Orleans' convention industry.
If you're interested in helping, start by looking at Prescott Shibles' blog. He has links to finding banner ads for the Red Cross for your site and some discussion of what publications at the former Primedia Business are doing to help the storm's victims.
tags: journalism, b2b, media, trade press, magazines, advertising
The buying and selling of B2B
I can't keep up anymore.
It seems that everything in B2B publishing is for sale. And what isn't for sale was just sold a few days ago. And anything that hasn't been sold or isn't on sale is looking to buy something else.
Stamats has picked up a new property, according to BtoB Magazine.
101Communications is on the block, according to Folio.
Advanstar just bought some trade shows a few weeks after selling some magazines.
And VNU Business is thinking about a sale too, according to the Deal.
Of course it was the same group that owns the Deal that just bought Primedia Business.
The pace of all this seems ... somehow... too frantic. I believe with all my heart that this is a wonderful time of change in our industry. I'm excited by things such as participatory journalism, standalone journalists, RSS feeds and post-objectivity ethics.
But I'm also nervous. I fear that at a crucial time for our trade, too much attention is being paid to short-term returns.
There is, of course, the additional concern that the sudden arrival of a slew of B2B properties on the market may hurt values. Or, as my friend and fellow B2B blogger puts it: "Can the market bear another large overall deal?"
tags: journalism, b2b, media, trade press, magazines, entrepreneurial journalism, standalone journalism
It seems that everything in B2B publishing is for sale. And what isn't for sale was just sold a few days ago. And anything that hasn't been sold or isn't on sale is looking to buy something else.
Stamats has picked up a new property, according to BtoB Magazine.
101Communications is on the block, according to Folio.
Advanstar just bought some trade shows a few weeks after selling some magazines.
And VNU Business is thinking about a sale too, according to the Deal.
Of course it was the same group that owns the Deal that just bought Primedia Business.
The pace of all this seems ... somehow... too frantic. I believe with all my heart that this is a wonderful time of change in our industry. I'm excited by things such as participatory journalism, standalone journalists, RSS feeds and post-objectivity ethics.
But I'm also nervous. I fear that at a crucial time for our trade, too much attention is being paid to short-term returns.
There is, of course, the additional concern that the sudden arrival of a slew of B2B properties on the market may hurt values. Or, as my friend and fellow B2B blogger puts it: "Can the market bear another large overall deal?"
tags: journalism, b2b, media, trade press, magazines, entrepreneurial journalism, standalone journalism
Wednesday, September 07, 2005
The ugly truth about ugly sites
John Maeda, a professor at MIT's Media Lab, has a new column at Businessweek about design. In today's column, Maeda wrote about a type of trail marker he came across while hiking. I was struck by this line: "The key is to provide the hiker, the user, or the viewer with enough -- but not too much -- information."
I wish that everyone with responsibility for a B2B journalism Web site would spend some time on that same trail, and digest that same lesson about simple design. Because perhaps the most consistently embarrassing thing about our industry is the preponderance of truly garish Web sites.
Take a look, for example, at Cleaning and Maintenance Distribution. The site is an exercise in visual overkill -- blinking ads, poor color choices and non-intuitive navigation. Putting aside the editorial issues -- advertorial copy in the news hole, lack of a feedback function -- and there's only one thing you can say about this site.
It's ugly.
And it's not alone.
I've written about sites that are just ugly, and I've written about sites that seem to not have a clue. And I remain perplexed as to why so much of what B2B publishers do on the Web is so amateurish.
If you're interested in what does and doesn't work in Web design, take a look at the work of Jakob Nielsen and read the Eyetrack study.
If you'd like to see an example of good design from a trade publisher, check out CMO Magazine.
And please take a look at brandchannel -- perhaps the loveliest B2B site on the Web.
tags: journalism, b2b, media, trade press, magazines
I wish that everyone with responsibility for a B2B journalism Web site would spend some time on that same trail, and digest that same lesson about simple design. Because perhaps the most consistently embarrassing thing about our industry is the preponderance of truly garish Web sites.
Take a look, for example, at Cleaning and Maintenance Distribution. The site is an exercise in visual overkill -- blinking ads, poor color choices and non-intuitive navigation. Putting aside the editorial issues -- advertorial copy in the news hole, lack of a feedback function -- and there's only one thing you can say about this site.
It's ugly.
And it's not alone.
I've written about sites that are just ugly, and I've written about sites that seem to not have a clue. And I remain perplexed as to why so much of what B2B publishers do on the Web is so amateurish.
If you're interested in what does and doesn't work in Web design, take a look at the work of Jakob Nielsen and read the Eyetrack study.
If you'd like to see an example of good design from a trade publisher, check out CMO Magazine.
And please take a look at brandchannel -- perhaps the loveliest B2B site on the Web.
tags: journalism, b2b, media, trade press, magazines
Tuesday, September 06, 2005
Your readers are remixing your Web site
Unless you are younger or hipper than the average guy working at a trade magazine, you probably haven't paid much attention to remix artists. But now you have to.
Remix artists take existing work and redo it in a fashion more to their liking. The most well-known example is the "The Phantom Edit," in which a remix artist re-edited the Star Wars film "Phantom Menace" to remove the annoying character Jar-Jar Blinks. Perhaps more interesting is DJ Dangermouse's "The Gray Album," which combines the Beatles "White Album" with Jay Z's "The Black Album."
Remixing has also captured the attention of Web programmers. And there are now plug-in applications available for the Firefox browser that allow readers to see your site the way they want to see it, not the way you want them to see it.
Wired has an interesting article on the enabling technology, known as Greasemonkey, and some of the applications. B2B publishers should take a look. Greasemonkey lets users circumvent two of the major revenue sources of online publishing. First, by downloading a Greasemonkey script I can avoid seeing the ads on your page. Second, I can download scripts that offer up alternatives to any e-commerce applications on your site.
This is powerful, compelling stuff. And publishers ignore it at their peril.
Content is separating from its containers.
Remix artists take existing work and redo it in a fashion more to their liking. The most well-known example is the "The Phantom Edit," in which a remix artist re-edited the Star Wars film "Phantom Menace" to remove the annoying character Jar-Jar Blinks. Perhaps more interesting is DJ Dangermouse's "The Gray Album," which combines the Beatles "White Album" with Jay Z's "The Black Album."
Remixing has also captured the attention of Web programmers. And there are now plug-in applications available for the Firefox browser that allow readers to see your site the way they want to see it, not the way you want them to see it.
Wired has an interesting article on the enabling technology, known as Greasemonkey, and some of the applications. B2B publishers should take a look. Greasemonkey lets users circumvent two of the major revenue sources of online publishing. First, by downloading a Greasemonkey script I can avoid seeing the ads on your page. Second, I can download scripts that offer up alternatives to any e-commerce applications on your site.
This is powerful, compelling stuff. And publishers ignore it at their peril.
Content is separating from its containers.
tags: journalism, b2b, media, trade press, magazines, advertising
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