There's a feature story in the Fairfield County Business Journal about Kerry Smith, founder of Red 7 Media -- the company that runs Folio magazine. The article is actually pretty lame. But that's often true of the editorial in regional business publications. I often get the feeling that the folks who run such publications are torn between acting like journalists and acting like the Chamber of Commerce.
If you've paid any attention to Kerry's career -- his time as an entrepreneur, his battles with management at Primedia, and his return to his own business -- then you know his story is a lot more interesting that this article would make it appear.
But read it anyway. There's some interesting information about Smith's plan to exert some control over controlled circulation and limit subscribers to 10,000. "Our philosophy is that since we're in niche segments, we want to make sure we're reaching the cream of the crop in terms of readers. We've tightly defined who our audience is," Smith said.
Even more interesting is the information ... albeit limited ... on Smith's next venture. Event Design magazine is set to debut in October.
Wednesday, July 13, 2005
Tuesday, July 12, 2005
Looking at the future by looking at the VNU deal
I've read a lot in recent days about VNU's $7 billion purchase of IMS Health. And truth be told, very little of what I saw in the business press interested me. The Journal, the AP, Reuters and the Times all seemed focused on the size of the deal, rather than the nature of the deal.
So I was pleased to come across this piece by John Blossom (thanks to PaidContent for pointing me toward it.) John argues that the deal is part of a larger shift by "business publishers and aggregators towards being providers of a broad array of business solutions for specific horizontal and vertical markets instead of mere folios of publications."
Try to ignore the jargon-laden writing (and there is a LOT of it in John's piece.) He's saying something of value here.
Deals such as the VNU purchase are signs of a shift in the B2B media, according to John. Ad-supported publications are in trouble, John says, because trying to control the context in which B2B content is consumed is a loser's game. In other words, although your customers may need your content, they no longer need the paper it's printed on or the Web page where it's posted.
RSS feeds and related technology have freed content from the package. RSS and similar developments have freed your customers from having to buy the car when all they need are the tires.
"This means thinking about your content as objects that can travel from place to place within various solutions and that can adapt its monetization capabilities to its context readily" John says.
There's a similar call for a post-context world in this post by Steve Gillmor (and thanks to Rex, guest blogging at ABM, for pointing me toward it.)
Steve bemoans the "the continuing slide of the trade space" and points out that new voices and new delivery methods are leaving traditional B2B publishers behind.
"...print is dead. And like print, page views are dead," Steve says.
Read both pieces. See if you agree with them, and with me, that there is simply no going back. The B2B audience has tasted power and autonomy. It has no intention of being dictated to ever again.
So I was pleased to come across this piece by John Blossom (thanks to PaidContent for pointing me toward it.) John argues that the deal is part of a larger shift by "business publishers and aggregators towards being providers of a broad array of business solutions for specific horizontal and vertical markets instead of mere folios of publications."
Try to ignore the jargon-laden writing (and there is a LOT of it in John's piece.) He's saying something of value here.
Deals such as the VNU purchase are signs of a shift in the B2B media, according to John. Ad-supported publications are in trouble, John says, because trying to control the context in which B2B content is consumed is a loser's game. In other words, although your customers may need your content, they no longer need the paper it's printed on or the Web page where it's posted.
RSS feeds and related technology have freed content from the package. RSS and similar developments have freed your customers from having to buy the car when all they need are the tires.
"This means thinking about your content as objects that can travel from place to place within various solutions and that can adapt its monetization capabilities to its context readily" John says.
There's a similar call for a post-context world in this post by Steve Gillmor (and thanks to Rex, guest blogging at ABM, for pointing me toward it.)
Steve bemoans the "the continuing slide of the trade space" and points out that new voices and new delivery methods are leaving traditional B2B publishers behind.
"...print is dead. And like print, page views are dead," Steve says.
Read both pieces. See if you agree with them, and with me, that there is simply no going back. The B2B audience has tasted power and autonomy. It has no intention of being dictated to ever again.
Monday, July 11, 2005
Lessons from a niche publisher
The Washington Post today has an interesting look at BNA Inc., formerly known as the Bureau of National Affairs, the publisher that covers the minutiae of regulatory life in
BNA produces subscription-based newsletters that cover micro niches inside federal regulatory agencies. Competition is often not an issue because, as one reporter explains, beats are so narrow that no one else covers them.
I've been warning B2B publishers that they are vulnerable to competition from their own employees. And BNA, which makes its money in specialized beats where sometimes only one person produces all the content, should be particularly vulnerable to such a threat.
But no such threat has arisen at BNA. And no such threat is likely to either. Because the 1,300- person company is owned by its employees. The built-in loyalty that comes with such a structure makes BNA less vulnerable to the threats posed by new publishing technologies than any other B2B company I know.
BNA has another advantage worth noting. The company is an advocate of clear, concise writing that emphasizes information, not prose styling. Visit the site, check out the product samples. You'll see that the writing may be dry. But it reads as if it is written by professionals, not by children enamored of cutesy tricks. That's a vast improvement over much of the throat-clearing, cliché-filled drivel that marks much of our profession.
tags: journalism, b2b, media, trade press, magazines, newsletters
More on immersion journalism
My idea of immersion journalism -- creating stories that are retrieved on mobile devices by users who follow hyperlinks in the real world, rather than on a Web page -- is still generating some attention from journalists and journalism teachers.
Today K. Paul Mallasch of J-Log says he's "intrigued" by the idea and is looking for feedback. Drop by and share your thoughts.
Today K. Paul Mallasch of J-Log says he's "intrigued" by the idea and is looking for feedback. Drop by and share your thoughts.
Friday, July 08, 2005
Link to something, anything. Just link
I spend a lot of time complaining about B2B publications that live on the Web but don't understand the Web. Chief among my complaints are articles without hyperlinks.
I don't know how many different ways I can say this, but let me try again. The Web is a web. Connecting to other stories, to other sites and blogs and databases and everything else is the basis of Web culture. So it should be the basis of Web journalism.
When a B2B publisher fails to understand this and bans links, or when a B2B journalist is too lazy to insert links, the site becomes invisible to others. Because links are how the Web decides the value of a site.
There's a nice piece today in Folio about search engine optimization -- the art of making your site visible to others on the Web. Check out this quote from Prescott Shibles, the smartest guy who ever worked for me, on how silly it is to not use hyperlinks. "Nobody links either to their own articles or to others [in the b-to-b space],” criticizes Primedia’s vice president of online development Prescott Shibles. “This is one of the highest considerations from the search engines. We have this fear of linking off-site, but guess what? Users are going to Google it anyway and find them."
I don't know how many different ways I can say this, but let me try again. The Web is a web. Connecting to other stories, to other sites and blogs and databases and everything else is the basis of Web culture. So it should be the basis of Web journalism.
When a B2B publisher fails to understand this and bans links, or when a B2B journalist is too lazy to insert links, the site becomes invisible to others. Because links are how the Web decides the value of a site.
There's a nice piece today in Folio about search engine optimization -- the art of making your site visible to others on the Web. Check out this quote from Prescott Shibles, the smartest guy who ever worked for me, on how silly it is to not use hyperlinks. "Nobody links either to their own articles or to others [in the b-to-b space],” criticizes Primedia’s vice president of online development Prescott Shibles. “This is one of the highest considerations from the search engines. We have this fear of linking off-site, but guess what? Users are going to Google it anyway and find them."
Web portal lacks Web features
PennWell has launched a new Web "portal" -- pulling content from some of its B2B magazines into a single site that also sells equipment for the energy industry.
It's a move that perplexes me.
I didn't understand the portal concept back before VerticalNet collapsed. I didn't understand the concept any better when Primedia tried it with Industryclick. The word "portal" refers to an entrance, a gateway. But every Web portal I've ever seen is something else entirely -- a silo, a one-stop, an attempt to monopolize and localize a user.
Perhaps most disappointing about PennWell's new venture is that it is the latest B2B publisher to announce a new Web strategy that fails to take advantage of the Web.
Take a look at this story on the site, or this one or this. (And can someone tell me why every one of those stories has two date stamps in two different styles? Jul-07-2005, 7 July 2005, July 7. Doesn't anyone look at these things after they are posted? Can't anyone agree on what the style is on dates?)
None of the stories have links -- either internal or external. There's no feedback function, no interactivity, no graphics.
Why would anyone bother to build a site like this?
For a look at what a B2B magazine site can be, take a look at CMO. I like that site more every time I look at it.
FULL DISCLOSURE: I do work for OPIS, which also covers the petroleum industry. But PennWell and OPIS concentrate on very different areas of the business and are not direct competitors. Also, it's only fair to note that OPIS has subscription-based electronic products -- email, Web applications, etc. -- that share PennWell's lack of interactivity. I hope to change that.
tags: journalism, b2b, media, trade press, magazines, newsletters
It's a move that perplexes me.
I didn't understand the portal concept back before VerticalNet collapsed. I didn't understand the concept any better when Primedia tried it with Industryclick. The word "portal" refers to an entrance, a gateway. But every Web portal I've ever seen is something else entirely -- a silo, a one-stop, an attempt to monopolize and localize a user.
Perhaps most disappointing about PennWell's new venture is that it is the latest B2B publisher to announce a new Web strategy that fails to take advantage of the Web.
Take a look at this story on the site, or this one or this. (And can someone tell me why every one of those stories has two date stamps in two different styles? Jul-07-2005, 7 July 2005, July 7. Doesn't anyone look at these things after they are posted? Can't anyone agree on what the style is on dates?)
None of the stories have links -- either internal or external. There's no feedback function, no interactivity, no graphics.
Why would anyone bother to build a site like this?
For a look at what a B2B magazine site can be, take a look at CMO. I like that site more every time I look at it.
FULL DISCLOSURE: I do work for OPIS, which also covers the petroleum industry. But PennWell and OPIS concentrate on very different areas of the business and are not direct competitors. Also, it's only fair to note that OPIS has subscription-based electronic products -- email, Web applications, etc. -- that share PennWell's lack of interactivity. I hope to change that.
tags: journalism, b2b, media, trade press, magazines, newsletters
Thursday, July 07, 2005
Lessons from a table of contents
One of the things I was reading was a back issue of the Chronicle of Philanthropy, the oversized tabloid that serves the nonprofit world. I glanced at the cover and then turned to the table of contents. At the top of the page was a brief subhead that described the table of contents as "A guide for the busy reader."
My first reaction, given my leisurely pace that day, was to think that I had no need of such a guide. But upon reflection, I found myself pleased by that simple line. It seemed the Chronicle had found a simple way of describing the true mission of a TOC -- providing a service to the reader. As much as each headline and brief summary on a TOC is designed to lure a reader into the publication, each also serves as a gatekeeper -- telling a reader what he doesn't need to bother with. A TOC, in other words, is a service, not a sales pitch.
I thought of the Chronicle's TOC again yesterday in a conversation about RSS feeds.
Two schools of thought have emerged as RSS has grown. One group uses RSS to send headlines and summaries -- a sort of TOC entry. The other group uses RSS to send the entire article. I don't worry about which choice a publisher makes. There are good arguments for both approaches. Nonetheless, I tend to recommend that publishers start with the former and use RSS to lure readers back to a Website.
Even so, some publishers balk. They worry that providing anything over RSS will reduce traffic flow to their Website.
When I heard that worry surface in my conversation yesterday, I suggested that the way to think of RSS is as a table of contents. Giving a peek at what's inside will surely attract some readers, and will just as certainly drive some away. There is risk and opportunity there. But as long as we think of our customer first, as long as everything we do is a guide for the busy reader, then we will build loyalty.
For more about summary and full feeds, take a look at what Amy Gahran has to say.
To see how Matt McAlister is handling a switch to full feeds, take a look here.
For more about TOCs, read this article in Folio by John Brady.
Wednesday, July 06, 2005
Acquistions that make sense
It's seldom that a B2B media acquisition makes editorial sense to me.
Sure...I understand that trade publishing has become less about publishing and more about trade. I accept, albeit grudgingly, that Wall Street investors play a bigger role in our industry nowadays than do the old-time family publishers.
That's why I'm so pleased when I see someone in B2B make a purchase that seems to be more about content than cash flow.
Cygnus Business Media has announced it has acquired EMS Magazine and a series of related properties. That's about as logical a deal as you'll see this year.
For a reporter, that means every interview with a firefighter can be mined for a story idea about medics. Every article about post-traumatic stress syndrome can be repurposed for cops, firefighters and EMTs. For an advertising salesman or tradeshow rep, the sale means that Cygnus now reaches almost everyone in the
In other words, this is a deal full of synergies. And although I loathe the word "synergies," I love the concept.
But while I'm celebrating the Cygnus deal, much of the B2B world is wondering who will acquire Advanstar. For a thoughtful analysis, take a look at what fellow B2B bloggers Rich Westerfield and David Shaw have to say.
FULL DISCLOSURE: Cygnus is a client of mine, and I'll be teaching a two-day writing seminar at the company later this month. And as long as I'm disclosing things, I should mention that I'm a licensed EMT. So it's possible that any deal involving
Tuesday, July 05, 2005
Going straight to the sources for news
One of journalism's functions -- whether we journalists care to admit it or not -- is to funnel public-relations material to an audience. The best journalism operations apply their best editorial judgment to p.r. material. If it's not newsworthy, it's not published. And even worthwhile stuff is rewritten to remove jargon, p.r.-speak and over-the-top promotional material.
In the best newsrooms, public relations material is no more than a starting point for a reporter. A press release can provide story ideas, contact names and background info.
In the worst newsrooms, a press release is published verbatim by lazy or unethical journalists.
Understandably, public-relations executives would generally prefer that their material be unedited, while being surrounded on the written page by editorial copy. P.R. pros understand that such placement gives their copy the appearance of news produced by journalists.
So what happens when public-relations companies can produce their own news and use it to "surround" their marketing message? Last week, Purina did just that. And as I've said before, I expect to see a surge in B2B news produced by B2B news sources.
Today, Doc Searls points toward a news-filled blog that is written by Boeing engineers. As Doc points out, the blog is serving a p.r. function and doing it much better than a press release could. And an article in BusinessWeek says one of the more popular blogs in France is run by the head of French retail giant E. Leclerc. That blog is filled with copy about news topics such as inflation and government policy -- editorial copy that surrounds and "legitimizes" a public-relations message.
In a world where news sources can now be news publishers, traditional B2B publishers should be asking themselves how they can respond to such developments in the industries they serve.
And B2B journalists need to ask themselves -- and ask themselves honestly -- if they'll miss it when someday in the near future their in-boxes are no longer filled with press releases.
In the best newsrooms, public relations material is no more than a starting point for a reporter. A press release can provide story ideas, contact names and background info.
In the worst newsrooms, a press release is published verbatim by lazy or unethical journalists.
Understandably, public-relations executives would generally prefer that their material be unedited, while being surrounded on the written page by editorial copy. P.R. pros understand that such placement gives their copy the appearance of news produced by journalists.
So what happens when public-relations companies can produce their own news and use it to "surround" their marketing message? Last week, Purina did just that. And as I've said before, I expect to see a surge in B2B news produced by B2B news sources.
Today, Doc Searls points toward a news-filled blog that is written by Boeing engineers. As Doc points out, the blog is serving a p.r. function and doing it much better than a press release could. And an article in BusinessWeek says one of the more popular blogs in France is run by the head of French retail giant E. Leclerc. That blog is filled with copy about news topics such as inflation and government policy -- editorial copy that surrounds and "legitimizes" a public-relations message.
In a world where news sources can now be news publishers, traditional B2B publishers should be asking themselves how they can respond to such developments in the industries they serve.
And B2B journalists need to ask themselves -- and ask themselves honestly -- if they'll miss it when someday in the near future their in-boxes are no longer filled with press releases.
Friday, July 01, 2005
Rob Curley leaves Kansas for Florida
Rob Curley, the new-media genius behind the converged newsroom of the Lawrence Journal-World in Kansas, has accepted a new job in Naples, Fla.
The move comes just days after Rob's work captured the attention of the New York Times.
Rob's move is certainly good news for Naples, but it's a sad day for Lawrence. It's a sad day for me too. I love Kansas and visit at least once a year. And part of the fun of that trip has been watching how the Journal-World serves its community. I've never been anywhere in Florida. But I suppose now I'll have to visit.
Everyone in journalism should pay attention to Rob's work. And everyone should be making some effort to duplicate the success he has had with convergence.
The move comes just days after Rob's work captured the attention of the New York Times.
Rob's move is certainly good news for Naples, but it's a sad day for Lawrence. It's a sad day for me too. I love Kansas and visit at least once a year. And part of the fun of that trip has been watching how the Journal-World serves its community. I've never been anywhere in Florida. But I suppose now I'll have to visit.
Everyone in journalism should pay attention to Rob's work. And everyone should be making some effort to duplicate the success he has had with convergence.
A really simple project for the long weekend
Here in the USA, tonight marks the start of the Fourth of July holiday weekend. Most businesses will be closed until Tuesday. I'll be spending part of the long weekend doing long-weekend things -- cooking, exercising, being with family, napping and going to the movies. Unfortunately I'll also be doing the most long-weekend thing of all -- catching up on work.
Before you take a look at your own to-do list, allow me to make a suggestion.
If you haven't already learned to use RSS, then you're already way behind many of your peers. Take time this weekend to learn the system that will make it possible for you to once again keep track of the news and information you need to do your job.
It's easy to do. I promise. There's a reason why they call this stuff really simple syndication.
If you've followed my earlier suggestion to download the Firefox browser, then learning RSS is going to be really, really simple. Firefox has RSS-reading capability already built into a feature called Live Bookmarks.
For a fun look at these subjects, check out this piece in the Chicago Sun-Times.
Before you take a look at your own to-do list, allow me to make a suggestion.
If you haven't already learned to use RSS, then you're already way behind many of your peers. Take time this weekend to learn the system that will make it possible for you to once again keep track of the news and information you need to do your job.
It's easy to do. I promise. There's a reason why they call this stuff really simple syndication.
If you've followed my earlier suggestion to download the Firefox browser, then learning RSS is going to be really, really simple. Firefox has RSS-reading capability already built into a feature called Live Bookmarks.
For a fun look at these subjects, check out this piece in the Chicago Sun-Times.
Thursday, June 30, 2005
An award that is not deserved
Lawn & Landscape magazine has been named the best trade magazine in Ohio.
Something, it would seem, is terribly wrong with Ohio.
As I've pointed out before on this blog, L&L and its parent company, GIE, have the most serious shortcomings possible in journalism -- they mislead and insult their readers.
Look -- there are thousands of ethical and talented professionals working in B2B media. But much of the world looks at B2B journalism as shady, slimy and amateurish. Trade magazines still have a reputation for hiring failures and dimwits who cut ethical corners. All of us suffer because companies such as GIE refuse to behave professionally.
Perhaps next year the Press Club of Cleveland can find someone a little more ethical to honor.
Something, it would seem, is terribly wrong with Ohio.
As I've pointed out before on this blog, L&L and its parent company, GIE, have the most serious shortcomings possible in journalism -- they mislead and insult their readers.
Look -- there are thousands of ethical and talented professionals working in B2B media. But much of the world looks at B2B journalism as shady, slimy and amateurish. Trade magazines still have a reputation for hiring failures and dimwits who cut ethical corners. All of us suffer because companies such as GIE refuse to behave professionally.
Perhaps next year the Press Club of Cleveland can find someone a little more ethical to honor.
When news sources become news competitors
Blogging can make anyone a publisher. Podcasting can make anyone a broadcaster.
I've warned traditional B2B publishers that these new technologies mean that the next wave of competitors are coming from two unexpected places -- their own staff and news sources.
Need more convincing?
Purina has entered the podcasting world, creating audio files aimed at consumers. That should be a warning to anyone in agriculture news. Because there is nothing to stop Purina Mills from creating similar programs for a B2B audience of ranchers, farmers or veternarians.
It should also be a warning to everyone else in B2B publishing. How will you respond when some of the most respected brands in the industry you cover begin to produce their own news products?
I've warned traditional B2B publishers that these new technologies mean that the next wave of competitors are coming from two unexpected places -- their own staff and news sources.
Need more convincing?
Purina has entered the podcasting world, creating audio files aimed at consumers. That should be a warning to anyone in agriculture news. Because there is nothing to stop Purina Mills from creating similar programs for a B2B audience of ranchers, farmers or veternarians.
It should also be a warning to everyone else in B2B publishing. How will you respond when some of the most respected brands in the industry you cover begin to produce their own news products?
Wednesday, June 29, 2005
Business journalism awards
I just love the Trade, Association and Business Publications International group, which represents the trade press around the globe. TABPI calls me "a b2b champion, full of interesting information. Not afraid to tell it like it is." And I love anyone who says nice things about me.
Today TABPI is saying some nice things about some other folks too. The group has announced the winners of its Tabbie awards in 12 editorial categories.
Topping the list for best single issue were England's Legal Business, U.S.-based Pensions & Investments, and New Zealand's NZ Retail.
Perhaps the most interesting thing in this year's awards is the performance of tiny NZ Retailer, published by AGM. The 5,000 circulation magazine placed in three categories.
Take a look at the complete list of winners. Follow the links and look to see who is doing good work in your space.
Want to see some more award-winning business journalism?
UCLA's school of management has announced the winners of the Gerald Loeb awards. The prizes are for consumer-oriented newspaper and TV operations, but B2B journalists should take note. The Loeb awards tend to go to those mainstream journalists who spot the 'big" story in an industry. Sometimes those stories have been covered to death by B2B journalists. But just as often the story was missed by B2B reporters who became so immersed in industry minutiae that they lost the ability to spot news.
Every B2B writer who covers transportation should wonder why he didn't write the "Death on the Tracks" series. Every agriculture writer should wonder if he missed a story about Washington State apples. Everyone at every computer magazine should be furious that they didn't break the IBM story.
Today TABPI is saying some nice things about some other folks too. The group has announced the winners of its Tabbie awards in 12 editorial categories.
Topping the list for best single issue were England's Legal Business, U.S.-based Pensions & Investments, and New Zealand's NZ Retail.
Perhaps the most interesting thing in this year's awards is the performance of tiny NZ Retailer, published by AGM. The 5,000 circulation magazine placed in three categories.
Take a look at the complete list of winners. Follow the links and look to see who is doing good work in your space.
Want to see some more award-winning business journalism?
UCLA's school of management has announced the winners of the Gerald Loeb awards. The prizes are for consumer-oriented newspaper and TV operations, but B2B journalists should take note. The Loeb awards tend to go to those mainstream journalists who spot the 'big" story in an industry. Sometimes those stories have been covered to death by B2B journalists. But just as often the story was missed by B2B reporters who became so immersed in industry minutiae that they lost the ability to spot news.
Every B2B writer who covers transportation should wonder why he didn't write the "Death on the Tracks" series. Every agriculture writer should wonder if he missed a story about Washington State apples. Everyone at every computer magazine should be furious that they didn't break the IBM story.
Tuesday, June 28, 2005
More on transparency and journalism ethics
Over at Ari Slogan's site about citizen journalism, there's an interesting post on a recent Boston Globe article about blogging and product endorsements.
Of particular interest is that the Globe article has triggered some online debate about transparency (and about the Globe's accuracy.) But, as Ari points out, none of the debate is happening at the Globe's site because the newspaper doesn't have a comment function.
Take a look at the article, Ari's site and the links he has posted. You'll see that it seems the blogging world is dividing into two different camps. One group sees its primary mission as editorial, and takes steps to avoid business relationships that would threaten credibility. The second group is less interested in reputation than it is in revenue. That group is much like the bottom feeders of B2B publishing that I've written about here and here.
I put my blog in that first group. If you missed it before, here's my post about how and why I turned down a product endorsement deal.
Monday, June 27, 2005
The wisdom and wit of full disclosure
At the top of the list of things I love about the blogging world and the new media culture is transparency. I've been a journalist for about three decades now, and I have no illusions about objectivity. At best, objectivity is a dry style of writing. At worst, it's a myth that villains practice. Most commonly, it's a place for journalists who aren't inclined toward self examination to hide.
Transparency requires a journalist to rethink his writing style, and to examine his connections and beliefs. The most common form of transparency is the disclosure clause, which tells readers about a reporter's connections to a story.
And as it turns out, the disclosure clause is also a place to have a little fun.
Here's how Simon Dumenco describes his prejudices in his inaugural column at Ad Age. "Over the years, I’ve worked for, consulted for and/or created “content” for a disparate range of media companies including AOL, Bulfinch Press, Conde Nast, Dennis Publishing, HarperCollins, Harpo, HBO, Hearst, Primedia, Time Inc., Time Warner, Universal, Viacom and Wenner Media. My policy is to acknowledge that I know way too many people in this business, to admit that I’m hopelessly conflicted and to make fun of all of the above companies -- except for Primedia, which is the most retarded media company ever in the history of the world, and everybody knows it’s not nice to make fun of the "differently abled."
I trust that Simon also cringed at today's news that Tom Rogers, the "differently abled" former CEO of Primedia, has been named CEO and president of TiVo. People who witnessed the decline of Primedia onRogers
FULL DISCLOSURE: Although I have also worked for Time Warner and Primedia, and although it appears that we loathe some of the same people, I have never met Simon Dumenco.
Transparency requires a journalist to rethink his writing style, and to examine his connections and beliefs. The most common form of transparency is the disclosure clause, which tells readers about a reporter's connections to a story.
And as it turns out, the disclosure clause is also a place to have a little fun.
Here's how Simon Dumenco describes his prejudices in his inaugural column at Ad Age. "Over the years, I’ve worked for, consulted for and/or created “content” for a disparate range of media companies including AOL, Bulfinch Press, Conde Nast, Dennis Publishing, HarperCollins, Harpo, HBO, Hearst, Primedia, Time Inc., Time Warner, Universal, Viacom and Wenner Media. My policy is to acknowledge that I know way too many people in this business, to admit that I’m hopelessly conflicted and to make fun of all of the above companies -- except for Primedia, which is the most retarded media company ever in the history of the world, and everybody knows it’s not nice to make fun of the "differently abled."
I trust that Simon also cringed at today's news that Tom Rogers, the "differently abled" former CEO of Primedia, has been named CEO and president of TiVo. People who witnessed the decline of Primedia on
FULL DISCLOSURE: Although I have also worked for Time Warner and Primedia, and although it appears that we loathe some of the same people, I have never met Simon Dumenco.
The newspaper of the future is already in Kansas
It's so rare that I agree with the New York Times that when it does happen, I have to run to the computer and post something.
Everyone who knows me knows that I think the most interesting paper in the United States is the Lawrence Journal-World in Lawrence, Kan.
Now the Times seems to have noticed what's happening there. In a story called "The Newspaper of the Future," Tim O'Brien makes the pilgrimage to the center of new media publishing and the converged newsroom. It's a wonderful article. Take the time to read it. There's something to be learned in Lawrence by everyone in journalism.
Friday, June 24, 2005
When writing excludes
We write to communicate. And to communicate well, we must speak the same language as our readers.
Yet too many people who make their livings as writers insist on communicating in a way that excludes. Sports metaphors, pop-culture references and clichés all require that your reader be just like you -- interested in the same things and coming from the same place.
That's a mistake born of laziness and cultural bigotry -- two things that journalists must avoid if they are to learn to write well.
There's an interesting piece on the Poynter site about just this subject.
Take a look.
And take a look at what fellow journalism blogger Doug Shaw has to say.
Yet too many people who make their livings as writers insist on communicating in a way that excludes. Sports metaphors, pop-culture references and clichés all require that your reader be just like you -- interested in the same things and coming from the same place.
That's a mistake born of laziness and cultural bigotry -- two things that journalists must avoid if they are to learn to write well.
There's an interesting piece on the Poynter site about just this subject.
Take a look.
And take a look at what fellow journalism blogger Doug Shaw has to say.
Thursday, June 23, 2005
Another new Web site that misses the point
Today I find yet another press release in my email inbox announcing yet another B2B magazine's redesigned Web site. But when I take a look at the site, I have to ask -- why bother?
Look at the relaunch of Penton's Material Handling Management and see if you're as disappointed as I am.
First, the press release plays up the site's RSS feeds and promises "Daily News from various sources, updated every 15 minutes, 24 hours a day." That sounds like MHM is planning on offering some form of open-source news service. But when I add the RSS feed to my news reader all I get is a bunch of press releases.
Other problems: You can spend an enormous amount of time looking through the MHM site without ever feeling that you're online. Most stories -- whether dumped from the print version or written just for the Web -- are text only. Graphics are rare. Links are nearly non-existent. Take a look at this piece, for example. (And doesn't anyone at MHM think that an article about trucks that is written by a truck salesman might need to be tagged as advertorial?)
Perhaps most offensive to me is that MHM doesn't understand -- and, in fact, seems opposed to -- the cultural change in journalism. Take a look at this silly piece about blogging. The writer is seemingly convinced that his magazine is still the sole voice of reason in the industry he covers. He urges readers to avoid blogs in the material-handling field becasue they are inaccurate. That may very well be true. I have no idea. Because remarkably he doesn't link to any of the blogs he's worried about, nor does he name them. It would appear that his primary goal isn't journalism -- which, by definition, is about providing information. Instead his goal is to limit information.
Here's a secret everyone in B2B editorial should learn. Your readers are at least as smart as you. They don't need you to tell them what they should, and should not, be reading. Doing so is offensive. And treating your readers like children makes you look childish.
Look. Let's review the basics.
The Web has given power to your readers. They now find information in hundreds of places. More importantly, they now use blogs and bulletin boards and similar services to engage in conversation about information.
The Web has also given power to you. You can use the Web to facilitate those conversations. You can use the Web to ease the search for information by linking offsite. And you can use the Web to improve your storytelling by using multimedia tools.
Failing to tap into those powers is a sure way to get your magazine excluded from the conversation.
tags: journalism, b2b, media, trade press, magazines, newsletters, conversational media
Wednesday, June 22, 2005
R&I and CMO win ASBPE magazine awards
Reed Business's Restaurants & Institutions and IDG's CMO have been named the magazines of the year by the American Society of Business Publication Editors. Congratulations to all involved.
R&I, which publishes 20 times a year and covers "the entire foodservice industry, including chains, independent restaurants, hotels and institutions," collected the ASBPE honors for magazines with circulation of more than 80,000. It was judged for its performance in five editorial categories, including excellence in reporting and writing, design and reader interaction.
Certainly R&I is deserving of the honor. It tends to publish information-dense stories that feature crisp writing. More importantly, the stories tend to be well sourced and brief. For example, if you're willing to put up with a very intrusive registration process, take a look at this piece from April. The writer quotes four sources by name and title and tells the story in fewer than 700 words. If you spend anytime at all looking at B2B magazines than you know how rare it is to find a story that quotes more than one source. Or, even worse, are B2B publications that routinely use unnamed sources without justification.
I'm a little less impressed with R&I's interaction with readers. There is a feedback function, but it only generates an email form rather than giving readers access to a comment function or discussion board. On the other hand, simply publishing reporters' names and email addresses online puts R&I ahead of many competitors.
CMO, which topped the other nominees in the less-than-80,000-circulation category, is one of my favorite B2B publications. In particular, I like CMO's design both in print and online.
The publication is also unafraid of new media. It has webcasts, RSS feeds and staff-written blogs .
Most importantly -- and I can't emphasize this enough -- CMO understands the new culture of journalism in a way that is still very rare in the B2B world. Take a look at the right-hand side of this page. Those are links to CMO's new media rivals and competitors. Few trade publishers have enough faith in their own products to provide such links. Even fewer trade publishers are willing to abandon the myth that they are the only voice in their industry. CMO, however, recognizes that it is part of a conversation. That's particularly valuable for a magazine that covers the marketing industry, where powerful online voices such as Corante's BrandShift have arisen.
Certainly R&I is deserving of the honor. It tends to publish information-dense stories that feature crisp writing. More importantly, the stories tend to be well sourced and brief. For example, if you're willing to put up with a very intrusive registration process, take a look at this piece from April. The writer quotes four sources by name and title and tells the story in fewer than 700 words. If you spend anytime at all looking at B2B magazines than you know how rare it is to find a story that quotes more than one source. Or, even worse, are B2B publications that routinely use unnamed sources without justification.
I'm a little less impressed with R&I's interaction with readers. There is a feedback function, but it only generates an email form rather than giving readers access to a comment function or discussion board. On the other hand, simply publishing reporters' names and email addresses online puts R&I ahead of many competitors.
CMO, which topped the other nominees in the less-than-80,000-circulation category, is one of my favorite B2B publications. In particular, I like CMO's design both in print and online.
The publication is also unafraid of new media. It has webcasts, RSS feeds and staff-written blogs .
Most importantly -- and I can't emphasize this enough -- CMO understands the new culture of journalism in a way that is still very rare in the B2B world. Take a look at the right-hand side of this page. Those are links to CMO's new media rivals and competitors. Few trade publishers have enough faith in their own products to provide such links. Even fewer trade publishers are willing to abandon the myth that they are the only voice in their industry. CMO, however, recognizes that it is part of a conversation. That's particularly valuable for a magazine that covers the marketing industry, where powerful online voices such as Corante's BrandShift have arisen.
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