Getting wired and getting funded

If you're a journalist who believes, as I do, that the best way to improve your skills is to teach yourself rather than wait for the boss to invest more money in you, there are a couple of interesting announcements today.

First, check out Wired Journalists, a social-networking and information-sharing site born in the wake of Howard Owens' call for non-wired journalists to learn the skills of new media.
Wired Journalists has been in beta for a few weeks now (I was the seventh person to join.) But now it's open to the world.
You can read Howard's announcement here.
Read Ryan Sholin's take here.
Check out Zac Echola's thoughts here.
I'm looking forward to seeing more folks from the world of B2B journalism on the site soon. So if you're willing to share what you know, and willing to learn more, join Wired Journalists.

Second, longtime readers of this blog know that I'm a big fan of WordPress, the content-management system popular with thousands of bloggers. I've long argued that WordPress and similar open-source systems are vastly superior to the systems used by most publishers.
Now comes news that WordPress has landed $29 million in new financing ... including an investment from the New York Times.
Check out Matthew Ingram's thoughts on the deal here.
Read Wall Street Journal coverage here.
For an earlier post of mine on WordPress, click here.

tags: journalism, b2b, media, trade press, magazines, newsletters, business media

FierceMarkets sale may be harbinger of ...

My friend Rafat at PaidContent is reporting that B2B publisher Questex is buying FierceMarkets, the online-only publisher best known for its email newsletters.
I got an email a few minutes ago from FierceMarkets founder Jeff Gisea confirming the deal.

I have a feeling that this particular deal has major implications for our industry. Sometime later this week I'll share my thoughts.

In the meantime, congratulations to Jeff, his team and the folks at Questex.

tags: journalism, b2b, media, trade press, magazines, newsletters, business media

And the award goes to ...

It's contest season in B2B publishing.
If you're proud of the work done by you and your coworkers, now is the time to seek your rewards.

First, there's only a little more than a week to nominate someone for what may be the most prestigious award in B2B journalism -- the Timothy White Award for Editorial Integrity. If you know someone who has fought the good fight and stood up to pressure "whether from advertisers, industry executives or upper management," enter their name now.

Second, you only have until Jan. 23 to enter Folio magazine's FAME awards, which recognize the best in magazine-sponsored events. Click here to enter.

Third, ASBPE is accepting applications for its AZBEE awards until Feb. 15. The AZBEEs cover both print and electronic journalism. There are tons of categories. Visit the ASBPE site for details. And check out ASBPE Boston's blog for info on a webinar about the entry process.

And lastly, college journalists should take a look at what Innovation in College Media is calling "the most comprehensive contest for online content produced by student media and student journalists."

tags: journalism, b2b, media, trade press, magazines, newsletters, business media, journalism education

The care and feeding of my gigantic ego

I opened my mailbox last night and found the January/February issue of "Editors Note," the newsletter of the American Society of Business Publication Editors. And much to my delight, the cover story was about me.
I suspect that many of us got into journalism in order to see our own names in print. But for someone with a gigantic ego like mine, few things compare to the the thrill of seeing an article about yourself (and accompanying photo). So I want to thank ASBPE and the article's author, my friend Jeff Gelski of Sosland's Food Business News, for the attention. I also want to thank ASBPE National President Steve Roll of BNA Tax & Accounting. Steve's column on page two of the ASBPE newsletter also talks about me.
The newsletter is available to members in a .pdf file. Visit ASBPE to take a look.

The only thing that feeds my immense ego more than reading an article about me is to stand on a stage and talk. And the ASBPE article announces that I'll be the keynote speaker at the Society's annual convention, which will be held in Kansas City in July. But that's a very long time for someone like me to have to wait to hear applause. Fortunately, I'm also the keynote speaker next month at the Southeast Journalism Conference. Until then, I'm just going to read the ASBPE newsletter over and over and over again and imagine the sound of applause.

Like many people with oversized egos, I have tremendous appreciation for folks who don't walk around with a swollen head. That's one of the reasons I want to recommend a recent post at the Junta42 blog in which Joe Pulizzi admits to a mistake in trying to optimize his site for search. It's an instructive read for anyone who works on the Web. Take a look.
And I hope that in the unlikely event I ever make a mistake, I'll be as self-effacing as Joe is.

tags: journalism, b2b, media, trade press, magazines, newsletters, business media

More reactions to "You Can't Teach Culture"

My recent call for publishers to halt training in basic Web skills continues to generate a lot of conversation.
If you're interested in this issue, here are some other voices:
Take a look at what Bryan says at Innovation in College Media.
Check out Pat Thornton's thoughts at Journalism Iconoclast.
The Chicago chapter of the ASBPE is looking to start a conversation on the subject.
Prosthetic Device weighs in here.
And if your German language skills are better than mine, take a look at what Fabian Mohr has to say.

Also, anyone interested in newsroom training should pay attention to Howard Owens' $100-to-get-wired campaign. And anyone interested in trying to follow the extraordinary number of new products that are being launched every day by journalists who already live on the Web, take a look at Journalism Enterprise.

tags: journalism, b2b, media, trade press, magazines, newsletters, business media

Responses to "You cannot train someone to be part of a culture"

My post from a few days ago in which I urged "employers not to offer any training in Web journalism" generated some interesting responses.
If you care about these issues, I'd urge you to take a look at what others are saying.

Rene` Edde said she had "an aha! moment" and that she "can’t help but to agree with Conley that the industry as a whole is way past teaching people the basics" of Web journalism. But Rene` has mixed feelings about cutting off the dinsoaurs. Take a look at her post here.

Zac Echola says he agrees to a degree, but wonders if we're "at this point yet."

Mindy McAdams said my claim that there's no room left for Web newbies left her "feeling very conflicted."

Steve Yelvington says I'm "right that any journalist who hasn't made the effort to keep up with the real world isn't worth keeping on board." But Steve disagrees with my call to end training. You can see his post here. (Note: I think the stuff I said in the comments section of my original post probably bring Steve and I closer to agreement.)

Dan Gillmor writes that there is a reason for my "apparent madness," but that he doesn't "entirely agree with it." Read his thoughts here.

Finally, take a look at what David Cohn has to say. David is not responding to anything that I've written. But he seems to be feeling some of the same frustration that I am when he says "I think the time for evangelizing is over." (Thanks to Ryan, who thinks it's still worth the effort to train the dinosaurs, for pointing me to David's post.)

tags: journalism, b2b, media, trade press, magazines, newsletters, business media

Fighting Hole Tactics: Part Two -- Finding Allies

(Editor's note: This is the third in a series on building a "B2B fighting hole." I'm expecting difficult financial times in trade journalism in 2008. In this series I offer some suggestions on building a defensive position where editors and publishers can ride out the coming onslaught. You can read the post that started the series here. You can read Tactic One here.)

In the history of warfare, there are two groups that have fallen from favor: mercenaries and privateers. But if, as I believe, B2B journalism is about to begin a tough financial period, I think we need our own versions of both.
In simplest terms, a mercenary fights for a paycheck and a privateer fights for a share of booty. But both share some significant traits. First, they fight by choice. It's even possible to argue that they like to fight. There's no need to worry about morale or motivation. Second, they are best used as a supplement to an existing fighting force. No one wants to be entirely dependent on for-hire fighters. But many nations have found advantage in employing them to take on some military tasks.

Magazine Mercenaries and Publishing Privateers
When revenue declines, publishers have few ways to keep their products afloat (and their staff employed.) The first choice is nearly always to freeze hiring. But not only does that tend to stretch the existing staff too thin, it also always makes it nearly impossible to launch new products that can generate revenue.
When the hiring freeze fails to help, many publishers turn to layoffs. But layoffs have the exact same negative results: the staff burns out and product development comes to a halt.
I suggest that the way for publishers to escape this downward spiral is by giving up some control and having mercenaries and privateers launch new products.
In particular, I think it's time for B2B companies to do two things:
1. hire offshore companies to do print layout and design work -- especially for new products and custom publications.
2. let freelancers and outside contractors run online products for a cut of the revenue -- particularly Web-only products and newsletters.

In the first scenario (call it the mercenary method), publishers can launch new print products at lower costs. And at least one department -- design -- doesn't have to take on additional duties. It is, of course, also possible to offshore other parts of the magazine process. Heck, at least in theory, even reporting and copy editing can be done by outside contractors in Asia. But I suspect that most B2B editors, publishers and executives aren't comfortable with that idea...at least to start. And I can't imagine a time when I'd ever feel comfortable offshoring reporting functions.
So I think it's a wiser move to begin by offshoring layout and design for new products and custom pubs. If things work out well, layout and design of other print products can also be offshored.

In the second scenario (call it the privateer play), publishers can launch new online products at no cost. By offering a revenue split to outside contractors, publishers can create limitless numbers of small, hyper-niche products. This is the business model of New York Times Digital's About.com (Disclosure: About is a client of mine.) About's network of sites are run by independent contractors who work for a share of revenue (with a base payment as a site ramps up.) The privateer play is also similar to the system used by Associated Content and some of the blogging networks.
I suspect that many editors are already working with freelancers who would consider such a deal. The key, of course, is to sell the privateer on the upside potential -- the more you work, the more inventory we have to sell, and the more both of us make.

(Disclosure: I feel so strongly that there are opportunities for both mercenaries and privateers in B2B that I've taken steps to position myself appropriately.
One of my newest clients is Mindworks Global Media, the India-based outsourcing company run by Tony Joseph, the former editor of India's largest business magazine. Tony's company does work for publishers around the world and recently won a contract with McClatchy's Miami Herald newspaper.
Furthermore, Paul Conley Consulting is now available to run editorial for Web sites, online newsletters and other electronic products on a contract or revenue-share basis. I'll be announcing some new deals here soon.
If you'd like to talk about how your company can benefit from mercenaries and privateers, drop me an email at inquire (at) paulconley (dot) com)

(Addendum: 1/15/08. Editor and Publisher is reporting that the Miami Herald has backed out of part of its deal with Mindworks. The Herald will continue to outsource "the production of some advertising sections and monitoring of website comments," according to E&P. )

tags: journalism, b2b, media, trade press, magazines, newsletters, business media

Fighting Hole Tactics: Part One -- No More Training

If you've read this blog in recent weeks, you know I've grown very worried about what 2008 will bring for B2B publishing. A few days ago, I wrote that it's "time for B2B editors and publishers to build some fighting holes" -- defensive positions from where they could ride out the coming onslaught of bad economic news.
I promised then that I would "post some of my thoughts on what a B2B fighting hole looks like." And given the news that the smartest guys on Wall Street think a recession is coming, I think today is the day for me to start discussing tactics.

Let's start with a little story.
A few weeks ago I had coffee with a long-time friend and journalist. We got to talking about new media. I told him about the remarkable work being done by Rob Curley's team at Loudoun Extra, and I told him that he should go straight home, log on and check it out.
But my friend said that he did not have an Internet connection at his home.
When my shock wore off, I asked why. And my friend, who makes pretty good money, said he didn't want to pay for Web access. "It doesn't seem worth it," he said.

I was reminded of that conversation earlier today when an anonymous reader posted a comment to an earlier post of mine. That reader complained that"employers aren't doing much to train their current employees and prepare them as online journalists."
That's true, I thought. But I don't care. I believe that journalists need to learn these skills themselves. As I said more than two years ago"... at this point, you can't blame the boss for not teaching these things. The difficult truth is that people who can't insert a hyperlink, who won't read a blog, who don't know how to work with Photoshop and can't upload a video file just aren't worth having around anymore."

Now, as difficult times loom, I'm taking an even harder stance.
I'm urging employers not to offer any training in Web journalism.
There are two reasons for this. Here they are:

1. You cannot train someone to be part of a culture.
For someone to work on the Web, they must be part of the Web. That, after all, is what the Web means. The Web is a web. It exists as a series of connections. An online journalist isn't a journalist who works online. He's a journalist who lives online. He's part of the Web.
It's a waste of time and money to teach multimedia skills and technology to someone who hasn't already become part of the Web. And there's no need to teach skills and technology to the journalists who are already part of Web culture, because the culture requires participation in skills and technology.
Or, to put it another way -- I cannot teach the Web. No one can. Yet all of us who are part of the Web are learning the Web.

2. When the fighting begins, the training must end.
We had a good run. For the past few years, life has been pretty easy for B2B publishers that have embraced the Web. We have been an army that has known nothing but victory.
But if I'm right, the easy times are over.
We have moved too far, too fast. Our lines are overextended. Our advance has been halted. We are vulnerable.
We cannot move backward to round up the stragglers and train them to fight. It's too late to try to convince print journalists that the Web has value. It's too late to tell them that an Internet connection is worth a few dollars a month. As revenue shrinks, we can't spend money on training. We can't gather up the print folks and "prepare them as online journalists."
You can't prepare people to dig a fighting hole. You just tell them to dig. And the ones who don't dig fast enough, deep enough or well enough, die.

( Some readers are sure to be thinking -- "Is he nuts? Isn't training newsroom staffs part of what he does for a living?" To which I reply, "Yes. I am nuts. And I do offer training to newsroom staffs." Odds are there's something valuable I can offer to the staff at your publication. There are certainly non-training services I can offer your company. Send an email to inquire (at) paulconley (dot) com and we can talk about it. Just don't ask me to teach another "writing for the Web" course. There's no room for Web newbies in a B2B fighting hole.)

tags: journalism, b2b, media, trade press, magazines, newsletters, business media

Out with the old; in with the new

Here it is New Year's Eve -- albeit several hours before the ball drops in Times Square about 25 blocks north of my office -- and I'm scrambling to finish off a few projects for 2007. It looks as if 2008 is going to be a very busy year for me. So I'm hoping to begin the year without any uncompleted tasks in my Franklin Planner.

But as I say good-bye to the old, I also want to say hello to the new.
Some new bloggers have emerged in the two worlds that I write about on this blog -- B2B publishing and journalism education. I'd urge you to add these new writers to your RSS feeds and help them join the conversation about online journalism.

First, the Cleveland Chapter of the American Society of Business Publication Editors has launched a blog. Take a look here. Cleveland joins a slew of other ASBPE chapters that are blogging about B2B journalism.
Second, check out Trade Pressed, a brand-new blog from "Sara," a trade press editor. I don't know Sara's last name. And I don't know where she works. Here's hoping that we learn more about her and her thoughts on the trade press in 2008.
Third, take a look at The Linchpen, a blog from Greg Linch, the managing editor of The Miami Hurricane student newspaper. I had the good fortune to meet Greg earlier this year. He's one of those rare young journalists who "gets it."

tags: journalism, b2b, media, trade press, magazines, newsletters, business media, journalism education

Digging a fighting hole

Back when I was younger and even more attractive than I am today, I was a soldier.
And like other soldiers, I learned a set of skills that are sometimes difficult to transfer to the civilian world. I, for example, am a pretty good fighter with a bayonet. But my clients in the B2B world seldom have the need to employ me for my skills with edged weapons.
On the other hand, back in infantry training at Fort Benning, I learned to dig a fighting hole. And I think that will prove a valuable skill -- at least in the metaphorical sense -- in 2008.

A fighting hole, sometimes called a fox hole, is exactly what it sounds like. It's a hole in the ground from which a soldier fights.
But the key to a fighting hole is that it is a defensive position. It's the place where a soldier lives, fights and struggles to hold the line. Although it is possible to advance from a fighting hole, it is more of a place to resist an onslaught than to plan an attack.
And I've decided that it's time for B2B editors and publishers to build some fighting holes.

As the year draws to an end, I find myself worrying more and more about what next year will bring for our industry. As I mentioned a few days ago, "I'm worried that 2008 is going to be an awful year for B2B publishing."
Since I wrote that piece, I've spoken to a few more B2B folks. And nothing I'm hearing suggests that I'm wrong to be nervous.
So if I may continue this metaphor, let me say this, and let me say it my best drill sergeant voice: "Shut your damn mouths. Grab your god-damn entrenching tool and dig a god-damn hole."

When the new year begins, I'll post some of my thoughts on what a B2B fighting hole looks like. In the meantime, it's worth noting that some of the smarter folks in the industry are offering their suggestions on how to weather the coming dark times.
First, David Shaw says now is NOT the time to panic or overreact.
Second, Scott Karp suggests that now IS the time to go for broke in online ad sales.
Third, in an article in Folio magazine, 1105 Media's Neal Vitale says it's time to rethink staffing and accept that "you might find that you need more resources devoted to online content development."

On a related note, Folio has published its annual list of magazine predictions. And everyone and his brother has weighed in. (Full Disclosure: Folio was kind enough to ask for my predictions. In brief, I said that I expected weak revenue and a continuation of B2Bs' ethical woes. I also predict a surge in one of the key areas of my fighting-hole policy -- editorial outsourcing.)

tags: journalism, b2b, media, trade press, magazines, newsletters, business media, journalism ethics, advertising

Joining (and re-joining) the conversation

If you're anything like me, you never grow tired of thinking about and talking about the world of journalism.
And for we obsessive types, there's now a new place to discuss one key area of of our world -- journalism education. Check out the new CICM member link, "where advisers, faculty and affiliate members and friends of the Center for Innovation in College Media can explore solutions to the challenges of the digital age."

Perhaps more exciting for obsessive B2B journalists, is the return to the blogging world of David Shaw. Welcome home, David!

tags: journalism, b2b, media, trade press, magazines, newsletters, business media

The Year of Living Unreasonably

I'm worried that 2008 is going to be an awful year for B2B publishing.
I don't have any data to back up this fear. What I do have is a sense that something is about to go wrong.

In the past few weeks I've spoken with a number of B2B editors, sales people and publishers. And each of them also seems to be worried. Certainly there is a widespread and justified concern that our print products will continue to face challenges. And certainly more of them will fold in 2008. But that is old news, and not particularly interesting. As my friend Rex said, "every year is a magazine shake-out year."

So what's different now?

It seems to me that the rise of online has led to unreasonable expectations. The lust of investors, the demands for growth, the need to justify ourselves to the people who control the purse strings are pushing us into a new era of preposterousness. Everywhere I go I meet people with revenue targets that seem delusional.

There's probably not another person in B2B publishing who has championed Web journalism more than I. But my love of new media is born of my love of all media. Online storytelling excites me. Just like other forms of storytelling do. The fact that new media has also made money pleases me, but it's not why I love it. Cash flow doesn't stir my soul.
But cash flow does stir many a soul in publishing. And in some cases, it warps them.

Here's what I see happening; here's why I'm worried about 2008:
1. Amid a credit crunch and suggestions of recession, online advertising is likely to contract. But no one in B2B seems to be revising their online growth numbers downward. Rather, the growth numbers I'm hearing are higher than in 2007.
2. When pressure for revenue growth builds, many folks in B2B behave badly.
3. The most exciting thing about new media has been the growth of new media. Every established publisher faced more online competitors in 2007 than in 2006. I expect that will continue.
4. The business model currently in fashion in B2B publishing isn't built to withstand a slowdown in online advertising. Nearly everyone is leveraged to the hilt. Nearly everyone has already cut everything that can be cut.
5. I don't believe that B2B is prepared for whatever the next big thing may be.

I'm not suggesting that it's time to panic. I am suggesting it's time to look long and hard at what we are capable of doing. How much can we reasonably expect to grow? How realistic is it to expect the online advertising market to continue to expand? How can we survive a downturn and meet the debt payments?
What can we reasonably expect from 2008?

(For more on this subject, check out what my friend Paul says about B2B in Asia. I think he's a little worried too.)

tags: journalism, b2b, media, trade press, magazines, newsletters, business media, journalism ethics, advertising

It's time to fire my friends

"Listen, the Web is the most exciting part of a modern journalism enterprise for ambitious writers and editors. If they haven't figured it out by now, to hell with them."
Those are the words of Jon Friedman in a column published today on MarketWatch. You can read the rest of his comments, born of a frustrating experience at the American Magazine Conference, by clicking here.

Now it's worth noting for the thousandth time that I am not one of those people who believe print is dead. Rather, I believe that some of print is dead. Some of it isn't dead yet. And some of it will live forever.
I, unlike Friedman, don't expect to read the obituary of the magazine industry any time soon.
However, I do believe -- strongly -- that the careers of a great numbers of great journalists are dead. The refusal to accept the changes in journalism has turned many of the people I know in this industry from assets into liabilities. These people -- many of them friends of mine -- are the whining editors and publishers that Friedman says "still view the Web as more of a curse than a blessing."
And although it is sad, and although it is a loss to the profession, it's time to let these folks go.
Friedman is right: writers and editors that haven't figured out that Web is now the most important part of what we do aren't worth worrying about any longer.

On the other hand, I'm not ready to give up on journalism students ... at least not yet.
As I've said before, the next generation is woefully unprepared to work in today's media. But I have faith that smart teachers can undo the damage inflicted by the journalism dinosaurs that roam the halls of academia.
And even if this entire generation of college students turns out to have been ruined by print-centric, elderly people, there are indications that today's high school students may turn out just fine.

tags: journalism, b2b, media, trade press, magazines, newsletters, business media, journalism education

I'm a famous personality

If you're anything like me, you like to visit B2B magazine Web sites -- particularly those that cover the industry in which we work (publishing.)
But if you're anything like me, you have been consistently disappointed that the sites that cover our world are such poor role models. Certainly the reporting at places like min, B2B magazine, etc., is often quite good. But the sites themselves are also often quite ugly.

But as of today, that is no longer true at the flagship publication of the magazine-publishing industry. Folio magazine has launched its long-awaited redesign. And as I took a quick spin through the site this morning, I decided that it's lovely. Take a look.

As you peruse the new site, pay particular attention to Folio's new bloggers section. You'll see that I'm one of the folks featured. Folio has been nice enough to label the section "Folio: Personalities." I like that. It's nice to be thought of as a "personality." It's so much more pleasant than "jerk," "vermin" or any of the obscenities that regularly fill my in-box.

Addendum: Check out Prescott Shibles' reaction to the new Folio site here.

tags: journalism, b2b, media, trade press, magazines, newsletters, business media

Improving our reputation

B2B journalism has many problems. But certainly the largest problem we face is our reputation. The ugly truth is that trade journalism is often thought of as second-rate and unethical.
Back when I launched this blog a few years ago, I did so with one primary purpose -- to call for a new era of professionalism in B2B publishing.
And by and large, I have been pleased by what I have seen. Furthermore, I have been impressed by the hundreds of B2B journalists I have met who believe that our work is both vital and honorable.
So this week, as we in the U.S. celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday, I'll be expressing gratitude for all of the folks in B2B that work to ensure that those of us who toil in the trade press be thought of as talented and moral professionals.

But when the holiday ends, I'll go back to the trenches. Because this fight isn't over.
Consider if you will the nasty tone of this article in MediaPost, in which the writer says :"You’ll rarely get a point of view in a trade magazine that’s not biased by some hidden agenda. "(Thanks to Prescott Shibles for pointing me toward the piece. His response can be found here.)

Although I am disappointed to see an article like that in 2007, I am not surprised. The trade press is an easy target. We make ourselves an easy target.
For every hero in B2B, there are whores.
For every champion, there are cowards.
But I believe that bit by bit, day by day, article by article, we are becoming an industry worthy of the love we show it.
And that progress is all because of folks like you -- the readers of this blog.
So thanks. And Happy Thanksgiving.

(Note: It was almost exactly a year ago that the Wall Street Journal suggested that trade journalism was a less-than-ethical backwater in the media world. Click here to see my reaction.)

tags: journalism, b2b, media, trade press, magazines, newsletters, business media, journalism ethics, advertising

Be an expert in less than an hour!

What new-media skill can a print-based journalism student -- graduating in December without a job -- learn quickly enough to avoid having to move back home with Mom and Dad?

That's been the question bouncing around in my head following my recent meetings with journalism students at the National College Media Convention, as well as the recent online conversation about the state of such students.

And I think I have the answer: search-engine optimization.

Now don't get me wrong. No one can become an SEO expert in a matter of weeks. But it is possible to learn enough about SEO in just a few minutes to impress the heck out of anyone who doesn't know SEO.
And if there's one thing I've learned in this business it's that most folks in publishing don't know anything about SEO. More importantly, many of the working journalists I know stubbornly refuse to learn SEO. So nearly every newsroom -- particularly at the smaller newspapers and magazines -- needs someone who knows SEO.

So if you're about to graduate, here's what you should do:
1. Follow this link and watch the video of Marshall Simmonds, the chief search strategist at the New York Times Co. (DISCLOSURE: I do some work for New York Times Digital.) The video will run for 25 minutes.
2. Watch the video a second time.

After that, you'll know more about SEO than almost any reporter or editor on almost any publication you can name. You won't be an expert ... not really. But it's pretty unlikely that anyone you interview with will know that.
Add a sentence or two about SEO to your resume. In your cover letter, talk about using SEO to attract readers to the work you plan on doing once you get hired. Make sure that you mention how much you're looking forward to sharing your SEO knowledge with other folks at your new job.

When you schedule an interview, make sure you ask your prospective employer what content-management system they use on the Web site. Then, before the interview, find someone on campus (possibly in IT or computer science) to help you understand how to use your new-found SEO skills in that CMS. (In other words, does the CMS allow you to customize the title tag, or will you have to know a little html? Does it automatically choose the headline as the title tag? Or does it just default to the name of the publication?) Be able to tell your prospective employer how you'll optimize the stories you write for his publication.
Then pay a visit to Search Engine Land, the single best source of information on SEO. Read everything you can.

Then show up for the interview, dressed nicely and smelling of breath mints, and show them that you're more than just another print guy.
And if, god help you, you actually land the job, try to find a real SEO expert who will coach you for a few hours on what to do once you start work.

tags: journalism, b2b, media, trade press, magazines, newsletters, business media, journalism education

Good news on the ethics front

I'm in a good mood.
Just a day after I noted in this blog that Ziff Davis' PC Magazine had broken its word and once again violated industry ethics by using ads-within-edit, a reader of this blog sent me some good news.
American Business Media has changed the rules for its Neal Awards. Henceforth "Web sites submitted (for consideration for Best Web Site) should not hyperlink editorial content to advertising or other paid material." (You can read all the rules in this pdf document.)

I'll take some credit for this change. Longtime readers of this blog will remember that I complained earlier this year when eWeek was nominated for a Neal Award even though the magazine's Web site violated ABM's ethics policy. Check out this earlier post in which ABM's Sara Sheadel responded and said the organization would likely change its rules.

Selling links inside editorial copy is wrong. It's offensive, misleading and disgusting. It belittles the work that thousands of B2B journalist do every day of their careers. It cheapens a Web site and damages the reputation of all of us in B2B publishing.
ASBPE has ruled on this issue. And now ABM has made its stance clear as well.
ASME, however, remains silent.
And that is just pathetic.

tags: journalism, b2b, media, trade press, magazines, newsletters, business media, journalism ethics, advertising

Ziff Davis breaks its promise: Ads return to edit copy

Just a day after I noted with disdain that ABM and ASME have yet to respond to the ads-within-edit scandal, I find that Ziff Davis has apparently gone back on its word.

The offensive and misleading ads from Vibrant Media -- which appear as links within news stories -- are now appearing in PC Magazine. Take a look at this article to see the ads.

If you've followed this issue in the past year, you know that Ziff Davis promised to remove the ads from its Web sites if the B2B trade associations said the product violated ethics policies. ASBPE came forward to say exactly that. And Ziff pulled the ads.

So why are the ads back? ASBPE hasn't changed its policy. Has PC Magazine decided that the rules of ethics don't apply?

tags: journalism, b2b, media, trade press, magazines, newsletters, business media, journalism ethics, advertising

ASME arrives late to ethics debate

In the past year, B2B journalism has suffered one of the most embarrassing scandals in its history, as several companies -- including VNU and Ziff Davis -- began to sell ads within editorial. Words in stories were marked as hypertext links. But the links didn't lead to other news or information chosen by editors, the links were inserted by a company called IntelliTXT and they led to ads. The links were misleading, offensive and clearly violated ethics guidelines.

Longtime readers of this blog will remember the debate that ensued. But if you're new to this issue, let me say this: most of the associations that claim to represent the interests of B2B publishing failed -- miserably -- during the crisis.
On May 3, I published something on this blog asking the American Society of Business Publication Editors, American Business Media and the American Society of Magazine Editors to issue a ruling on the ads-in-edit controversy. Although VNU had backed away after I complained, and although it was clear to me and to hundreds of others that these ads were unethical, an executive at Ziff Davis had told Folio magazine that the ads did not violate the organizations' ethics guidelines.
So I asked the three groups to clarify.

ASBPE -- god bless it -- responded within hours, issuing a statement that "ad links within editorial text should NOT be sold under any condition."
But ABM and ASME never responded.
They never issued statements. They never answered my emails or phone calls on the subject. They just ignored the whole thing. They have continued to ignore the scandal ... for six months.

So you'll have to forgive me for being unimpressed by the news that ASME intends to update its ethics guidelines.
I mean seriously, ASME has had a half of a year to decide if its existing ethics policy actually means what it appears to mean. ASME has had a half of a year to decide if it's unethical to sell the actual words that journalists write. So I have no faith that ASME's new policy will actually address the tough issues, and I have no faith that ASME will actually stand behind whatever policy it does issue.

Glamour editor Cindi Leive is president of ASME. In announcing the plans to update the group's ethics policy, she said that "The church-state wall isn’t as clear or defined as it is in print.”
I disagree. As I have said dozens of times in this blog and in meetings with journalists and journalism students -- the rules of ethics haven't changed online, and you shouldn't let them. The church-state wall is clear. Edit is still edit. An ad is still an ad. Transparency is still the key to ethical behavior. And all of our ethics rules still boil down to one simple concept: Don't mislead the reader.

What has changed is that the journalists of B2B have fewer places to turn when the pressure to behave unethically builds. We can still trust ASBPE to stand behind us. But ABM and ASME have demonstrated that we cannot depend upon them.
(UPDATE: ABM has made it's position clear, and I'm thrilled.)

tags: journalism, b2b, media, trade press, magazines, newsletters, business media, journalism ethics, advertising

More on the next crop of journalists

Leonard Witt at PJNet is concerned by some of the advice that I, Bryan Murley, Doug Fisher and Rob Curley give journalism students.
This is important stuff. And if you care about the future of our industry, you should be involved in this discussion.

If you haven't been following this debate, you can read my original post here.
Check out what Leonard said here.
Read Rob's response here.
Read Doug's original post and his response to Leonard here.

I responded in a comment to Leonard's blog. I've posted a copy of that comment below:
Len,
I think it should be clear by now that none of the folks you mention in your post believe that multimedia skills replace writing skills. This isn’t an either/or issue. (On the other hand, I do believe that reporting skills trump all other skills. Being a good reporter requires a particular personality type. I can’t teach that. I can, however, teach anyone to tell a story in adequate fashion. Many professional outfits feel the same way. For example, Bloomberg News requires that every journalist they hire — even those with decades of experience — attend a month-long program where they learn to tell stories in the Bloomberg style. )
What Rob, Doug, Bryan, Ryan and I are talking about is what students need to know in order to land a job. And the simple truth is that a kid who “only wants to be a writer” is unemployable.
Life in the working media today is hard. Competition is fierce. The hours are long. And the single most valuable thing an employee can bring to the table is flexibility.
I know dozens and dozens of very talented “writers” with decades of experience that have lost their jobs in recent years. I’m sure you do too. And it’s insane to expect that an industry that has laid off thousands of 40-year-old “writers” would be interested in hiring 22-year -old “writers.”
We expect something more from the next generation. We expect basic skills in Web journalism.
There is also another ugly truth here. I’ve met these kids. I’ve read their clips. And, as Rob Curley said, “they're not nearly as hot as they think they are.”
When I meet someone who “only wants to be a writer,” this is what I tell him:
1. Good luck.
2. Sell your work. If you have any writing ability at all, you should be able to sell your stuff on a freelance basis. A byline in the college paper doesn’t make you a writer. If you haven’t sold some pieces by your senior year, you either can’t write or you don’t work hard enough.
3. Find a way to pay the bills. Because no one I know will hire you as a journalist. Just like a struggling actor, get a job as a waiter and practice your craft in your free time.
4. If writing is the only thing you want to do, then write. Do it every day. Try to do it well. Do it because it makes you happy. But don’t expect me or my clients to subsidize your passion with a paycheck and health insurance. We’re not in the writing business. We’re in the journalism business.

For more on this topic, check out what Chris O'Brien at PBS' MediaShift said. And read what John Robinson at the Greensboro News & Record said.
Make sure you check out this advice from journalism student Sean Blanda.
And if you want to read the work of a 23-year-old who "gets it," check out Pat Thornton.

tags: journalism, b2b, media, trade press, magazines, newsletters, business media, journalism education