College Tour, Part 3: The war within

I recently had the opportunity to visit a number of universities and to attend two conventions for college journalists. This is the third in a four-part series on my experiences. You can see part one here. You can read part two here.

One of the best things about my annual college tour is that I get to be a little bit of a celebrity. Folks who know me well know that my ego is enormous. And I greatly enjoy doing things that feed my sense of grandiosity. So I like visiting campuses where students line up to meet me. I like standing on a stage and knowing that people are listening. I like to be an expert, an honored guest, a keynote speaker. And I really, really like applause.
At the same time, when I'm speaking about things that are important to me, I don't mind being controversial. I like to be direct and a little harsh. In other words, I'm a New Yorker. And I accept that one side effect of being a wee bit off-putting is that some people are put off.
That's fine. I'm OK with that.
I'm not bothered on a personal level when I learn that some journalism teachers just don't like me.
But I wonder if the way they display their dislike of what I have to say is symptomatic of what's wrong with journalism education.

First, let me give three examples of what I'm talking about:

• After my keynote speech at the Southeast Journalism Conference, several students complained to me that they had difficulty following my remarks because teachers at their table grumbled and complained throughout my presentation.
• Twice during my college tour I received embarrassed apologies from students who were upset that their teachers had declined opportunities to attend social functions with me, because, as one student said, "they hate people like you."
• I met at least a dozen journalism teachers or advisers who said something like "I wish my dean/president/adviser/department head/peers had come to hear you. But they weren't interested."

The lines are drawn
Journalism education has divided into two factions. There are those who see digital media and convergence as positive. And there are those who see recent developments in the press as a catastrophe. The first group wants to use the universities to spread the new forms of storytelling. The second group believes universities are the place to draw the line against change.
The gap between the two is broad and deep. Most upsetting, disagreements between the two sides are uncivil. And since most journalism programs have members of both camps on the faculty, the atmosphere in many schools is toxic.
This isn't a reasoned disagreement among people who like and respect each other. (Certainly the students I met don't think so. The students use terms like "nasty," "ridiculous," "stupid" and "embarrassing' when describing the debates on their campuses.) This isn't an academic debate. Rather, this is a fight between people who have genuine animosity for the opposition.

Certainly I understand where such strong feelings originate. I, too, am passionate about journalism. And I tend to be dismissive of journalism educators I believe are either unwilling or unable to prepare their students for today's media. I suppose if I had been in a university these past few years I'd have grown positively vicious about any peer who failed to adapt.
I suppose too there are teachers who resist the changes in media because they believe these changes are detrimental to the profession. And it's to be expected that these last few years have left such teachers bitter and vicious too. I may believe they are wrong. Hell, I know they're wrong. But I understand how they can "hate" someone like me and refuse to attend a dinner in my honor.
I just wish it wasn't like this.
Because I'm convinced that amid the defensiveness, bitterness and contempt, educators are failing to teach students the single most important lesson that a journalist can learn -- keep an open mind.

If you'd like to get a sense of what it is I tell journalism students, you should read how journalism students react to me. Take a look at students' blog posts here and here.
If you'd like to see some of the more interesting work being done by journalism students, check out the converged model of Connect Mason (created by Whitney Rhodes, a student who was frustrated by the silos at her school) and all the winners of the first online journalism contest of the Center for Innovation in College Media.

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

College Tour: The very young are the future

I recently had the opportunity to visit a number of universities and to attend two conventions for college journalists. This is the second in a four-part series on my experiences. You can see part one here.

My annual college tour is over, and unlike years past, I'm feeling pretty confident about the next generation of journalists.
Certainly the current crop of journalism students isn't perfect. But nor is it as bad as it was just last year.
Something has changed. And I think I know what it is.
College journalists seem to be split into two distinct camps. There are those who understand online media and look forward to a career in digital media. Then there are the delusional others who have their hearts set on a print-based job. (There's also a smaller group of students who have their hearts set on a "television" career rather than a "video" career.")
And as remarkable as it seems to an old guy like me who finds it increasingly difficult to tell at a glance if someone is 16-years old or 26-years old, it is the age of the student that makes all the difference.

As a general rule, I met very few seniors who are ready for the working world. The juniors weren't much better. On the other hand, I found the sophomores and freshmen in today's journalism programs to be a truly remarkable bunch.

It's the very young students -- just 18- to 19-years old in most cases -- who have familiarity with online culture and have mastered new-media storytelling techniques. It's the freshmen and sophomores that understand, accept and celebrate the idea of working and living on the Web.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying that there's no one worth hiring in the class of 2008. I met three seniors that any publisher would be lucky to have on board. But it shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone that two of them already have job offers and the third expects an offer from the publication where she works now on a part-time basis.
But those students were the exception.
On the other hand, I met a bunch of seniors who hope to become print designers. They know Quark. They know InDesign. They have printouts of pages that they want you to see. What they don't have are job offers. And what they don't seem to know is that print design jobs grow rarer by the minute.
I also met a bunch of seniors who want to be newspaper reporters. They have clips. They have some basic reporting skills. What they don't have are job offers. And what they don't seem to know is that newspapers are in very tough shape.
The seniors seemed to be stuck in a fantasy about working in a 1970s-style newsroom. While nearly every time I met a kid who was a new-media "superstar," they turned out to be several years away from graduation.
But that's OK.
I'm willing to accept that our profession might have to write off a few years worth of journalism graduates. Because for the first time I feel confident that there is a next generation of journalists coming that will make us all proud.

My friend Rex also had a positive experience earlier this month when he met with a group of college journalists. You can read his thoughts here.
I shouldn't be surprised by the skills of the very young. Just a few months ago I noted that high school kids were doing some interesting work, while established journalists continued to resist change. Now it turns out that the high school publication I mentioned in that post is winning national attention.

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

Running late ...

I've finished my annual college tour, in which I spend several weeks visiting universities and journalism-education events. It was, as always, both illuminating and fun. I've already published some preliminary thoughts on the state of journalism education. I'll share more about the next generation of journalists within a few days.

In the meantime, I'm scrambling to catch up on my paying gigs. And perhaps more importantly, I'm scrambling to digest some of the recent news in the world of B2B media.

The top development during my hiatus was the annual Neal Awards from American Business Media. CSO took home the Grand Neal Award this year for its work on "Red Gold Rush," an article that linked rising demand for copper in China to a surge in copper theft here in the U.S.
CSO is published by CXO/IDG. And longtime readers of this blog know that IDG is a client of mine, as well as one of my all-time favorite B2B companies.
Another IDG product, Computerworld, picked up three Neal awards, including best web site.
And as I noted a few weeks ago, it was IDG's Harry McCracken who won this year's Timothy White Award for editorial integrity from ABM.
So I want to offer my belated congratulations to all the folks at IDG.
You can read coverage of this year's awards here and here.

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

Preliminary report from the College Tour

"He slung his words at us like darts."

That's the lead from an article in the student-run newspaper at the University of Tennessee-Martin about my recent appearance at the Southeast Journalism Conference, where I gave the keynote presentation (titled "Brace Yourself: What journalism is like in 2008. Why you're not ready for it. What you can do about it.") and joined in a panel discussion on the future of newspapers.
You can read the entire article here. But suffice it to say that my comments caused some discomfort among some of the students and teachers in attendance.

Here are a few of my thoughts.

1. Over and over again I heard from students that the journalism departments at their schools were divided. Some teachers are offering coursework and advice related to new media and convergence. But other teachers are adamant about adhering to a one-medium track. And if the students' reports are to be believed, the split among teachers is acrimonious.
2. Several students complained to me that they had difficulty following my speech because they were seated near teachers and professionals who grumbled and complained throughout my presentation.
3. There's little doubt that today's students aren't following developments in today's media. Nearly everyone I spoke with seem genuinely surprised when I talked about layoffs, shuttered newspapers and declining market values.
4. The weirdest thing I heard at SJC: A senior editor who manages a section at a major daily newspaper told the students how excited he was that he was about to get training on how to post his department's stories to the Web. All I could think of was "who the hell has been doing it for the past few years?"
5. The coolest thing I saw at SJC: the student media center at Ole Miss. It's positively gorgeous.
6. The coolest site I saw at SJC: Vanderbilt's InsideVandy, a Drupal-based, multimedia powerhouse. It won the SJC award for best student-run website.
7. The coolest thing I learned about at SJC: GIMP, an open-source alternative to Photoshop. I'd heard about GIMP before, but I never bothered to check it out (I think the name of the product just offended me.) But now I'm sold.

Next week I'll be meeting with students, teachers and other professionals at Northwest Missouri State University. The week after that I'll be running a one-day workshop and joining in two panels at the College Media Advisers convention.
When those gigs are done, I promise to share my thoughts on the next generation of journalists.

In the meantime, check out blog posts by students who attended SJC here and here.
And take a look at this earlier post on the next generation of journalists (and check out the comments.)

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

The most important award in B2B journalism

I want to offer my congratulations to my friend Harry McCracken of PC World for winning the most important award in B2B journalism. Harry is this year's recipient of American Business Media's Timothy White Award for editorial integrity.

Harry has had a long and distinguished career. But there's little doubt that the challenges he faced in 2007 played a major role in his winning the award. And there can be little doubt that ABM did the right thing by acknowledging that Harry stood up and did the right thing at a difficult time.

So congratulations to Harry. Congratulations to ABM. Congratulations too to IDG, parent company of PC World and a client of mine. This marks the second consecutive year that the Timothy White award has gone to an IDG editor.

For B2B Magazine's coverage of this year's award, click here.

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

The College Tour

It's coming up on that time of year again when, as my friends and family remind me, I spend too much time doing too much work for free. Each year at this time I head out on the road to visit with college journalists and their instructors to share my thoughts on media.
I don't get paid for this work. But I don't care. As I remind my friends and family, there's more to life than money. And there's nothing I enjoy more all year than the time I spend with future journalists.

Later this week I'll be heading to Oxford, Mississippi, where I'm the keynote speaker at this year's Southeast Journalism Conference. I've titled my little speech "Brace Yourself: What life is like in journalism in 2008; Why you're not ready for it; What you can do about it." I'll also be joining a few newspaper executives for a panel on the future of that industry.

After that I'll stop back home for a few days before heading to the Midwest to visit some clients and attend the annual meeting of the professional advisory committee at Northwest Missouri State University's department of mass communication.

By mid-March, I'll be back in New York and attending the College Media Advisers national convention. I'm co-hosting an all-day session on multimedia reporting and Web-first publishing on March 13. And I'm serving on two panels on March 17.

If you're going to be at any of these events, please stop by and say hello.

With all this activity in the next few weeks, I expect my blog posting to be rather infrequent. I will, however, share my thoughts about the next generation of journalists when my schedule gets back to normal.

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

Buying a staff for the future

Late last month came news that B2B publisher Questex was buying FierceMarkets, the online-only publisher best known for its niche, email newsletters. I said then that I thought the deal had some major implications for our industry. Today I'd like to elaborate.

First, I want to make it clear that the FierceMarkets deal doesn't change my opinion of email newsletters. As a general rule, I can't stand the things. I much prefer to get my news and information via RSS feeds. As I wrote on this blog slightly more than two years ago: "With RSS I don't have to worry about annoying "unsubscribe" functions that don't work properly. With RSS I'm not subjected to a never-ending stream of spam and other marketing nonsense from publishers. For a content consumer, RSS is a vastly superior delivery mechanism. And I expect that, eventually, every consumer will demand it."
I still believe that.
But I also believe that this is not the time for B2B publishers to walk away from email newsletters. There's still money to made with them -- lots of money. That's why publishers love them. But someday soon it will become clear that publishers' love of newsletters will not be able to compete with users' love of convenience and control.

But my dislike of email newsletters doesn't change the fact that I like the Questex/FierceMarkets deal. And here's why:
I have a feeling (and it's really just a feeling, I don't have much hard information), that the deal isn't really about newsletters. Nor, for that matter, did Questex buy the company because FierceMarkets also distributes news via RSS. Nor is the deal about FierceMarkets' cash flow or profits.
I think Questex bought FierceMarkets' staff. This is a deal about people...a sort of large-scale version of what Rex calls an "acqhire".
I think Questex decided to buy a staff that understands the Web.

To understand what I mean, take a look at FierceWireless. Drill down a bit. Read some pieces. Make note of the Web-friendly writing, short stories, agnostic links and reader-friendly design.
Then head over to Questex. Make your way to the page about the company's telecom products.
Then try, as I have several times today, to visit Wireless Asia. What I found was a dead link. You can also try searching for "Wireless Asia" on Google. What you'll find is that the top link goes to Telecomasia.net -- the same dead link. In fact, the only live link I can find to Wireless Asia is to a three-year old media kit from when the product was owned by Advanstar.
And as I made my way around the Questex site today what I found over and over and over again was a series of dead links.

Now I don't want to judge Questex based on what appears to be a bunch of technical glitches. These things happen. But it seems to me that the dead links are indicative of a larger cultural problem at Questex.
I did eventually find some links that worked. Take a look at the site for Response Magazine or American Salon. See if it's as clear to you as it is to me that the sites are afterthoughts ... an endless series of in-house ads aimed at getting people to subscribe to the print products.

I believe that Questex -- like many other B2B publishers and newspaper companies -- has recognized that it needs a staff that thinks of the Web first. And Questex, like many other publishing companies, has come to believe that its existing staff was never going to get there. So Questex did the right thing: it bought some folks who could help lead the company into the future.
FierceMarkets had been in play for awhile. And I know that some potential buyers thought the asking price was too high. But those folks were looking to add to already sophisticated Web teams. They didn't need to "acqhire" anyone. They just wanted to buy some cash flow and growth potential.
But Questex saw something else in FierceMarkets, something it needed -- an editorial staff that could help shape the company's future.

We're going to see more of this. We may see a lot more of this. And as a general rule, I'm likely to applaud such "acqhires" of a Web-savvy staff. But I'd urge caution. FierceMarkets is a fairly rare bird. Not every online-only company is staffed by very bright people. And even the smartest number crunchers won't necessarily recognize brilliance in an online editorial staff.
So make sure that whoever does your acqhiring or hiring understands Web culture.

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

Changing just one mind

If you could change the mindset of only one person at your publication, who would it be? If you could get only one person to become part of the Web culture, who would it be?
Perhaps you'd say the managing editor. Or maybe the head of ad sales. Maybe you'd vote for the CEO or the editor-in-chief or the publisher.
But here's my suggestion: Change the mindset of your recruiter.

A few months ago I sat on a panel with two recruiters from mid-sized newspaper chains. They were both lovely people. But I think it's safe to say that they didn't share my beliefs about how to recruit or what to look for in a new hire.
One of them was asked "what would make you throw out a resume?" And she replied that she wouldn't hire anyone with a resume that said "multimedia reporter." She went on to say that she was looking for "newspaper people." But then, a few minutes later, she mentioned that the reporters at her chain were now being trained to carry video cameras.
The other woman, when asked about how she looks through applications, said she doesn't look at electronic resumes and won't follow links to Web stories, multimedia packages or other online examples of work. The reason? She said she didn't have the time, and preferred to look at things on paper.

In the world of B2B, I suspect that the folks that screen resumes for us have many of these same mindset problems. And it's not their fault. It's our fault.
At big companies, much of recruiting is done by people in human resources. And those folks are often experts in the world of HR. But how many of them are aware of the changes underway in media? How many of them understand the challenges of moving to online?
At smaller companies, editorial recruiting is often done by the existing staff. But how can we expect legacy editors to understand what to look for in the next generation of journalists. In some cases, the initial screening of resumes is done by administrative personnel. But if we haven't yet been able to get many of our senior editors to understand the Web, why would we expect our admins to grasp the nature of online journalism?

Pat Thornton recently posted a piece in which he complained about "ads looking for people who know PHP, MySQL, Ruby, Python, Django, HTML, CSS, Javascript, Ajax, Flash, multimedia reporting, photo editing, video editing, Incredible Hulk strength, etc." Pat suggests, correctly, that the "the people hiring new media talent at many newspapers don’t have a clue about what they are looking for." So, according to Pat, recruiters are filling ads with a slew of Web terms and acronyms hoping that someone, somewhere will come in to fix everything.
But the problem that I see most often is worse -- people who don't have a clue about new media looking to hire new talent. They don't even know what Web terms and acronyms to look for in a resume.

But either way, the solution is the same. If you want to hire the right people with the right skills and the right mindset, then you must ensure that the person who does your recruiting knows online journalism.
Here are five steps to take:
1. Find out how applications are processed at your publication. Who writes the ads, screens the resumes, etc.
2. Meet with that person on an informal basis. Try to gauge what they do and don't understand about new media.
3. Invite them to meet with anyone on staff who has the skills you're trying to duplicate.
4. Invite them to attend the places where you talk about the future -- senior leadership meetings, editorial meetings, newsroom training sessions, etc.
5. Offer to help. If you know what your publication needs, ask if you can help screen resumes and interview applicants.

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

Announcements and milestones

I've been running around like a crazy man for the past few days ... working, decorating my new apartment, selling my car, meeting with clients, pitching for new business and exploring my new neighborhood with my daughter. As a result, I haven't done much blogging. So there are a few things I haven't had a chance to make note of until now.

First, I want to congratulate Ryan, Zac, Howard and everyone else involved with Wired Journalists. Some 700 of our peers have already joined this new social network for journalists who want to improve their new media skills. If you haven't signed up, do so now.

Second, the global B2B journalism association known as TABPI (Trade, Association and Business Publications International) has launched its first spinoff unit outside the United States. TABPI South Africa will be run by Louise Marsland of Bizcommunity.com and Natalia Thomson of Now Media. Many members of TABPI and ASBPE will remember Natalia as one of the first international winners of those groups' Young Leaders Scholarship.

Third, Speaking of the Young Leaders Scholarship, the deadline for this year's application is March 3. Winners will get a chance to travel to the ASBPE convention in Kansas City in July. And since I'm the keynote speaker there this year, I think that's a really, really great prize.

Fourth, speaking of deadlines, B2B editors from around the world have until March 5 to enter TABPI's Tabbie awards for the best in trade journalism editorial and design.

Fifth, I recently noticed that this blog has broken the top 100,000 level on Technorati. In a world with as many as 57 million blogs, I'm pretty pleased by that. Granted, a good portion of the blogosphere is spam, gibberish and crap. But there are also bloggers far more talented than I that have not been lucky enough to attract as much attention as I have. So I want to thank everyone who has ever read, commented upon or linked to this blog.
Making it to the top-tier of the blogging world is akin to being named the prima ballerina in the Boise Ballet. It's hardly the Bolshoi, but I still feel like dancing.

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

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