More on old-time journalism

David Shaw has some interesting comments about my recent post on old-time trade journalism, in which I said I was furious to find that reporters at the Waterways Journal were selling advertisements. David agrees, but reminds me there are vital business functions at a magazine that editorial staff should be engaged in. Check it out.

New magazines

Magazines -- there may not be another industry in the U.S. where so many new products launch every year. Magazine Publishers of America has listed some of the debuts from 2004 on its website. As you'd expect, most of the launches are consumer mags, and most are aimed at "affluent" audiences. But take a look through the list. There are a few interesting titles in B2B, including 'Revenue" and "CMO Magazine."
For further details on magazine launches, check out the site of Mr. Magazine, who was recently named chairman of the University of Mississippi's journalism program.

Competing against former employers

Here's a story that should gladden the heart of any journalist who ever thought he was smarter than his bosses. The former editor and managing editor of The Chronicle of Higher Education have gone into competition against their ex bosses. The journalists have launched insidehighered.com, a free, Web-only publication to rival the paid-subscription Chronicle, a specialized publication serving academics and university administrators. In addition to being less "stodgy" than the Chronicle, insidehighered promises to reach a broader audience by targeting grad students and smaller institutions.

Old-time trade journalism

I'll admit to having a soft spot for "The Waterways Journal." I've been reading it for decades now, starting when I was a young transportation reporter for the "Journal of Commerce." The WJ has its flaws -- it runs ads on the front page, tends to be such a cheerleader for the industry it covers (inland barges) that it reads more like a press release than a magazine, and it has the ugliest layout of any publication in my mailbox. But WJ has a relationship with its readers -- and with the rivers on which those readers make their living -- that any trade publisher should envy. The WJ has been publishing since 1887, writing about the folks who move freight along the waterways. And in the process, WJ has turned trade journalism into something akin to folk art. Each issue features a look at days long gone through photos of paddlewheelers and early steamers. There's a section each week on what WJ wrote about in the past (100 years ago this week the magazine reported on what was believed to be the first collision in history between a boat and a train! The train hit an elevated stage plank of the Reese Lee as it moved through a canal.)
But soft spot or not, I was furious when I read this week's edition of WJ. In an article on page 4, the WJ announced the retirement of William Evans Jr. who has been WJ's reporter on the Gulf Coast for more than 25 years. I have vague memories of meeting Bill at an event or two, and I remember him as a likeable man. But in the article about his retirement it says "While covering river news, Evans also actively represented the business side of The Waterways Journal, selling advertising..."
Selling advertising! While covering the news!
Now there may not be much I can do to convince folks at WJ that such activity is simply and utterly unethical. I'd guess that they aren't embarrassed by what they have done. But I did want to take a moment to tell people at WJ that I and other B2B journalists around the country are embarrased for you.
Full disclosure: Many of WJ's journalists have been covering transportation for most of their lives. Carlo Salzano, who writes about federal regulation of the rivers, was one of my first bosses in the business. He was an editor at Traffic World magazine, which also covered the freight industry, when I was a reporter there in the early 1980s. I haven't spoken to him in more than 15 years, but I'd be willing to bet good money that Carlo has never sold an ad in his life.

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

Lebhar-Friedman to buy Dowden

Lebhar-Friedman, the privately held parent of such B2B magazines for the retail industry as "Drug Store News" and "Chain Store Age," plans to buy Dowden Health Media. Dowden serves the medical world with newsletters and magazines such as "Contemporary Surgery." Dowden's journalists won't have to relocate to L-F's offices in New York City. According to a story in Folio magazine, Dowden will operate as a standalone subsidiary and will keep its offices in Montvale, N.J.

Wal-Mart news service

I just love this idea! VNU has launched a news service dedicated entirely to developments at the world's largest retailer. VNUsmartsupplier.com will cater to those thousands and thousands of businesses that sell to Wal-Mart. The site will offer original content on marketing, logistics and similar issues. Editors have also archived articles from such retail-focused magazines in the VNU family as Progressive Grocer and Convenience Store News.
Check here for details, but be advised. The site wasn't up yet when I published this post.