Gotta Love the Rem Dog

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Can Newspapers Break News Anymore?

I recently got into an argument (if you can call less than 140 characters long an argument) over whether or not newspapers can still break news due to the explosion of social networking, specifically Twitter.

At this point, everyone should know what Twitter is all about or maybe at least know that it exists and all the tech geeks, PR-types, marketing gurus and journalists are salivating over it. If not, you're way behind the eight ball. Step your game up. Seriously.

The argument stemmed from some Twitter chatter at the "Change dot gov" event at MIT yesterday, or better known as #smcboston in the Twittersphere. The event was about the government's use of social media and the information sharing that should and does go on between citizens and those that run this state. Long story short, one of the panelists was an editor for the Boston Globe who apparently was complaining about the pressure to get news out faster and how that pressure eats into follow up time (probably a subliminal message to all the PR folks in the room saying that, "yea, I got your email/voice mail, but sorry dude, I can't call you back. I'm too busy twittering").

Regardless of realistic or unrealistic time constraints to push out news, I still believe that newspapers can "break" news, specifically in two ways:

1. The first is through investigative journalism. We still need news outlets to be our watch dogs. We need them to ask the tough questions; do the longer, three-part series on government corruption or financial shadiness by big companies. These are the "gotcha" stories. These are the stories that truly showcase a reporters talents - writing and reporting (not to be confused with one another because each is different from the other and are unique skills). My point is that news can still be "broken" in the long form. Yes, I agree that it's tougher to do, but it is still a viable option.
2. The second way outlets can break news is how everyone else is doing it these days - social media channels. News outlets need to stop pushing out headlines just to drive website traffic. Yes, that has a place, but man up guys. Get real people behind your social media brands. Hire young, aggressive news-minded journalists who are social media geeks and can become the first "Social Media Reporter" for the Boston Globe, for example. Instead of pumping out Twitter headlines, why not assign reporters to be your online news voice, pushing out breaking stories, interacting with readers, cultivating sources, gathering news intel for your longer-lead writers, etc. News outlets need to stop using social media channels as content marketing tools and put real resources behind them in order to break news via Twitter for example.

Part of the reason I think newspapers and magazines are struggling to survive is because they were too late to the social media party. They are still outside the club, waiting at the back of the line, 100 people deep. They assumed their product would stand the test of time - similar to the print business and the threat of TV news. I really do think the opportunity exists for the print medium to survive. Old school print cronies need to take off their blinders and push the envelope aggressively in terms using technology to create, deliver and market their content to readers and advertisers.

Photo courtesy of Flickr user Girla Obscura

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Thoughts On The Newspaper Business

While enjoying a quiet Sunday morning with my girls, I fired up the ole MacBook Pro to see what NetNewsWire snatched off the Interwebs. I came across a post over at the Healthcare Economist that outlines the reasons why we still need newspapers.

I've been thinking about this topic for some time now, specifically around two topics: why they are still relevant and what business opportunity they are missing.

Why Newspapers Are Still Relevant

I strongly believe that newspapers are still relevant purely on the fact that the world needs investigative journalism. Big business, politicians and the like, all need to be dragged on the carpet every once and while. The "gotcha" factor is what makes people go out of their way to buy a magazine, newspaper, Tivo the news, etc. We love the drama. We love when criminals and white collar crooks get nailed to the wall. We need folks policing the police, as the Healthcare Economist writes.

Investigative journalism is a form of reporting that brings out the best of writers talents. It's a true story telling format. You have to set up the background. Lay out the issue that is impacting a certain group, audience, culture, etc. Point the finger at who is at fault. And finally, report the feedback of those who are getting the short end of the stick.

Breaking news isn't made for print any more. The Interwebs have taken care of that. The longer, thought-provolking, "gotcha" articles are what make print outlets relevant (whether advertiser buy into that is another story).

Last point I want to make is that newspapers (and long lead print pus) bring credibility to their reporting. I'm more apt to trust what I'm reading in the Globe than I am to trust what I read on a blog - even blogs that are "reputable", have an audience, etc. While blogs are a relevant source for news, they just don't bring the street cred as a brand such as the New York Times, Wall Street Journal or the Washington Post, for example. The proof in the pudding comes in the form of discussions with clients and new business prospects. They all want media coverage and they all want to be in the top tier papers. A blog hit on Mashable is great, but a story in the Wall Street Journal will have a better chance of driving sales inquiries.

For newspapers to continue to be relevant, they need to really step their game up in terms of their business model.

Advertisers aren't buying ads any more. The masses are online. Video and mobile is where it's at. Those two mediums provide THE best opportunity for newspapers to make money.

Newspapers need to create more video content. I'm not talking about simple voice overs on pictures, but in-depth reporting that is accompanied by supporting print coverage. The video can be wrapped around advertisements and include breaks in the segment with ads - similar to what networks are doing now with popular shows. Additionally, papers need to do a better job in packaging their content so their website compliments the paper/magazine. Make very piece of reporting part of a package that makes interested readers engage both via print and online. This will help avoid the, "I don't buy the newspaper because I can just read it online" thing.

Mobile is the Great Frontier

Another great opportunity for news outlets is mobile. For example, look at the iPhone 3.0 OS announcement last week. The OS will enable app developers to sell content with apps, versus solely through iTunes.

How can this translate into a revenue generator? Well, first off, each news outlet should invest in creating an on-device app, not just a mobile version of their website. Using the Apple Store model, news outlets can offer their app for $.99. Within the app, they will be able to sell advertising space as well as additional content for users. For example, if the Boston Globe had a mobile app, they would could offer exclusive content for an additional, one time fee or some sort of monthly fee - all reasonably priced based on the threshold of mobile consumers. I would pay for things like exclusive videos, inside reviews to new technology, archived articles, etc.

What news outlets need to do is interact more with their consumers. Find out what content they really want and determine the purchase threshold I eluded to.

News outlets just aren't acting quick enough. Where's the urgency? Is it too late? Some will say yes. I say no. The mobile and video opportunities are just two examples. These alone won't save the sinking ship, obviously. Just a small piece of the larger revenue generating pie for a service that's important to consumers, whether we like it or not.

Time is running out.

Photo Credit: Just.Luc

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Cute, but is this really news?

It really baffles me why so much energy and content is devoted to this story. Yea, it's cute and has the animal factor, but in a time when people are losing homes, losing jobs and losing their sanity because of the economy, why is this important? I'm all in favor of positive stories but this isn't about personal triumph (the falcon probably thinks otherwise) or about success in a dreary period of our country.

Live On The Internet: Peregrine Falcon Lays An Egg

GORHAM, Maine -- A camera at an undisclosed Maine location that streams live video onto the Internet has recorded a rare peregrine falcon laying an egg. Biologists from the Biodiversity Research Institute in Gorham confirmed that the falcon dropped the egg at 1:30 p.m. Friday. Falcon Cam Senior biologist Wing Goodale said he and his colleagues had been getting little sleep as they watched with bated breath for the last three days after the female spent the night on her nest for the first time. The nonprofit institute said breeding peregrine falcons are listed as a threatened species in Maine, with only 23 known pairs nesting in 2008.

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Media Relations is to PRs as American Idol is to Singers

Sunday night is a great time to troll through the RSS reader and catch up on what people are writing and talking about. Tonight's topic is PR and journalism.

One of the revolving conversations that will never, ever go away is the relationship between PR pros and journalists.

Those in the business know the gory details:
- Media consolidation
- Social Media explosion
- Client pressures
- More content to create on the journalist side (blogs, podcasts, etc.)

My last point is the one that I want to make stick. It's the point that is really at the heart of this issue.

There are more PRs than there are journalists. It's a matter of numbers. It's really that simple.

While you think you have a great story to pitch, so doesn't your equivalent at a competitor firm right down the street. In fact, the PR to journalist ratio has got to be 10-1 if not more (probably like 25-1). So while your story might be great, it's not like breaking Watergate. Those chances are few and far between.

So what does all this mean? Well, you know those people that get in line and fill stadiums just to get a shot at auditioning for American Idol? Yea, that show. The one where you need to nail your audition...30 times in a row. That's what it's like to pitch the media these days. As a PR, you have to be dead on...all the time. You have to have a great story line, great spokespeople, fit into a larger trend and make the reporter look like God in front of their editor. Even then, you need a little bit of luck and great timing in order to get your story placed.

Well, maybe I am being a bit dramatic. Then again, maybe not. Try giving a reporter at the New York Times a call and let me know what you think.

You probably have a better shot at making it to Hollywood than placing your story. Read more!

Behind the scenes at the Inauguration

Check out what it takes to put together the TV production of the inauguration. Quite impressive.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Thanks to @newmediajim for a heads-up on the link. Read more!

Cousy let go by CSN

I was never a fan of Cousy being a color commentator. It was sort of painful to hear him try and keep up with the game. He would always talk about how his game - the way hoops was played back then - was more of the way the game should have been played. He always crapped on athletes today, the money they made, etc. He was just too old school for my liking.

http://www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/extras/celtics_blog/2008/10/cousy_let_go_by.html Read more!

RIP Alan Lupo

RIP Alan Lupo



I worked with Alan Lupo during my days at the Globe. He was a great guy and one to always say hello to the younger scribes with the paper. You see, lots of the reporters at the Globe at the time thought that they were all pulitzer prize material. They looked at younger reporters as rookies and really didn't give them the time of day. No matter who you were, Alan would say hello and strike up a conversation.



One of the dinosaurs of the business is gone, but we'll be left with legacy via the written word.

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Bulldog Reporter byline article about pay for play

Today is my day for 15-mins of fame...well, at least in the PR world it is. The Bulldog Reporter ran a byline article I wrote about the Pay for Play survey my company did in conjunction with PRWeek.

As the old gumbah Italian's would say, "Pay for da Play; she's a no good." Read more!

Globe's Alex Beam Hates Twitter. He just doesn't get it.

Trolling the interwebs today and I came across a twitter post about Alex Beam's article in today's Boston Globe about Twitter. To sum it up, Alex basically hates it. He doesn't understand the 140 character thing. He doesn't understand why I would want to read short blurbs on my cell phone as to what people are doing at that exact moment.

I think Alex just doesn't get it and is one of those 50+, old scribe types that doesn't understand the real use of today's internet and socialnet tools like Twitter.

So Alex, if you're reading this, here are some practical examples of Twitter that supports the use of the service.

- @comcastcares: you promptly crapped on Comcast (rightfully so), but, this is an attempt by a company (that has reputation management issues) to work closer with their customers. Case in point...I was having some digital signal issues and I sent a note to Frank @comcastcares. He immediately checked into it and helped me schedule a tech to visit the house. The service is so popular that @comcastcares has had to expand it's staff. It's chipping away at that bad reputation, one twit at a time.

- @jimrattray: Jim is a client of mine. I never worked on his piece of business because it's a smaller scale account, led by our MD. However, Jim was interested in Twitter and the use of it. We started chatting over Twitter about socialnet and have build a relationship that has been fruitful for both him and I. Client service is a number one priority with our firm and working with Jim over Twitter has been a pleasant experience, one that contributes to his engagement with my firm.

- @magichat: I'm a big fan of Magic Hat beer. I recently discovered that Magic Hat was Twittering. Since then, I've had a conversation with them about their socialnet site for Magic Hat beer loves. Where else can a consumer interact with a popular brand and provide feedback that they will actually listen to? This sort of feedback is extremely helpful to businesses. The best part is that there is no real cost to the company. They are getting my (and others) raw feedback without having to spend money on surveys, mailers, phone calls, etc.

- @espn: These days, when I hear about breaking news, it's mostly on Twitter. Twitter is basically a global AP feed - not only comprised of journalists who use twitter, but also civilian journalists. Whether it's espn, the NYT, US News & World Report, I'm reading about breaking news well before it hits YOUR Boston.com or is on TV.

These are just a few reasons why Twitter is here to stay. So Alex, just because you don't see any practical use for it, doesn't mean that it's not useful. I would guarantee you that 90% of the people on Twitter would support me in my argument. My guess is that you HAD to write this story because it's trendy. You couldn't ignore it anymore. You might have signed up for an account and spent about 10 mins trolling around.

I expect more from the Globe and more from seasoned journalist like yourself. Do your homework. Talk to both sides of story and report what you hear, not what you see in 10 minutes.


P.S. If you want to continue this conversation, I'll be @bigguyd. Read more!

Do reporters have too much power?

I read this Twitter post and thought to myself, what gives Brian Morrissey of AdWeek the right to out a PR professional like that? Why is it acceptable for reporters to crap on PR people? Why are reporters held with such high regard?

Here's your answer: as hacks, we need these people. So if they want to crap on a pitch we send, so be it. Learn your lesson. Write better pitches. Write smarter. Know your contacts. DON'T SPAM! I would love to see this particular PR's response.

Maybe she doesn't know she's being talked about in the blogosphere. What's worse? Not knowing? Or knowing and reading all the hatorade that Google can spit back at you?

It's all about relationships stupid. When are PR's going to learn? Read more!

Don't place bylined articles...or else.

One of the tactics you typically use in PR is the placement of bylined articles. Bylines are simply thought leadership pieces about any newsworthy topic. It doesn't promote a company, a solution, a piece of technology, but more so outlines and issues and brings up some thought provoking solution ideas, comments, etc.

Now that I've read this, I might pull that strategy out of all my client's programs. Read more!

Boston Globe: "Grilling meat causes cancer." You serious?

If this is true, then I must have a day to live. I grill constantly. You'll find me out in my backyard grilling steak tips and veggies in 20 degree weather. All I need is a couple brews (no need for a cooler), a stogie and a hoodie.

I imagine that if you're a reporter covering healthcare that you probably will end up with a complex. One day some wine is good for you, beer is bad. Other days, wine will make your hair fall out while beer is good for the heart. An apple a day? Yea, but only on every fourth Tuesday. On other Tuesday's, apples will rot your teeth.

I understand the science behind this story but seriously, unless you're marinating your steak tips in lighter fluid, this should be a non-issue. Read more!

I agree with Stephen Baker of Bizweek: Embargoed news? Fahgeddabowdit

I'm in agreement with Stephen Baker at Businessweek on the embargoed news tactic by PR folks. Yes, I've done it before, but only because it was at the request of the client.

The media is overly sensitive to the embargoed/on or off the record/background thing. In my book, you either give them the news as an exclusive straight up or you pitch it to those contacts that are relevant. The minute you start playing games is right about the same time you'll get burned. Read more!

My Joe Burgantino story

Rumor has it investigative reporter Joe Burgantino is yet another veteran TV reporter who is departing from WBZ-TV. See ya later Joe. The Boston TV landscape is better off with out you.

Why am I hating on Joe?

I had an incident where I was working a crisis assignment for a client. It was a high profile case and the media was all over my client like white on rice. After repeated calls from Joe and other journalists, the media started to get frustrated because they weren't given access to anyone within the organization to conduct interviews.

Joe, being the pompus a-hole he is, called the office one morning and made a comment to me that attacked me personally, my character, and my profession. I can't get into all the details because of the sensitivity of the case, but needless to say I was shocked as to what he said to me. I wanted to reach through the phone and strangle him. It was probably the rudest I've ever been treated on the job or just in general. I've dealt with some rude people before - lots of them being TV "journalists." Joe was by far the worst.

Every time he'd call the office to request an interview, he got ruder and ruder. My tolerance for his lack of professionalism brought me to the point where I was extremely close to confronting him in person. Cooler heads prevailed and I let his childish antics go.

So Joe, if you're reading this, I hope that McDonalds or Burger King will hire you because as an investigative reporter, you were horrible. You never broke any real news. You often got beat by your competitors. And you looked like Beavis on camera.

The Boston media landscape is better off without you. Read more!

PR Finish Line rips Scott McClellan's book and rightfully so

My boss, a former Boston Herald grunt, has a great knack for seeing through the BS as it relates to the media and PR. Case in point, check out his post over at the PR Finish Line about Scott McClellan's book about his time at the White House under George W.

The post is dead on. How can Scottie boy provide insight into a White House that has been discredited, trashed, brow-beaten, etc. His book is a little late to the game and really just throws more fuel on to the fire while discrediting his own reputation.

File this under FUBAR. Read more!

Inside the Kennedy brain tumor media circus

Great post over at the PR Finish Line about the Kennedy brain tumor media frenzy

I have the pleasure of working with Ed. He's a smart guy and knows the PR/journo biz like the back of his hand. He's dead on with his analysis of the media in relation to the Kennedy situation.

I wish the Senator and his family all the best, but it'll be very interesting to see how this all plays out. Who will get the first exclusive with Kennedy? Who will break any "new" news? My guess is that he'll do a print interview as to not come across looking and sounding weak on TV.

Regardless, it's an historical time and interesting to watch it unfold from a media perspective. Read more!

Globe editorial about riding your bike to the T

Globe wrote an editorial about having better options for getting to and from the T, including riding a bike.

It's a great idea to have more flexibility in terms of utilizing public transportation. However, riding a bike to the T stop is really not that feasible unless you live within a 10 minute ride. Additionally, if you're in a business like mine (PR), riding a bike and wearing a sports coat or suit really doesn't work. It's easier to take a bus to the train station. I understand the "green" angle in all this, but let's be practical. Read more!

Listing of PR/Journo Blacklist coverage

Meryl has a done a great job in culling all the coverage online about the relationships between hacks like myself and journalists.
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Publish Post
Still this this matter comes down to kids being able to play nicely in the sandbox. Read more!

Beth Daly's Globe piece about "Not as green as they claim to be"

I was waiting for this story to hit the papers. Just a year ago, I started this gig at MS&L. That's when the PR machine started to really rev up in terms of everyone and anyone promoting their green initiatives. It's nice to see some real journalism being produced at the paper that was once on top of the media world (well, maybe in their own mind, but at least a top five US daily).

Basically, my friend Beth (yes, I know her), pulls the card of some companies/orgs that are pumping their chests about "going green."

One of the more aggressive ad pushes about "green" has been around the Chevy Tahoe. It takes two graphs before Beth pulls Chevy's card.

But the Tahoe gets only about 20 miles per gallon - not much better than the nonhybrid Honda Pilot SUV, which also seats eight. The celebrated Toyota Prius gets around 46 miles per gallon.

Ouch.

Double ouch.

The slaps on the forehead keep coming:

Few companies out and out lie, but they often use vague terms with no defined meaning, such as "earth friendly," or tout an environmental benefit while leaving out the environmental harm their product can cause.

She's absolutely right. It's a PR ploy. The media is covering anything and everything green so why not hop on the bandwagon?

Like I said, good work Beth. Keep these money hungry "eco-friendly" companies on their toes. Good work. Read more!