Posts filed under “State of journalism”
I’m not a storyteller — I’m an information provider
A lot of journalists got into this business because they like to tell stories. I think that’s one fundamental reason why so many journalists have a hard time adapting to the changing news landscape. For me, it was never about the story — it was always about the information and news. So, if the format [...]
My newest journalism adventure…
I’ve spent the last two years producing journalism in a myriad of formats and the last year arguing for ways to modernize and make relevant journalism in the 21st century.I’ve argued for reinventing journalism. I’ve argued for journalists to let go of everything they’ve ever known. Ultimately, informing people is my passion. I care deeply [...]
What if back in 1998 newspapers invested in the Web?
Like really, truly invested in the Web. What if newspaper editors, publishers and executives realized what many of us knew then that the Web was going to be huge? Think of where this industry could be today. Howard Owens proposes a what-if for the ages: Imagine if the Los Angeles Times had shifted 50 or [...]
Newspapers are the new general stores
Remember them? The thing about general stores is that they are helpful. You can pick up a variety of things from food to bandages to clothes to live bait. But the other thing about general stores is that they don’t do anything well. They’re helpful, but they usually aren’t someone’s favorite store, because they don’t [...]
Innovation is a bumpy road but journalism needs it
Lost in the whole Rob Curley/LoudounExtra “flop” flap is that innovation is never easy. Heck, six out of 10 start-ups fail within the first four years of operation (let alone individual ideas and products at a start-up). And for some reason people are using the performance of LoudounExtra.com (it’s still going by the way) to [...]
LoudounExtra, a hyperlocal failure for the Washington Post?
It’s depressing. It feels like my girlfriend broke up with me and took my dog with her. Yes, I’m talking about The Wall Street Journal’s assessment of the failure of LoudounExtra.com. Maybe failure is a little harsh, but according to Rob Curley, his sites in Lawrence, Kan. got better traffic than LoudounExtra.com. For those keeping [...]
Can newspapers keep their smart young people?
It’s an important, tough-to-answer question. I’ve said before that many of the top journalism students never go into journalism. Instead, they choose more lucrative fields that have more stable futures. I can’t blame them — that’s probably the smart decision. Still, many very smart people go into journalism. Are newspapers capable of keeping them, especially [...]
News organizations need to rethink staff resources in order to promote innovation
It’s a simple question: What should news organizations stop doing, today, immediately, to make more time for innovation? And it’s a simple answer: News organizations should stop pretending like it’s the pre-Internet days. Most news organizations are still legacy-first. Newspapers still care more about the print edition than the Web edition. Beats are still centered [...]
What was isn’t what will be
Change is happening at a very rapid pace. What journalism was and what journalism will be don’t share a lot in common beyond the basics of good, solid reporting. As long as we don’t forget the basics and don’t fear the future, we’ll be OK. But have enough journalists gotten the memo? Sometimes I feel [...]
Is the mainstream media overrun by a toxic culture?
Amy Gahran has a fantastic blog post about a possible toxic culture forming at many journalism organizations and within the field of journalism. I highly recommend you read Amy’s post and think about it. What she is basically saying is that many journalists are overcome by hubris or a journalistic arrogance, as Sam Zell put [...]