Posts Tagged ‘newspaper’

The million dollar idea

It’s funny, the newspaper I work for is trying hard – but spinning its tires a lot.  We’ve gone from build a “super blog” network, to atomizing all content into a distribution engine to looking for the “million dollar idea”.  It’s crazy, but it is possible to make a million with a blog.

Here is a quote from a post which outlines the process:

that blog is read by over 3 million readers a month and is quickly paying my mortgage – in fact in November it generated more than $100,000, most of that in a week

WOW.  Unreal?  Not really.  But here is what I left out:

Today, 3 and a half years later, that blog is read by over 3 million readers a month and is quickly paying my mortgage – in fact in November it generated more than $100,000, most of that in a week after launching a Portrait Photography Tips E-book.

See, it’s not the fact that a million dollar idea/or blog is not possible.  It’s the how to do it part we miss.

We need good content, we need to nuture the people who come, we need to let those people become a part of the site and you have to hustle.

Check out the full article.

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The new divide: Walled v. open

The walled garden at the demolished Bellfield ...
Image via Wikipedia

I have not been paying a lot of attention to Jeff Jarvis lately – but his recent post hit home.  Maybe it was the friendly objection via a co-workers tweet to my re-tweet, but either way – this is a good read.

Here are a few of the better quotes IMO:

The momentum is toward including ever more data. But now come Murdoch and Microsoft, threatening to take their balls and go home.

But I would hate to see walls go up just as we are tearing them down.

Rusbridger reminds us that advertising freed newspapers from ownership and control by political parties and special interests who exercised that control via patronage. Advertising gave journalism independence. Advertising also subsidized news and reduced its cost so more people could get it.

There are many more – check it out, and good news.  It’s free to read and free to be commented on!  :)

The new divide: Walled v. open

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Charging for Hulu? Newspapers better watch this one.

Image representing Jonathan Miller as depicted...
Image via CrunchBase

After all the buzz around the ‘net about Hulu and charging for content in 2010 – this may be the show newspapers are waiting for.

The big question, of course, will it stick.  Hulu has some very impressive numbers going into 2010.  But what will that look like if they put up a pay gate?

…Jonathan Miller, News Corp.’s newly-installed chief digital officer, said he envisions a future where at least some of the TV shows and movies on Hulu…are available only to subscribers.

The big question is – How much?, What shows are protected? and Who will pay?

I personally have loved Hulu from the beta days and find it to be a great alternative to cable.  If, for a low fee – under $5, could get access to the shows they have now and a few more…may go for it.  But, I don’t want to wait a week for content.  I don’t want to see that content disappear in 4 episodes and I want more.

I think newspaper people will be eagerly watching too:

Miller also talked about what he thinks newspapers will have to do to convince readers to pay for articles that they’re used to getting free on the web.

So grab a seat.  Let’s see wat happens when they flip the switch.  More to come.

Source:  dailyfinance.com

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AT&T – big, bad and high tech

Image representing iPhone as depicted in Crunc...
Image via CrunchBase

After reading my CEO’s blog today – it made me think about my “call” with AT&T on Saturday.  I’ve recently signed up for an iPhone from AT&T.

Onto the story – I took a motorcycle ride on Saturday to meet a friend’s son for lunch.  When we arrived at the restaurant, I checked the and had two voice messages.  One was a friend and the other was AT&T.  I had not set-up my payments on my online billpay yet, so I had not made a payment.  I was basically behind.  Not intentionally – but I really just not gotten around to it.

So I called the 800 number and 2:31 (two minutes – thirty second later, I checked) I was done.  I had made a bank transfer of funds.  Now some will get a bit freaked out – but I’m saying thank you.

Firstly – you can take the iPhone when you pry it out of my cold dead hands.  The iPhone is awesome.  Seriously – 10x better than any other phone I’ve used.  Secondly – 2:31 seconds for me to pay my bill – COME ON!

Now – what does that have to do with newspapers and media?  Well – it goes back to what Chuck said in the blog post.

I do not believe that human nature is changing. However, we are learning new behaviors, using new tools.

Exactly.  I felt too busy to pay the phone bill.  I could have, but just chose not to.  But AT&T was cool with that and changed their behavior to adapt to my crappy ways.

So – what have we (as media companies) done to change what we do for people?  Do we even know who the people are?  What they do? What they want?  We have no clue what our people want or desire.

Just think what we could do if we knew the audience.  We have tens of sites, if we had all that data – plus the TV station, plus the newspaper and it was all available.  We could really know who they are and what they do and why they do what they do and that they may want you to let them pay the bill over a text message.

That would be good…but we don’t.  And we need to figure that out too.

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The TenXFactor: He who owns the Data Wins

Emergency Exit: Semantic Web (White on Green)
Image by semanticwebcompany via Flickr

The TenXFactor: He who owns the Data Wins.

This is a great blog post which backs up what Jason and I have been trying to get across at our company – The Gazette.  Please – some read this and decide that it is true, great post.

CONTENT IS STILL KING.

As I had discussed in a post last year, He who owns the data Wins. What is critical with any media company whose primary asset is content is to leverage the deep silos of content. But this is NOT happening. What is happening is that the industry is turning all reporters into bloggers and/or targeting vertical market segments to increase the advertising reach. Lets stop there. There is no intrinsic value. You are reducing your assets to the lowest common denominator. Very few blog posts have a long shelf life. Stickiness (which drives market reach) is driven by the community, not by the merits of journalism and as the universe as demonstrated, anyone can run a blog.

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DigiDave | Communication is Key

DigiDave | Communication is Key: Collaboration is Queen…..

DigiDave does it again.  I really like Dave’s articles, but this one really hit home.  He brings up some brilliant points.

Scoops have the half-life of a link.

  • No website is an island.
  • The best things happen when you freely reveal your ideas.
  • How do you expect to grow a community if you don’t include them in the planning of how they will be reported?
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Times Techie Envisions the Future of News

Times Techie Envisions the Future of News | Epicenter from Wired.com.

We all need to think like Nick and truely envision what needs to be done next.  Then go and do it.  Newspapers ahve to think differently.

The Second Age of SMEs

Make Trade Fair album cover
Image via Wikipedia

Think small. Think efficient. Share the returns. via Vesess » The Second Age of SMEs.

This article talks directly to what is going on at my employer, the Cedar Rapids Gazette.  We’ve had to cut some people – but my biggest fear is in what they stated in the post:

Think small. Think efficient. Share the returns.

I know we are all thinking small and a ton of time has been given to running efficiently.  But the big one The Gazette missed is “Share the returns”.

I’m worried the execs feel that people are all about “taking it for the team” and I think that is a very good short term solution.  But, what about the people who do well…are we all going to get kudos?  Maybe double kudos?

Seriously – it just doesn’t seem like a fair trade?  Let’s see what the share looks like?

I would rather see a 5% pay vut – and then  that money used for spot bonus for good ideas.  Oh well – I guess I’m “just a web developer”!  :)

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Can Hearst Save Newspapers? Not with subscriptions IMO.

Can Hearst Save Newspapers With an E-Reader? – PC World.

My boss just tweeted this from PCWorld:

@mgcoleman Hearst building an e-reader and Long Island Newsday charging for online content: http://tinyurl.com/avyj32

My biggest issue is I think the news business thinks the problem is with people getting their newspaper electronically.  And they still think the “game” is subscriptions.

The model is not paid content anymore…

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Newspapers Should Thank craigslist

Newspapers Should Thank craigslist | joe boydston.

Now maybe its time to take things back?

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