Comments on: Teach Journalists (and Students) and Business http://mediactive.com/2010/02/12/teach-journalists-and-students-and-business/ Creating a User's Guide to Democratized Media Thu, 24 Jun 2010 12:27:01 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Delia http://mediactive.com/2010/02/12/teach-journalists-and-students-and-business/#comment-1304 Delia Sat, 13 Feb 2010 04:25:52 +0000 http://mediactive.com/?p=1278#comment-1304 Dan, re: "By all means, tell advertisers (and mean it) that they don’t run the news operations."... how do you *mean it* if advertising is what makes your business work? (wouldn't they know you are bluffing?) you say yourself the advertisers are the main customers because they are the ones doing the heavy paying; what would stop them from turning around and giving their money to those of your competitors who would accommodate them? unless you are talking about some industry wide pact and aren't those destined to fall apart especially under the kind of serious financial troubles we are seeing today? Delia Dan,

re: “By all means, tell advertisers (and mean it) that they don’t run the news operations.”…

how do you *mean it* if advertising is what makes your business work? (wouldn’t they know you are bluffing?) you say yourself the advertisers are the main customers because they are the ones doing the heavy paying; what would stop them from turning around and giving their money to those of your competitors who would accommodate them? unless you are talking about some industry wide pact and aren’t those destined to fall apart especially under the kind of serious financial troubles we are seeing today?

Delia

]]> By: Seth Finkelstein http://mediactive.com/2010/02/12/teach-journalists-and-students-and-business/#comment-1302 Seth Finkelstein Fri, 12 Feb 2010 20:40:30 +0000 http://mediactive.com/?p=1278#comment-1302 I had a long comment, but I dumped it, wouldn't do any good, especially for me :-( FYI instead: http://gawker.com/5470147/culture-of-fear-inflames-financial-news-wires The "Beats and Exclusives" system wasn't a very big deal until this year, when for the first time it will be used as the basis for pay, says our source, following an impasse in negotiations between Reuters and a union to which its journalists belong. Now "reporters who don't file the requisite number of beats and exclusives will take it in the paycheck, so to speak." [I know, I know, I know, you said they shouldn't this. They shouldn't, they shouldn't, they shouldn't. Then what? It's "the new arena we all inhabit"] I had a long comment, but I dumped it, wouldn’t do any good, especially for me :-(

FYI instead:

http://gawker.com/5470147/culture-of-fear-inflames-financial-news-wires

The “Beats and Exclusives” system wasn’t a very big deal until this year, when for the first time it will be used as the basis for pay, says our source, following an impasse in negotiations between Reuters and a union to which its journalists belong. Now “reporters who don’t file the requisite number of beats and exclusives will take it in the paycheck, so to speak.”

[I know, I know, I know, you said they shouldn't this. They shouldn't, they shouldn't, they shouldn't. Then what? It's "the new arena we all inhabit"]

]]> By: CJ Cornell http://mediactive.com/2010/02/12/teach-journalists-and-students-and-business/#comment-1301 CJ Cornell Fri, 12 Feb 2010 19:35:38 +0000 http://mediactive.com/?p=1278#comment-1301 This subject or concept of journalists being isolated from business touches on an issues that is bigger than fattest elephant in the room: "accountability for the consequences of one's actions." In all fairness to Journalists this syndrome affects all "hyper-specialists" - from the engineer who designs the convoluted procedure required to program your remote control, to delicatessen worker who insists counting down 50 "now serving" numbers even though your the only one in line. For very understandable reasons journalists (and editors, and others in the value chain) have been disconnected from the business and financial aspects of the industry - notably the "customer" side of the equation. Grappling with audience (customer) feedback, listening to comments and gasp customer preferences - along with awareness of the economic aspects of the business - were fire-walled from the working journalist that it may subtly be the biggest reason for the decline of the traditional media organizations. But it's changing fast. We know this. Journalists of all stripes are now becoming the creators as well as the distributors and marketers for their 'product', creating 'personal brands' and leveraging new technologies to maintain a continuous dialog with their target audience. So, the profession of journalism will thrive - perhaps better than ever - the "traditional news organization" is still doomed. Having journalists involved in the business aspects, and thus more accountable for the results and failures - is a great trend. Soon, the only professionals remaining unaccountable and completely isolated from reality will be politicians and university professors ; ) This subject or concept of journalists being isolated from business touches on an issues that is bigger than fattest elephant in the room: “accountability for the consequences of one’s actions.” In all fairness to Journalists this syndrome affects all “hyper-specialists” – from the engineer who designs the convoluted procedure required to program your remote control, to delicatessen worker who insists counting down 50 “now serving” numbers even though your the only one in line.

For very understandable reasons journalists (and editors, and others in the value chain) have been disconnected from the business and financial aspects of the industry – notably the “customer” side of the equation. Grappling with audience (customer) feedback, listening to comments and gasp customer preferences – along with awareness of the economic aspects of the business – were fire-walled from the working journalist that it may subtly be the biggest reason for the decline of the traditional media organizations.

But it’s changing fast. We know this. Journalists of all stripes are now becoming the creators as well as the distributors and marketers for their ‘product’, creating ‘personal brands’ and leveraging new technologies to maintain a continuous dialog with their target audience. So, the profession of journalism will thrive – perhaps better than ever – the “traditional news organization” is still doomed. Having journalists involved in the business aspects, and thus more accountable for the results and failures – is a great trend.

Soon, the only professionals remaining unaccountable and completely isolated from reality will be politicians and university professors ; )

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