DISQUS

Randy Vaughn · 1 year ago

Thanks John for this good article - I have shared the link with a local journalist here in Fort Worth. I hope he will find it compelling and thought-provoking. They are as well a prominent newspaper with a long history and a broad readership.

dean · 1 year ago

John,

You are preaching to the choir on this subject. As a blog consultant in and around Silicon Valley, even the most savvy journalist are still in the dark ages regarding Web 2.0, social media optimization, and blogging.

Many small and mid market newspapers are losing readership to blogs and large media companies that have embraced blogging.

To that point, the turning point may have been Rupert Murdoch's move from paid online subscriptions for his WSJ to free subscription based model. The numbers are simple. Murdoch figured out that if he made $1million in paid subscription fees he could make $25million in ad revenue a reality.

Finally the obvious factor is the threat blogging has become to old school newspapers. Many journalist attempt to ignore bloggers or at least not mention the subject.

That type of thinking is exactly what has put "citizen journalism" in the forefront as the biggest threat to the status quo.

As Seth Godin likes to say:

"Past Performance is no guarantee of future success. Every single industry changes and, eventually fades. Just because you made money doing something a certain way yesterday, there's no reason to believe you'll succeed at it tomorrow."

dean of http://deansguide.wordpress.com

Increase Sales Coach Cheryl · 1 year ago

It sounds like their are two obstacles here. First, learning how to use the tools. Second, having a clear objective for the use of that tool and a sound plan for the achievement of that objective.

Karl Staib - Work Happy Now · 1 year ago

Your blog was insightful. I never really knew that journalist are subjected to such lack of support. I am writing a piece about it on my website.

I'm always surprised when I hear of companies that don't give the proper support to their staff. Hopefully corporate newspapers will realize the potential of the blog and give more support than is needed to make it successful.

Karl of
www.workhappynow.com

Hayley · 1 year ago

I really found this post useful as this is a subject I'm currently studying at university, asking how organisations should prepare to handle 24/7 news and citizen journalism as a result of social media.

Journalists need to embrace this new technology. The public aren't all there yet, which I think is where marketers are leading the way by getting there first. Perhaps greater education is needed and the importance of these tools to the future success of their careers stressed, before journalists and other organisations can fully integrate into media 2.0.