Comments on: Dark days for the press – my advice to a middle-aged reporter http://www.churbuck.com/wordpress/2007/01/dark-days-for-the-press-my-advice-to-a-middle-aged-reporter/ Commentary on media, technology, marketing and clamming strategies Thu, 09 Feb 2012 00:36:10 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: The Churbuckian Year in Review at Churbuck.com http://www.churbuck.com/wordpress/2007/01/dark-days-for-the-press-my-advice-to-a-middle-aged-reporter/comment-page-1/#comment-260153 The Churbuckian Year in Review at Churbuck.com Mon, 31 Dec 2007 00:52:59 +0000 http://www.churbuck.com/wordpress/?p=1000#comment-260153 [...] My advice to a middle-aged reporter: Given the one-year anniversary of my total severance from a 30-year career in journalism, I guess I was in a peevish mood and given to giving unsolicited advice. Anyway, in the same vein as infrastructure I give advice on career choices for old hacks. [...] [...] My advice to a middle-aged reporter: Given the one-year anniversary of my total severance from a 30-year career in journalism, I guess I was in a peevish mood and given to giving unsolicited advice. Anyway, in the same vein as infrastructure I give advice on career choices for old hacks. [...]

]]> By: MeridithL http://www.churbuck.com/wordpress/2007/01/dark-days-for-the-press-my-advice-to-a-middle-aged-reporter/comment-page-1/#comment-80924 MeridithL Tue, 10 Apr 2007 20:54:39 +0000 http://www.churbuck.com/wordpress/?p=1000#comment-80924 A reader recently flamed me and my Movers & Shakers blog on CIO.com, and I just finished writing a response to it. I felt, as a blogger, a duty to post a response to the flame, to show that I'm engaged with my readers, but I really don't want to get into a pissing match, so I took the "Kill Them with Kindness" (or in my case, earnestness) approach. Anyone got any suggestions for responding to flames without 1) sounding defensive and 2) starting a pissing match? Here's a link to the blog entry/flame in question, if anyone's interested: http://advice.cio.com/meridith_levinson/robert_keefe_joins_mueller_water_products_as_cio A reader recently flamed me and my Movers & Shakers blog on CIO.com, and I just finished writing a response to it. I felt, as a blogger, a duty to post a response to the flame, to show that I’m engaged with my readers, but I really don’t want to get into a pissing match, so I took the “Kill Them with Kindness” (or in my case, earnestness) approach. Anyone got any suggestions for responding to flames without 1) sounding defensive and 2) starting a pissing match? Here’s a link to the blog entry/flame in question, if anyone’s interested: http://advice.cio.com/meridith_levinson/robert_keefe_joins_mueller_water_products_as_cio

]]> By: tecosystems » Blogging Conquered Politics: Looks Like Sports is Next http://www.churbuck.com/wordpress/2007/01/dark-days-for-the-press-my-advice-to-a-middle-aged-reporter/comment-page-1/#comment-59721 tecosystems » Blogging Conquered Politics: Looks Like Sports is Next Sun, 11 Mar 2007 00:39:49 +0000 http://www.churbuck.com/wordpress/?p=1000#comment-59721 [...] The traditional writers seem to feel threatened by the often superior analysis available on team blogs such as the excellent USS Mariner. I think many of them could benefit from David’s advice. [...] [...] The traditional writers seem to feel threatened by the often superior analysis available on team blogs such as the excellent USS Mariner. I think many of them could benefit from David’s advice. [...]

]]> By: James Governor’s Monkchips » Why defend those that would fire you in a heartbeat? On journalism http://www.churbuck.com/wordpress/2007/01/dark-days-for-the-press-my-advice-to-a-middle-aged-reporter/comment-page-1/#comment-39781 James Governor’s Monkchips » Why defend those that would fire you in a heartbeat? On journalism Fri, 26 Jan 2007 14:28:54 +0000 http://www.churbuck.com/wordpress/?p=1000#comment-39781 [...] I was reading David Churbuck today and something struck me that is quite interesting. We are all now more than familiar with the bloggers vs the press debate. But the strongest defences of journalism are coming from journalists. Meanwhile their bosses are handing out pink slips left right and center. News teams are gone, wire services do their job. There are fewer are fewer editors and reporters out there. [...] [...] I was reading David Churbuck today and something struck me that is quite interesting. We are all now more than familiar with the bloggers vs the press debate. But the strongest defences of journalism are coming from journalists. Meanwhile their bosses are handing out pink slips left right and center. News teams are gone, wire services do their job. There are fewer are fewer editors and reporters out there. [...]

]]> By: Cahill http://www.churbuck.com/wordpress/2007/01/dark-days-for-the-press-my-advice-to-a-middle-aged-reporter/comment-page-1/#comment-39638 Cahill Thu, 25 Jan 2007 21:16:12 +0000 http://www.churbuck.com/wordpress/?p=1000#comment-39638 It was said a few years ago by someone (darned memory) that "it's not a question of whether the newspapers will be profitable, it's a matter of how large a truck will be needed to carry the profits to the bank." Yes, in 2001 a lot of dotbombs went down. They were typically companies that were under 5 years old. Startups, not companies measure their age in decades. I'm not saying they go away. I am saying the business is fundamentally changing. See the LA Times news release today - web first for news, combining the editorial and web staff. Or the Boston Globe, who today shut down 3 overseas bureaus. If I were a student looking for a career, the newspapers wouldn't be the place today. It was said a few years ago by someone (darned memory) that “it’s not a question of whether the newspapers will be profitable, it’s a matter of how large a truck will be needed to carry the profits to the bank.”

Yes, in 2001 a lot of dotbombs went down. They were typically companies that were under 5 years old. Startups, not companies measure their age in decades.

I’m not saying they go away. I am saying the business is fundamentally changing. See the LA Times news release today – web first for news, combining the editorial and web staff. Or the Boston Globe, who today shut down 3 overseas bureaus.

If I were a student looking for a career, the newspapers wouldn’t be the place today.

]]> By: Ryan http://www.churbuck.com/wordpress/2007/01/dark-days-for-the-press-my-advice-to-a-middle-aged-reporter/comment-page-1/#comment-39614 Ryan Thu, 25 Jan 2007 18:41:22 +0000 http://www.churbuck.com/wordpress/?p=1000#comment-39614 Cahill, you're joking right? I assume you were around in 2001. Online portals/publishing/ad plays easily lost 50 percent of value. Look at Yahoo's stock price. Look at, I don't know, Looksmart. Salon. CNET. Some made it and thrived, some limped, some died. It will be the same with print publishing. Cahill, you’re joking right? I assume you were around in 2001. Online portals/publishing/ad plays easily lost 50 percent of value. Look at Yahoo’s stock price. Look at, I don’t know, Looksmart. Salon. CNET. Some made it and thrived, some limped, some died. It will be the same with print publishing.

]]> By: Rob O'Regan http://www.churbuck.com/wordpress/2007/01/dark-days-for-the-press-my-advice-to-a-middle-aged-reporter/comment-page-1/#comment-39077 Rob O'Regan Tue, 23 Jan 2007 11:50:48 +0000 http://www.churbuck.com/wordpress/?p=1000#comment-39077 Print is not stable. Nor is it dead. What we're seeing is the early stage of a painful, bloody transition from mass communications to niche media. Custom magazines will take off, local papers will continue to find an audience for local news that you can't get on the Web (at least not yet). You don't want print driving your business, but it will continue to play a role, once publishers shed all the excess and redundancies that have built up over the last 20 years. Print is not stable. Nor is it dead. What we’re seeing is the early stage of a painful, bloody transition from mass communications to niche media. Custom magazines will take off, local papers will continue to find an audience for local news that you can’t get on the Web (at least not yet). You don’t want print driving your business, but it will continue to play a role, once publishers shed all the excess and redundancies that have built up over the last 20 years.

]]> By: Cahill http://www.churbuck.com/wordpress/2007/01/dark-days-for-the-press-my-advice-to-a-middle-aged-reporter/comment-page-1/#comment-38921 Cahill Mon, 22 Jan 2007 22:02:16 +0000 http://www.churbuck.com/wordpress/?p=1000#comment-38921 Most industries haven't lost over 50% of their value since 1999. Look at the value loss at the Star Tribune http://www.yelvington.com/node/196 - $503 mil vs $1.2 Bil (the B is correct) - although there were some tax shenanigans in there as well. Most industries haven’t lost over 50% of their value since 1999. Look at the value loss at the Star Tribune http://www.yelvington.com/node/196 – $503 mil vs $1.2 Bil (the B is correct) – although there were some tax shenanigans in there as well.

]]> By: Ryan http://www.churbuck.com/wordpress/2007/01/dark-days-for-the-press-my-advice-to-a-middle-aged-reporter/comment-page-1/#comment-38882 Ryan Mon, 22 Jan 2007 18:47:19 +0000 http://www.churbuck.com/wordpress/?p=1000#comment-38882 I'd love to see when I said print is stable or print journalists feeling safe and cozy. Or when I said certain newspapers wouldn't go out of business or be reduced to sad shells. Never said any of those things. What I said is that the sky is not falling -- print is not a dead end game or dying. Change happens, it's actually healthy. Most industries are *used* to a lack of stability. I guess it's easy for me to say this because I don't have a pension to worry about. I'm not mid-career. I'm not heavily invested in any one type of media, any one place. I knew my Web editors were wrong to scoff at print in 99 just because dot-com was booming, I knew my print editors were wrong to scoff at the Web in 01 just because of the dot-com bust, and I know extreme statements like "print is dying" are wrong today in 07 just because Google is minting money and circ is declining. This is the shakeout of an ossified industry used to fat and easy monopolies. An industry that actually *complains* about craigslist. The upshot will be higher quality, tighter execution, better differentiation. There was a lot I liked in your post but the notes of panic and doom I disagree with, strenously, and yes I politely submit I know what I'm talking about, but feel free to ignore me. I’d love to see when I said print is stable or print journalists feeling safe and cozy. Or when I said certain newspapers wouldn’t go out of business or be reduced to sad shells. Never said any of those things.

What I said is that the sky is not falling — print is not a dead end game or dying. Change happens, it’s actually healthy. Most industries are *used* to a lack of stability.

I guess it’s easy for me to say this because I don’t have a pension to worry about. I’m not mid-career. I’m not heavily invested in any one type of media, any one place.

I knew my Web editors were wrong to scoff at print in 99 just because dot-com was booming, I knew my print editors were wrong to scoff at the Web in 01 just because of the dot-com bust, and I know extreme statements like “print is dying” are wrong today in 07 just because Google is minting money and circ is declining.

This is the shakeout of an ossified industry used to fat and easy monopolies. An industry that actually *complains* about craigslist.

The upshot will be higher quality, tighter execution, better differentiation.

There was a lot I liked in your post but the notes of panic and doom I disagree with, strenously, and yes I politely submit I know what I’m talking about, but feel free to ignore me.

]]> By: Ryan http://www.churbuck.com/wordpress/2007/01/dark-days-for-the-press-my-advice-to-a-middle-aged-reporter/comment-page-1/#comment-38880 Ryan Mon, 22 Jan 2007 18:32:36 +0000 http://www.churbuck.com/wordpress/?p=1000#comment-38880 Hey David, on Four my point is that just because you haven't written or been interested in writing for or even spent much time ON the Web for the past four years does NOT mean you can't jump to a smart online news op, even one connected to a newspaper. As for stability and emotions in newsrooms (yes Cahill I'm acquainted just slightly having worked in three newspaper ones (plus a magazine and website) in the Bay Area with friends in several more), it's not there in online either, and the same irrational feeling of panic swept the online in 2001. Emotions =! facts and the facts show some print pubs are growing circ. Print's advantages are significant and will only go away when they can be duplicated by electronic devices, at which point the distinction between the two will be pretty useless. Of course change is underway and significant, and huge gains to be reaped by publications meant for PC/PDA consumption, but I think you overreached in a couple of those points. Just my opinion. Hey David, on Four my point is that just because you haven’t written or been interested in writing for or even spent much time ON the Web for the past four years does NOT mean you can’t jump to a smart online news op, even one connected to a newspaper.

As for stability and emotions in newsrooms (yes Cahill I’m acquainted just slightly having worked in three newspaper ones (plus a magazine and website) in the Bay Area with friends in several more), it’s not there in online either, and the same irrational feeling of panic swept the online in 2001. Emotions =! facts and the facts show some print pubs are growing circ.

Print’s advantages are significant and will only go away when they can be duplicated by electronic devices, at which point the distinction between the two will be pretty useless.

Of course change is underway and significant, and huge gains to be reaped by publications meant for PC/PDA consumption, but I think you overreached in a couple of those points. Just my opinion.

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