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My "Old Media" Magna Carta

My Magna Carta

Recently there's been a lot of squawking from the newspaper industry about its financial woes. Frankly, I have no sympathy for so-called "old media" that doesn't understand that media changes. They're in the reporting business. Who cares about the medium? So, for right now, they can't make money crushing trees. Figure it out, I say. Fire the controllers and COOs. If the Strib, for example, goes out of business it's because they thought they were in the newspaper business. They're not. They're in the news business. If the major TV networks go out of business, it's not because of the content but because they chose to fall asleep at the wheel regarding consumer behaviors. Watch the 5:30 network TV news and watch all those drug ads. They don't know you. They're throwing in the towel. And they're foolish for doing so because the talented journalists will go to where journalism matters -- the web. It's happening. It's happening fast.

I'm not trying to fight some sort of web-religious battle. I honestly couldn't care less about whether the web wins the news wars. But Old Media? Figure it out. Know your audiences. Realize what they want and then give it to them. If you don't know what they want, ask them. And support your reporters. Forget the medium. That's not your issue. It's the operations and advertising guys' problem.

First of all, don't give web advertising away. Why would you do such a thing?

Second, track it. It's all there in your metrics files. Love 'em.

Third, quit playing games with your circulation. We don't believe the numbers. Be credible. It's transparent these days. There's no magic science. Follow the IAB's plea for accountability.

Fourth, quit loving print. You're a business, right? Adapt. We all do or we die...and should.

Finally, love the news. Tell the stories. Dig deep. Quit messing around with squish crap that caters to the lowest common denominator of "safe" news that, each and every day, drives hordes of new listeners/readers/viewers to other media. We, your audiences, hate it. We really, really hate it. You're telling us we're stupid. Period.

So there. That's my magna carta. And I totally believe it. You're my clients, you pay me for advice, and I'm going public because I'm tired of it.