Will Social Media Save The Newspaper Industry, Asks Social Media Explorer?

I began my print journalism career in August 1985, after earning my B.A. degree in broadcast journalism from American University. The reason I chose print over broadcast is for another post on another day.

About 3 years ago, management at my current employer told the editorial team told us that we had to begin developing our digital media skills, as this was the direction our publications were going. I created the Towers and Tarmacs blog. I created a Flickr account that now has more than 4,000 photos. I went to Podcamp Philly and learned how to record, edit and produce my own podcasts. I created a fan page for airports and airport security on Facebook. And I have a work-based Twitter account (@bizavweekly) that covers the airline and business aviation industries that I use to promote our company's publications.

It was with interest that I read a post on the Social Media Explorer blog entitled: Will Social Media Save The Newspaper Industry? In it, writer David Finch opines that it will take more than just social media to save the industry. He noted the unveiling of the newest version of the electronic book Kindle that is being touted as a potential savior for newspapers. It was a topic I blogged about here on April 17.

I get brownie points for for Tweeting about my company's stories and blog posts, but Finch says newspapers have to recreate the user experience to make the newspaper the talk of the town again. "Perhaps, the newspaper as we know it must die, not because its content isn’t relevant, or its attempts to use social media has failed, but because the consumer no longer identifies with it," writes Finch. "In my opinion, it’s just a matter of time, but until then I can guarantee you can find me every weekend with a cup of coffee, the New York Times, and my favorite jazz artists in the background."

We have all heard what the problem is, as eloquently outlined in this article by New York Times columnist Frank Rich. But what about the solution? In a poll of 351 members of the Associated Press Managing Editors, only 17% said they believed the industry would go extinct.

The May 12 post on the Recovering Journalist blog is blunt -- There is No Magic Bullet. Mark Potts says newspapers can't:

• Charge for online content;
• Implement micropayments;
• Rely on the Kindle; or
  
• Punish Google
  

I am heartened by some of the efforts that journalists out there are doing to adapt in an ever-changing landscape. America Online has been rolling out a series of blogs that are similar to newsweekly magazines and daily papers, including PoliticsDaily.com, to fill the news gap, reports PaidContent.org. The editor is Melinda Henneberger, a former reporter from the New York Times, and has hired 21 journalists from publications including the Washington Post, Chicago Sun-Times, NPR, Politico and US News & World Report, said PaidContent.

Forty former Star-Ledger reporters who took a buyout have launched their own Web-based news site -- NewJerseyNewsroom.com -- reports Editor & Publisher. So far, it looks like the ad revenue is coming just from Google Ad Sense, but the site looks like it's covering all the news worth covering in the Garden State.

It shows that there's still hope for innovation and growth in journalism, despite the current doom and gloom. I'm hoping that the new NABJ board -- including me as Region II Director -- will study all the opportunities out there across all media platforms and work with them to ensure jobs for its members.

Tapping Social Media Tools To Land That Next Job

I am a regular listener of National Public Radio's Talk of the Nation. Half of the April 29 show was dedicated to what job seekers need to do to find employment in the Job Market 2.0 we all live in now.

I have always been of the mind to have a current resume on my computer and a jump drive at all times, even though I am very happy to be working where I am right now and have no plans to leave. I say this, because you never know what opportunities are out there for you.

But a paper resume is not enough. These days, people tend to look for you online. I have a profile on LinkedIn and I have a Facebook page that I try to keep professional. I know some people -- like Andrew Humphrey of NABJ's Digital Task Force and candidate for NABJ Vice President-broadcast -- has his own branded web site that he uses for things like his bio, his resume, his videos, his weather blog and his NABJ campaign. When you Google his name, his site is the first thing that comes up.

One of the people interviewed on Talk of the Nation was Julie Weber, Sr. Director of People for Southwest Airlines. She talked about how Southwest was using social networks like LinkedIn to look for potential employees.

Fortunately, I haven't had to actually apply for a job since 1992, because networking has been an invaluable tool for me. And being on LinkedIn and Facebook have allowed me to cast the net even further.

NABJ has always been good about networking at the annual conference. But with the state that journalism is in these days, NABJ members have to step up to the plate and add these tools to help them stand out in a very competitive market. As Region II Director, I would work with board members and local chapters to offer members more information -- and tools -- to continue networking year round.

Wash. Post's Howard Kurtz Asks: The Death of Print?

Washington Post media columnist Howard Kurtz wrote a column today -- and held a live chat -- asking this question. And he's not the only one. I just listened to an April 27 podcast from NPR's Planet Money on the prospects for print journalism.

When Kurtz -- a self-described industry fervent optimist -- says his belief is shaken in the newspaper business, you know things are bad, as if we didn't already know it. He cites the numerous newspapers that have cut jobs -- including my hometown Baltimore Sun -- and notes that those jobs are never coming back.

If I hear the words "platform agnostic" again, I will scream. According to Kurtz, it's become the excuse du jour for newspapers firing all these journalists, but he asks an interesting question: "How can papers with far smaller staffs and reduced ambitions stem circulation declines?"

Both Kurtz and Planet Money covered the plans of Steve Brill's new Journalism Online LLC (my post on that is here). In a nutshell. Brill proposes to offer tools to publishers that will allow them to charge for online content. And Reuters is reporting that the Wall Street Journal plans to unveil micropayments for articles and premium content.

But in the end, Kurtz asks the million dollar question -- but for the reading public: "Does it want to pony up for news, whatever the media that prevail? It's all a matter of priorities. Whatever shape journalism ultimately takes in America, make no mistake that in the end we will get what we pay for."

I know I focus on print, because that's what pays my mortgage. But broadcast is having its own troubles. Yesterday's New York Times has an article about how television stations are facing their own advertising dollar squeeze. Guess how some are trying to stem the flow of red ink? Working with newspapers. That's a nice visual.

The Tribune Company, which is operating under Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, has merged its TV stations and daily newspapers in Miami and Hartford, and it already produces a lighthearted morning show in south Florida with the help of the newspaper’s columnists, reports the Times.

As the bad news continues, it's up to the National Association of Black Journalists board, representing its membership, to watch these trends and work with companies as the journalism industry continues to change -- rapidly. NABJ needs a board -- and active members -- to make sure that journalists of color have a seat at the table as the industry continues to transform. I want to be a part of that as Region II Director.

Journalism News Roundup

Instead of just waxing poetic on on theme, I'd end the week with a roundup of news stories affecting our chosen trade.

The SFIst blog is reporting that more job cuts are coming at the San Francisco Chronicle. Among those gone are the environmental reporter, the computers/technology reporter and the 2 people responsible for Chronicle Watch, which covers the city's neighborhoods - closely.

Speaking of layoffs, one day after buying the San Diego Union-Tribune, new owner Platinum Equity laid off 182 employees -- including 50 in the newsroom -- or 18% of its workforce, according to VoiceofSanDiego.org. "[T]he ultimate goal here is to make only those cuts necessary to stabilize the business, and then to focus on growing revenue," Platinum Equity partner Louis Samson told the Union-Tribune in an interview last week.

The Poynter Online blog reports that while the Star-Ledger has not resorted to layoffs, it did implement a program where yearly bonuses will now be included in base pay and that pay will be cut. "The first $40,000 of your new combined annualized income will be cut by 5%. If you make more than $40,000, your next $40,000 in income up to $80,000 will be cut by 10%. Any annualized income over $80,000 will be cut by 15%," said a memo to employees. The paper is also requiring employees to pay more for health care insurance. Management blamed continued deteriorating ad revenues for the move.

We all have followed the negotiations between the New York Times Co. and the Newspaper Guild at the Boston Globe. A deal was made at the 11th hour, but the Guardian's Dan Kennedy asks how long will the Globe be safe? It's the same question I asked when I heard the deal had been struck.

I have become an avid reader of the Baltimore Brew blog. Among other things, it is covering what I see as the slow dismantling of the newspaper that used to be my hometown Baltimore Sun. The May 3 post on the Brew announced that the Sun would no longer publish Letters to the Editor, since the person overseeing that had been cut in the latest round of layoffs. But on May 6, the Brew reported that the Letters section is back.

Let's file this last one under "what are they thinking?" The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has spent $1 million on a new year-long ad campaign to encourage customers to take a digital break and actually read the print edition of the Sunday newspaper, reports PaidContent.org. The paper has cut 30% of its staff.

Maybe Sam Zell Should Have Spoken With Warren Buffett

As I continue to mull the magnitude of Tribune Co. owner Sam Zell's statement that his acquisition of the newspaper chain was a "mistake," Berkshire Hathaway chief Warren Buffett said that newspapers face possible “unending losses” and that the company would not buy most U.S. newspaper “at any price,” according to MarketWatch and the Wall Street Journal, reports PaidContent.org.

Buffet also said that newspapers had been essential to readers and advertisers, but not any more. The Omaha-based company has holdings in several newspapers, including the Washington Post. While Buffett lauded the Post on what he called its "attractive businesses" -- including cable -- he admitted in PaidContent.org that the Post “does not have answers to the problems of the newspaper business.”

If Buffett is not so high on the Washington Post, one of the crown jewels in the newspaper business, this can't bode well for publications that are lower on the food chain. Buffett's business partner Charlie Munger responded to a question from FOX Business News's Liz Claman, calling called what's happening to the newspaper business "a national tragedy." He added that as newspapers go away, "what replaces them won’t be as desirable as what we’re losing."

If you read my May 1 post on what's happening at my hometown Baltimore Sun, it illustrates Munger's point beautifully. So what can we do? The simple answer is to find a viable financial model that lets newspapers survive -- in some form -- and the industry continues its rapid change.

And the National Association of Black Journalists has to have a seat at the table as these changes happen. With a large part of its membership in print journalism, the board needs to work with industry players to ensure that journalists of color continue to be represented in the new media model.

Some Interesting Journalism News & Notes

I enjoy reading about all the things going on in my chosen profession of journalism. I feel that with all the changes going on, it's good for me -- for all of us -- to keep up. Below are some of the stories I've been gathering in my folder for potential blog material that never quite reached full posting status.

The Huffington Post has come out with its own set of Citizen Journalism Publishing standards. Among the standards: Never plagiarize - it is the hallmark of a lazy journalist. Always attribute material when using material from newspapers, Websites, TV, radio, books or other outlets; Make the greatest possible effort to get your sources to go "on the record" - which means that you can use their quotes. But if they don't want to be quoted, respect their right not to be named; and As we emphasized before, make sure to fact-check your sources, many of whom may be prone to exaggeration or have an agenda when talking to a reporter. Sounds just like what I do!

In what can be said as the understatement of the year, Tribune owner Sam Zell said in an interview on Bloomberg Television that his acquisition of the newspaper chain back in 2007 was "a mistake" in that he did not anticipate the steep decline in the newspaper business. What? We've all been hearing about the decline of tradition print media as far back as the early 2000s. Where was Zell when this was happening?

This isn't the first time we've heard all these rumblings about the demise of newspapers. Online magazine Slate points us back to 1918, when Atlantic Monthly's Oswald Garrison Villard wrote about the demise of newspapers using words that were similar to those used to mark the passing of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer and Rocky Mountain News. "The leading cause of newspaper death then as now was "the enormously increased costs of maintaining great dailies" and limited advertising," wrote Slate's Jack Shafer.

I read with great interest a recent blog post by Steven Roll, president of the American Society of Business Publication Editors on what the next phase of journalism will look like. He quotes a speech by my colleague John Byrne, editor of BusinessWeek.com, who said: "the next phase of journalism will require editors and writers to get readers involved with every step of the process, from generating story ideas to filling in the missing details of a published story. Part of being an editor or writer today is learning how to create and build communities and then how to serve them."

The Knight Digital Media Center blog had a fascinating post it called essential reading for journalists caught in the meltdown. The post includes links to four articles that "anyone concerned about the future of journalism should read."

I am a big fan of National Public Radio's Planet Money. The blog recently asked the question those of us in the news business would like to have answered - Who'll Play for News -- And How? The blog cited a story in The Wrap that allegedly had the publisher of the Los Angeles Times defending putting advertising on the front page. Planet Money cited Web portals with paid memberships, micropayments charged to readers for each article viewed, and convincing deep-pocketed patrons to endow major news organizations as not-for-profit institutions as possible future funding models.

The Techdirt blog notes that when the Seattle Post-Intelligencer went to an online-only format, its web traffic dropped 20%. But when the blog looked beneath the numbers, here's what it found: the newspaper cut 80% of its reporters but still held onto 80% of its traffic. Techdirt sees that as good news and wonders why these numbers are seen as a failure. Good question.

As our industry continues to change, it's important that the NABJ board - and more importantly its members - need to keep up with the changes in the industry so we can all prosper and continue to practice the profession we love. And this is yet another reason why I'm running for Region II director. I want to help be a part of the solution.

What's Happened To The Baltimore Sun-And What We Can Learn From It

About two weeks ago, I read a post on local blog The Baltimore Brew, which featured an interview with the editor of my hometown newspaper, the Baltimore Sun. The Sun, like many other newspapers, has been decimated by layoffs of veteran reporters, editors, photographers and designers. The latest layoffs came April 29, with 61 newsroom staffers gone, according to the Sun.

Which makes Editor Monty Cook's remarks in a speech at Johns Hopkins University -- that the paper was not in "decline," but in "transition" -- an interesting take on what has happened to a newspaper that had been well respected in the industry. The speech was organized by the university's Institute for Policy Studies entitled “Content and News: Protecting What Matters Most.”

What does the future look like for the Sun under Cook, who took over in January? We'll see more blogs and more use of Twitter. He also cited the UK newspaper the Guardian's move to a "platform-neutral" news room (which merges the traditional and online news rooms), and more of an emphasis on mobile content.

What won't be seen in the Sun? Longer stories that take weeks or months of research and reporting. “The days of the six-part series are gone,” Cook said in his remarks, arguing that there are other vehicles for good journalism. “Watergate was beat reporting.”

So what's the future of the Baltimore Sun? “We stop being a newspaper company. Right now. The end," said Cook. “We’ll think of content first and platform second.” He admitted that the newspaper will be smaller after the transition.

The Sun is not the only newspaper struggling to make the transition in a rapidly changing industry. We can all bemoan the demise of the traditional print newspaper, but that's not going to bring it back.

What we can do is make sure we're getting the tools and skills that will help us make the transition to fit into structures like what the Sun is becoming. Making the transition should be one of the top priorities for NABJ to make sure that journalists of color are represented in the new world order of journalism.