Mike’s Points

The topics for some of my posts come from stories found via Google’s Alerts. Not a lot mind you, but enough. I saw an interesting column Monday that struck a nerve in me. Or, at least a thought.

Why do you blog? The world wants to know. (No really, we want to know. Read the below, and then let us know why you blog.)

Is it to make money? If so, how’s that coming? I doubt very — VERY — few bloggers make a significant amount of income blogging. (Not ghost blogging, but genuine blogging.)

Pól Ó Muirí’s “Silly bloggers” in the “Belfast Telegraph” is an interesting and quick read.

“Blogging is usually done without a fee. The love of the blog is reward enough for the blogger.

I follow the older rules of print journalism. The First Rule is ‘Fill the space’ and the Second Rule is ‘Get paid for filling the space’.”

The “love of the blog” is not enough reward. (That’s why I work.) I enjoy the process, but there are other reasons why I blog. It’s definitely not for the money. That’s something that those who don’t blog probably don’t get. Why do it if you don’t get paid?!

I blog for on-the-job training (though it’s not specifically part of my job resonsibilities; I’ve just added it). It’s a new tool that can potentially be used by current and future clients. So, might as well dive in. By doing it, I (hopefully) bring value to clients, and to my employer.

I blog because I like the attention, the links, the comments, the traffic. I’m not as blunt about it as some, but I love it no less. Afterall, it really is all about the E.

I blog because it makes me think more about the issues of PR and branding, and about what I do and what my company does. Blogging makes you think.

I blog because I learn more about my profession, about my craft. Okay, I do that by reading other blogs, but I count that as “blogging.”

I blog because it keeps my journalist skills – my curiosity, my nosiness, my writing — honed.

One piece of commentary Pól Ó Muirí that offers is dead on in comparing journalists — paid journalists — and I would say many bloggers is the degree of professionalism, skill and having a thick skin:

“Professional journalists earn brass necks and thick skin and, unlike web-wasters, they put their names and faces to their material.

Most of the comments wouldn’t make the letters pages of any decent paper.

There is no doubt that the internet provides instant access and instant commentary, but it is instant access for those who can’t make it in real journalism.

It is a case of payment envy.”

Point to ponder: “[The Internet] is instant access for those who can’t make it in real journalism.” If that is so, what would Pól Ó Muirí say about so many journalists who now blog? Like journalism, in the coming years, unless you can write well and convey your thoughts, points and information clearly, you’ll be left adrift in the blogosphere. That’s why journalists and professional communications like those in PR will claim a signifcant voice in the blogosophere, one way or another.

– Mike

Technorati tags: Belfast Telegraph, Pól Ó Muirí, blogging

New Orleans, most courtesy of NOLA.com:

Remembering Katrina

Katrina Anniversary Events

Individuals’ reflections on/remembrances of Katrina

Photo Gallery

Hurricane Season 2006. Also see the NWS’s National Hurricane Center.

Mississippi
Thank You Party For Katrina Volunteers And First Responders

The Sun-Herald’s five-day series, remembering Katrina

Survivors’ stories

Before and After Photo Comparisons: Mainland Mississippi

In storm’s eye, Mississippi town recovers - slowly

Technorati tags: Katrina, New Orleans, Times-Picayune, Mississippi, Waveland

For your Friday afternoon and weekend browsing, I offer:

The Art of the Interview, ESPN-Style, David Folkenflik/NPR

Can’t We All Just Get Along?, Joe Strupp/E&P

Toronto and Ottawa PR meetups to discuss social media, Joseph Thornley/Thornley Fallis Group (You know, something like that should be started in Toledo. Anyone?)

Wanna be respected by executives? Talk less and listen more, John Wagner/On Message

More media, less news, The Economist (courtesty of Poynter’s Jim Romenesko)

Be careful…, Ed Lee/BloggingMeBloggingYou (Excellent advice, especially for entry-level and mid-level career people — before it’s too late.)

I don’t think people really trust the media — new or old.

Courtesy of Micro Persuasion, I found an interesting British study reported at E&P about the trustworthiness of media — traditional and new. In the study, “1000 respondents were asked what percentage of the information they received from various sources was accurate, true and unbiased.”

TV: Scored a 66 percent accuracy mark; this was on a line with information respondents received from friends.
Newspapers: 63 percent accurate.
Radio: 59 percent accurate.
Web sites: 35 percent accurate.
Web logs: 24 percent accurate.

I can understand the difference in the levels of trust between traditional media like TV and newspapers and Web sites and blogs. Blogs, for the most part, are not news-gathering media. They are opinion. Very rarely do you see any form of real journalism. And, for most people, b-l-o-g is a four-letter word, even in the U.S.

But, what that study says to me is that, on average, people only believe two-thirds — at the most — of what they see/hear/read from the traditional media.

One-third of what you see on the TV news is not accurate? Holy cow! That is discouraging, and very disheartening.

In addition to the staff reductions, competition from non-traditional media and labor strife, I think traditional media has a fourth problem to worry about.

– Mike

Technorati tags: media distrust, media, TV, newspapers, radio, blogs

If you assume that, when you write and publish a book, you are an expert. Are you also an expert if you write and publish a blog?

– Mike

A couple posts this week stoked the old journalistic fires in me, but more on the business side of the newspaper business. One was by Mike Bawden, and the other by Gary Goldhammer.

While I love public relations and enjoy my current job, there’ll always be a special place for my first (professional) love and passion: journalism.

So, the slow-moving behemoth newspaper industry — which is dwindling in size — needs to step up. And, I’m not talking about the national papers. They’ll always be around. What really matters in journalism are the local papers. The Toledo “Blade.” The Cleveland “Plain Dealer.” The Adrian “Daily Telegram.” And similar newspapers across the country. Here’s how (in no particular order):

Join the real-time news cycle. Today’s news is tomorrow’s history. Yes, many or most newspapers are updating their Web sites with breaking news. But more resources (i.e., people) need to be devoted to covering breaking news — local and regional news. Leave the national and international news to the wires.

Push the news. Let readers sign up for a daily e-mail synopsis of that day’s news. Send me breaking news — local stuff.

Focus on local and regional news. There are so many sources for national and international news. We are an information society — no matter how old or young we are. I can get what you print tomorrow today via my TV, radio and the Internet. Unless it’s of significant, historical or national importance, don’t put national/international news on your front page. At least, keep it to one story.

Focus on your strengths. Radio and TV offer immediacy and first-hand accounts (audio and visual). Newspapers offer in-depth coverage (whether in print or online), analysis and multiple stories on the same story. Radio and TV can’t touch that. And, national newspapers don’t have the connection with your local communities.

Be like the blogs. Okay, most of your readership don’t read blogs. But, they will eventually. Let me comment on your online stories. Involve your readers. Yes, there is a letter-to-the-editor section, but make it eaiser and offer other opportunities for community feedback. To help combat reducing advertising revenue, make readers subscribe or have “premium” memberships to be able to comment. Nothing outrageous. But something.

Cover the local social media. Community boards like ToledoTalk and a host of local blogs are in practically every city. People are talking and voicing opinions. Let your readers know about them. Cover them. Engage them. Join them.

Increase online ad rates. Local newspapers are among the most heavily-visited sites in a community. (I read that somewhere, but don’t recall and can’t find where. Sorry.) Don’t rake over your advertisers because of it, but don’t lose out on the opportunity.

Encourage citizen journalists: Hey, with shrinking staffs, why not engage your readership? Encourage readers and your community to send you news items and photography — not just news tips that you assign to current staff members who are likely already overworked and underpaid. Make this an online special. Once a week, publish the best citJ submission — story and/or photograph — of the week. And, pay submitters for the top story/photography.

Offer your news to local businesses. Maybe you can generate additional revenue by selling a news feed to the Web sites of local businesses. It’ll help ensure local small business owners have fresh content (as long as you keep your news fresh). At the very least, offer it as a bonus to advertisers.

Encourage your staff to blog and/or have the editorial board blog. Enhance your voice in the community. We’re talking connecting with the growing online community here. Of course your reporters and editors have opinions and views on what’s going on. They can be objective in writing their stories, but still have an opinion. We want to hear it. It’ll also offer a chance to learn about the stories they write that don’t make it into the paper (print or online).

No other single entity can impact a community like a newspaper can. Newspapers need to focus on how they can most impact the communities they cover. If they do that — online and offline — then they will ensure their prominence in the information age.

– Mike

Technorati tags: newspaper business, citizen journalism, media, journalism

Sometimes, life and even work just get in the way of blogging. After all, isn’t blogging the be-all, end-all?

Not even close.

But, after some months away from the blogosphere, it is good to see Mike Bawden’s MuchAdoAboutMarketing and Ryan McGrath’s PRLinker back up with recent posts. (Though, as of this writing, the PRLinker blog is “not found.” Hopefully, it’ll be back up soon.)

Mike is back with great coverage and commentary on marketing-related blogs.

Ryan is back (just yesterday) with a great question: How to fit PR blogging into your professional life?

For blogging’s big wigs and many others, that’s not really a question. Blogging is part of their job and responsibilities.

But for some — most? — that’s a valid question.

For most of my clients, there is little opportunity — need — for WOM and other social media. That’s changing, but still would be a tough sell, especially with budgets as they are, reduced man-power, etc. However, I have made progress, and even initiated a couple small-scale social media programs.

I don’t get paid to blog. It’s not part of my written responsibilities — sort of. One way I justify it professionally is that I need to keep up on the latest PR and other communication tools to best serve clients. That’s why they hire my employer. But, like Ryan, I try to keep my blogging on my own time, though I do read and comment on blogs when I first get in, and lump it in with my reading of client media and my own trade media.

Finally, Ryan asks:

I am still unsure of how PR Linker fits into my professional life. Are there other PR professionals who blog on their personal time, outside of work?

Those are questions I’ve asked myself, as I am sure other bloggers have as well.

Ultimately, for those of us that blog but it is not a significant part of our job: It is up to us to learn about blogging and other social media so we can teach co-workers, and incorporate those tactics when the right opportunities are presented with our clients or employers.

Like everything else, blogging needs a priority level — that is, it needs it’s place in our personal and professonal lives. Whether it’s a high, medium or low priority depends on each of us.

My $0.02 for Ryan’s blog is that I like it very much. I like his perspective. I like his “Is blog a dirty word” post, and he did a great recap on the Wal-Mart blogging episode. It’s a good read.

So, I hope Ryan keeps blogging — and reading and commeting on other blogs — even if it’s only once in awhile. But, that’s just my preference. Really, who am I to dictate what Ryan does?

Point to ponder: After mostly finishing this post, I checked out Ryan’s profile at his employer. It seems his employer is using his social media experiences in its own promotion: “McGrath . . . maintains a professional interest in the growing world of social media technologies, such as podcasting and RSS.” So, does that resolve any doubts as to the blog or not to blog question?

– Mike

Technorati tags: blogging, blogs, professional blogs

We have a tough job. We, as in those of us in marketing communications. And, specificially those of us who do any type of writing in marketing communications.

(Okay, it should go without saying — but I am to prevent any wayward thoughts — that we don’t really have a tough job. Policemen, firemen, EMS personnel, nurses, doctors, teachers, military men and women, etc. — they have a tougher and definitely more important job than most of us do. Heck, even my first career in journalism had a higher degree of importance — in contributing to society — than what I do now. But, I digress . . . . )

As marketing communicators, look what we have to do: We have to communicate a certain message or messages. But, to be effective, that cannot be done with just any ol’ group of words.

We need to inform, educate and persuade.
We need to be understandable and clear in the message(s).
We need to do it with a quality of entertainment, or at least keep readers’ attention and interest.
We need to be succinct.
We need to be credible, believeable — even honest and accurate.
We need to be empathic, connect with readers — ensure they know that we know and understand what they feel and want.

We need to do all of that with the same words.

But, don’t you just love it?!

– Mike

Technorati tags: marketing, writing

For your thought-provoking (whether or not you agree with the topics), reading, surfing and just plain ol’ pleasure, I offer:

On the Virtues of Killing Children, BlackFive

Morons At The DHS, Noble Dutle Milblogger Coalition/A Soldier’s Perspective. You can find a more subdued post on the topic by Maggie Thurber/Thurber’s Thoughts.

Blogging is stupid: The Manifesto

How cell phones are killing our confidence, Stephen Baker/BW”s Blogspotting

Google - verb, noun or trademark?, Ed Lee/BloggingMeBloggingYou

– Mike,
who unintentionally has taken a bit of a vacation the past month or so from blogging, but who also plans to be more regular

Should “Postcards from Buster” be “Podcasts from Buster”?

I mean, afterall, he videos most of his visits, right? How hard would it be to take the videos and make them into podcasts, then put them on a site for Arthur, Francine and his other friends to view? Or, even download?

– Mike

P.S.
Sorry, I know I shouldn’t mix my professional life (this blog, work, etc.) with my personal life. But, when you have kids, the two invariably mix.

Technorati tags: Postcards from Buster, PBS Kids