Profitable Demise

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An intriguing open to a thoughtful article by Jay Rosen (PressThink). The piece (Laying the newspaper gently down to die. And keeping the spirit of journalism alive.) looks at challenges facing the newspaper business and how it is (or is not) meeting those challenges. But I believe there’s something here for all traditional media. My big take-away was a concept called “harvesting market position.” A last-resort business model for companies undermined by substitute technology.

“An industry that won’t move until it is certain of days as good as its golden past is effecively dead, from a strategic point of view. Besides, there is an alternative if you don’t have the faith or will or courage needed to accept reality and deal. The alternative is to drive the property to a profitable demise.

Drive the property to a profitable demise. You won’t see that in the company mission statement. But my favorite quote from Professor Rosen’s article came from Craig Newmark (craigslist):

“I realize I’m no news guy, not an activist; just like everyone else, tired of news that I can’t trust. My favorite irony is that Jon Stewart produces fake news that’s honest; and the White House produces allegedly honest news that’s really fake.”

“Telemarketing Wiz”

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This is a true story although I have changed the names to protect the innocent and the clueless.

A couple of months ago, a friend (I’ll call him Ishmael) started a blog called “Telemarketing Wiz” and began posting all kinds of interesting stuff about telemarketing. He started hearing from others in the telemarketing business and people started linking to his blog. He got a little buzz going. Not a raging wildfire, but a little brush fire. Google “telemarketing” and his blog is #3 in the results.

One day recently, Ishmael has a meeting with someone at a publication called “Telemarketing.” (Remember, all of the names have been changed. This has nothing to do with telemarketing) The Telemarketing executive tells Ishmael they are not happy with him using the name “telemarketing” and they’d really like for him to stop. They even offered him a few worthless incentives.

Ishmael was shocked and said he’d think about it but wasn’t inclined to change the name of his blog. There were dozens of companies using the term “telemarketing”… why was the Big Publication concerned about him? Could it be that Big Publication was getting tired of hearing about Telemarketing Wiz?

Legal issues aside, this is a nice example of cluelessness on the part of MSM. I suggested to Ishmael that he change the name of his blog to “TelemarketingSucks.com,” but he’s more of a grown-up than I.

Would it have made more sense for Big Publisher to say, “We’ve noticed what you’re doing and think it’s pretty exciting. We’d like to hire you to blog for our publication.”

I’m sure that Telemarketing is a very good publication. Maybe the best. With lots of talented writers and editors and advertisers and big building with a nice lobby. A great place to read about telemarketing. But not the only place.

If Ishmael was writing a little paper newletter and mailing to a few hundred people, Big Publisher probably wouldn’t care what he called it. But the web is national. It’s global. Anybody can play. It’s no longer about who can come up with a few hundred thousand (million?)dollars to start a magazine. One guy, with a computer, and a head full of good ideas can get in the game. It’s a new day.

Air America Radio

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“In early 2004, a group of investors set out to launch a liberal radio network that would challenge the dominance of America’s airwaves by conservative talk radio. The creative, financial and logistical challenges were immense, but on March 31, Air America Radio became a reality. LEFT OF THE DIAL chronicles the trials and tribulations involved in starting up – and sustaining – a nationwide radio network during a highly charged election year.”

Left of the Dial is another fascinating documentary from HBO.

Vision still 20/20

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I’m just guessing here, but I figure I must own five or six hundred pair of reading glasses. And I can lay my hands on maybe a dozen of those. But the good news is they are cheap and disposable. And the better news is my vision is (still) almost 20-20. That’s the word from Dr. Wankum. I was half-way expecting to need full-time specs, but not yet. Waiting for the doctor, with all the eye exam gear surrounding you, is a fine time to think about all the beautiful things there are to see.