Love and Fear

Love and Fear

Both are very powerful reasons to do anything.

The former builds brands and products and businesses that will endure.

The later is a feeble foundation that will collapse with the weight of the world.

Stay true to your mission.  

But make sure it is born and built on love, not fear.

News - viewers and readers dictating what they get

Today, the news is not so much reported as digested. It is why the larger news agencies race to report based on the ratings they think they will receive, rather than on the nature of the story. It is why public relations firms are no longer an outside irritant, but a relied upon source. It is also why more and more people are relying less on traditional media for their news, and turning to independent reporting through blogs, twitter and trusted websites.

It is nobodies fault but a failure to evolve. Newspapers were too focused on the "paper" part of their name, and not enough on the "news." When the idea of a 24 hour television source for the news was put on the table. The old fashioned news rooms laughed at the idea. "there is simply not enough news for 24 hour coverage" they said. In less than a year they were shocked to find that people were perfectly happy with news sound bites rather than lengthy stories.

A dozen or so years later, the television networks got too caught up in the fact that their anchors were stars rather than journalists at heart. Some replaced experienced journalists with flashy anchors. Their audiences, who wanted news a bit fluffier than papers, found they did not want as much fluff as they were now getting. Who knows but perhaps they overshot the mark a bit, which is why there's a bit of a controversy as to where is the line between real news reporting and opinion.

I'm not sure we're going to have to worry about that for long. Because now both newspapers and television outlets, as well as magazines and newsletters are finding that their audiences are leaving them for the words and reporting of bloggers and digital journalists. Why? Because these independent people are the new journalists consumers are more comfortable following. These are the people delivering the news the way their audiences want it. Fast, quick, targeted, with just the right amount of commentary. Does this foretell the changes to come? Smaller, more targeted news outlets run by people who really care about what they are reporting? Is this the re-birth of the Fourth Branch of the government?

I hope so. If it's any indication, just look at the direction most advertisers are moving their media dollars - toward the online bloggers who are influencing their customers the most. If there is one indication of what consumers think of the news, just look at those brands who are putting money where their mouth is. We may not see The New York Times in print or CNN over the airwaves in twenty years. But we will always see our favorite brands.