Misleading Headlines May 12, 2009

EW.com recently ran an article bashing Vanity Fair‘s coverage of a Jessica Simpson.  Within her interview, she never once mention her weight, rather danced around the issue.  Yet the magazine put “You call this Fat?” on the cover.  The journalist proceeded to fill the article with comments like “What are you working on now [that you’re fat]?,” he says in his head. “Do you see yourself as part of a class, with Christina and Britney [or are you too fat]?…” And while he takes pains to say that Simpson looks incredible now, her career lately has been, “flop, flop, country flop, fat picture.”  While I found this hilarious, I can understand how people might find this outrageous.  To focus on a topic that was never mentioned in the entire article is ridiculous.  I understand using an attention grabbing idea to attract readers, but follow through on it. At least make it related to the article!

On a side-note, the article on Jessica Simpson is a total filler.  I’d be surprised if many magazines sold.  She hasn’t done anything with her career except forget lyrics and create bad CD’s.  As EW.com pointed out, her being on the cover at all, without promoting anything, is strange and unusual.

False advertisements give the media a bad reputation.  Misleading headlines and misguided comments are exactly what make people think  poorly of the media.  Once editors and journalists begin to correct this situation, perhaps the media can be seen in a good light.

Wall Street Journal…Free if you squint May 12, 2009

The Wall Street Journal boasts a hefty price tag for its online content. So far, the Journal has been one of the only newspapers to evade consumers feeling of entitlement when it comes to free news.  So why is the Journal giving away its stories for free on the iPhone? Owner, Rupert Murdoch, is unhappy with content being given away for free and has made his opinion known.  However, nothing is being done to stop it.

This sounds like a terrible idea to me.   Why give consumers the option to get greedy?  The Wall Street Journal has created a name for itself and managed to save some of its profits.  Giving away content to even a few viewers is unethical and just dumb.  While it reaches another demographic, tech-savvy iPhone users, it cuts out an entire market.  The market that was willing and able to pay for the content.  If I paid for the Journal and found out some people could get it for free, I’d be so unhappy.  Phonecalls would be placed…that’s all I’m saying.

I think the Journal should just forget about the iPhone app.   While a lot of people have them, there is no guarantee that they will subscribe to it.  iPhone apps are great, but I think it will just make paid subscribers more upset than necessary.

Gossip Tabloids Fading Out? May 12, 2009

As magazines around the country see a decline in sales, gossip rags are not immune.  In an article published in the Huffington Post, Mark Pasetsky writes that the main problem with gossip magazines are that they are too textually based.  Text outweighs photos, turning readers away.  He finds the three main problems with celebrity gossip magazines to be:  Too many staffers doing one job, ignoring the success of celebrity blogs, and too much text.

I tend to agree with what Pasetsky writes.  Celebrity blogs are huge.  Perezhilton.com is hugely successful, gaining major advertisers who occasionally buy out the entire page.  The New York Times recently wrote an article about a new site, Wonderwall.com, with a slightly nicer tone than Perez.   Being an avid reader of Perez, I of course had to check out Wonderwall.com.  I like it.  It reads horizontally instead of vertically which is nice, in case you are an incompetent scroller like I am.  The stories are good (I think Perez might be updated more)  but overall, I missed Perez’ rude analysis of celebrities.  However, that might have to do more with my personality than the blogs themselves.

Either way,  tabloids need to figure out how to convert the success of celebrity blogs into print and make money off of them.

No Bailout Money for Newspapers May 12, 2009

Picture from Google Images

The White House announced on Monday that it is not planning to bailout newspapers, despite Obama’s belief in a strong free press.  U.S. newspapers have begun closing around the country as advertising revenue has gone done, as well as subscriptions.  Many readers have started heading to online for the free content.

Breitbart.com ran this story early last week about the imminent demise of newspapers and the lack of government help.  Although I am scared for the end of newspapers, mainly  because I would like a job after I graduate, I can’t help but think that the government is smart to stay out of it.  Newspapers/Journalists  are supposed to the watchdog of the government.  What sort of conflict of interest would that be, if the government was paying to keep the papers alive?  While newspapers do need help, the government is not the answer.

While it will be hard to do, micro-payments or making newspapers non-profit, would be the best bet.

Final Project for JRN 24/7- Saving Journalism May 9, 2009

Introduction

As the journalism industry attempts to withstand the tests of time and technology, new ideas emerge every day.  BeatCache.com is the latest idea to rock the world of journalism.  Providing consumers with a personalized up-to-date site based on interests will detract viewers away from flippinge through newspapers and magazines.   As readers become more interested in online content, the journalism industry must respond.  BeatCache.com is the answer

Business Plan

BeatCache is a specialized site based on one’s interests.  When entering the site, the viewer chooses what category they are most interested in, from tabs along the top of the screen.

The reader can choose from:

Top News Stories

-Regional

-National

-International

Fashion

Health

Environment

Sports

Music

1. The full story, although longer than a traditional text message, will be sent to the cell phone.

Audience&Revenue

The market for BeatCache is any news savvy consumer.  However, the group will specifically market itself to people between the ages of 18 and 34.

BeatCache’s main source of revenue will come through advertising.  When a reader clicks on a headline, before the entire story is displayed, a ten second advertisement will air.  Since the site is separated by interests, it will be easier to gain advertisers. For example, Powerade, Nike, and UnderArmour can advertise before sports stories.  Armani, Gucci, and even the Style Network, can air ads before fashion stories.    Even though advertising is slow during the recession, advertisers are more likely to work with BeatCache because people are forced to watch the ads before he or she reads the story.  In magazines people can easily skip the ads.  That is not the case with BeatCache, a characteristic an advertiser will find very appealing.

For the text messaging aspect of BeatCache’s business model, an advertiser will sponsor each story.  After a consumer receives a text, it will say “Sponsored by…”, further displaying the advertisers name.

BeatCache will receive a $25,000 grant from the Knight Foundation to help start the website and continue its growth.

Although specific brands and companies will advertise on the site, there will not be any favor shown to those companies. Credibility and accuracy are the most important qualities to the site and its investors.  Sponsors may not appreciate the lack of favoritism but viewers will.

Reporting Staff

BeatCache will use a mix of full-time and freelance staff.  The majority of stories will come from other websites but BeatCache will have its own freelance reporters contribute.  Reporters will be responsible for producing photographs and videos, as well as writing the story.  Since the content is only distributed digitally, additional media items are necessary to provide a complete and transparent story.

There will also be fact checkers and researchers, on staff full time, who are responsible for making sure stories are transparent.  The fact checkers will also provide links in the story.  The links will link back to previous stories BeatCache has posted about a topic.

Revenue Functions

BeatCache will be a publicly owned and traded company.

Expenses

A percentage of the profit, separate from labor costs for staff, will go to the news companies from which the BeatCache stories are taken

Timetable

BeatCache is set to launch within three months.  The most difficult part of debuting BeatCache will be gaining the advertisers necessary to make the site a success.  Although the articles will grouped based on specific interests, advertisers are necessary to make the site profitable.

Conclusion

In a time when a consumer’s interests have shifted from newspapers to online content, BeatCache is the perfect tool.  Allowing a viewer to focus his or her interest to a specific group will stop him or her from being overwhelmed by news.  The ability to check the news on-the-go is also a plus.  While a computer may not always be accessible, a cell phone always is.  BeatCache is the best way for a smart consumer to stay involved in the news, but not be inundated by stories he or she is uninterested in.