13 Sep 2008, Posted by Matthew Reinbold in Thought & Theory, 1 Comments

For Media Clients, Dispelling Fear is Job #1

Vox Pop grows web based software. We create code explicitly with an an online component because we are fascinated by the possibilities created by large scale information distribution. News, or info with a timestamp, was ripe for the kind of disruptive innovation seen over the course of the last decade.

For many who have built a careers closely aligned with a medium, however, the rapid dissolution of barriers has been a source of confusion. Its important to remind those in the bullpens that they’re in the content business, not the distribution business. Television stations are having to learn how to write copy for their web presence. Newspapers are having to produce their own videos to accompany posts. And everybody is trying to figure out how to monetize it all.

Smaller media organizations, especially, are caught between a rock and a hard place. Not only are they finding they have to learn entirely new ways of production with limited time, personnel, and/or resources. They are also having to figure out how to make ends meet in the midst of spectacular revenue erosion (see the graph to the right). Many small town shops simply can’t do both.

It’s from this perspective that one of the Vox Pop associates came seeking advice. He was preparing a pitch to a small town newspaper. He had correctly identified the first, non-threatening need we could fill to get a follow-up meeting: archival services. For even the most jaded editor the value of having content backed up in electronic form is apparent: effortless search, retrieval, and physical destruction prevention. The greater challenge was the upsell.

The publisher stated clearly the he did not want “people to just be able to read the newspaper for free”. This sentiment still exists despite major papers like the New York Times eliminating its subscriber model for content. Even the Wall Street Journal, the nation’s standard for business news, maintains a healthy amount of “free” (albeit ad supported) content. Radio has allowed people to listen “for free” for nearly a century and they’ve done just fine. Incorporating advertising to pay for the vastly diminished costs of production is an option.

Of course, chastising a professional as being a fuddy-duddy of the last century is a sure way to be shown the door. The fear is justified and needs to be acknowledged before moving toward something meaningful. In this case, it means having detailed discussions about how the paper’s immediacy is also its primary value. That’s why today’s headlines are tomorrow’s cage liner. It’s also the key in how to create strategies to leverage content to create new value while preserving what the client is comfortable with.

Award winning examples of how the web can enhance or clarify stories are next. As Dave Thornton correctly points out:

The Crane Collapse in Manhattan shows brilliantly how animation and design can really add to the understanding of an event unfolded, particularly for anyone not familiar with how cranes work. Meanwhile Climbing Kilimanjaro is beautifully simple, using graphics and video for a personal account with a real personal touch.

The web doesn’t represent an infringing flash fire threatening to burn all in its wake. It serves as a powerful medium through which they can better tell their stories. Acknowledge the fear, understand its motivations, and address how those things can be overcome. As long as people are interested in the places where they live there will be a need for hyperlocal reporting – in whatever its form. Its the job of those like Vox Pop Design to adequately bridge the knowledge gaps. By doing so the small town paper from last century continues to provide their important public service in the next.

Resources for those looking to work with local media in an online manner:

• Rob Curley’s Blog – Rob is “an Internet nerd from Kansas” who was featured in a 2006 Hyperlocal FastCompany article. His blog has a number of insights about what does (and does not) work.
• Lessons from LoudounExtra’s Trouble – When there are multiple branded presences competing over the same content there may be problems. The Washington Post’s Loudoun Extra is an important cautionary tale.
• EatSleepPublish.com – This blog examines the future of the news and publishing industries. Especially poignant for our purposes is the post “The Ultimate Guide to Newspaper Curmudgeon Talking Points” piece.
• Online Journalism Blog – For a more international perspective on the changes affecting the news industries this site can’t be beat. Aggregating across a number of sources it is a firehose of debate and information.