Comments on: Every picture tells a story http://timwindsor.com/2009/01/11/every-picture-tells-a-story/ Sun, 23 Oct 2011 15:25:56 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.1 By: mathewi http://timwindsor.com/2009/01/11/every-picture-tells-a-story/comment-page-1/#comment-540 mathewi Thu, 15 Jan 2009 15:57:44 +0000 http://timwindsor.com/?p=870#comment-540 I noticed the exact same thing, Tim -- and blogged about it here: <a href="http://www.mathewingram.com/work/2009/01/11/some-thoughts-on-the-web-and-print/" target="_blank">http://www.mathewingram.com/work/2009/01/11/some-...</a> I noticed the exact same thing, Tim — and blogged about it here: http://www.mathewingram.com/work/2009/01/11/some-…

]]> By: ArrrrRRRggh http://timwindsor.com/2009/01/11/every-picture-tells-a-story/comment-page-1/#comment-537 ArrrrRRRggh Thu, 15 Jan 2009 03:33:32 +0000 http://timwindsor.com/?p=870#comment-537 Most people guiding the helm at newspapers -- and even many working as reporters and editors -- still have no idea the power of the web and of social media -- because they generally don't really use it firsthand, beyond Google, Facebook, and Lexis-Nexis. If a news executive went job-hunting 20 years ago and a recruiter said: So, what newspapers do you read? And he said, "Well, I hear a lot about newspapers and some of my direct-reports tell me about their importance, but I don't really pick up a copy myself...." That executive would be shown the door. But there are people who get paid a lot of money, who work in MSM/newspapers, who make decisions about strategy and direction, and who just don't use this stuff themselves. And that's just wrong. Yet, they're in charge of huge budgets and the professional lives of thousands. First, Google and Craigslist took the meat-and-potatoes of the newspaper industry's revenues. Next, if the industry doesn't let go of certain false presumptions*, other social media-powered outfits will eat their dessert. * False presumptions among MSM/newspaper outlets: 1) That you will own "breaking news" in the age of Twitter and live web video. 2) That your news websites -- with fewer reporters than ever because you've laid so many off -- will still be "the definitive source" of news. 2) That mobile/smartphones are just another "platform." (Wrong. They're a game-changer.) 3) That your news website is "social" enough because it has talk forums and readers can post articles to Facebook. 4) The Whine: "No one has answers to get us out of this mess." Bullshit. The answers are there. You just have to be willing to take RISKS, and not cover your ass and lay people off. Most people guiding the helm at newspapers — and even many working as reporters and editors — still have no idea the power of the web and of social media — because they generally don't really use it firsthand, beyond Google, Facebook, and Lexis-Nexis. If a news executive went job-hunting 20 years ago and a recruiter said: So, what newspapers do you read? And he said, "Well, I hear a lot about newspapers and some of my direct-reports tell me about their importance, but I don't really pick up a copy myself…." That executive would be shown the door.

But there are people who get paid a lot of money, who work in MSM/newspapers, who make decisions about strategy and direction, and who just don't use this stuff themselves. And that's just wrong. Yet, they're in charge of huge budgets and the professional lives of thousands.

First, Google and Craigslist took the meat-and-potatoes of the newspaper industry's revenues. Next, if the industry doesn't let go of certain false presumptions*, other social media-powered outfits will eat their dessert.

* False presumptions among MSM/newspaper outlets:
1) That you will own "breaking news" in the age of Twitter and live web video.
2) That your news websites — with fewer reporters than ever because you've laid so many off — will still be "the definitive source" of news.
2) That mobile/smartphones are just another "platform." (Wrong. They're a game-changer.)
3) That your news website is "social" enough because it has talk forums and readers can post articles to Facebook.
4) The Whine: "No one has answers to get us out of this mess." Bullshit. The answers are there. You just have to be willing to take RISKS, and not cover your ass and lay people off.

]]> By: GIna Chen http://timwindsor.com/2009/01/11/every-picture-tells-a-story/comment-page-1/#comment-520 GIna Chen Mon, 12 Jan 2009 12:28:21 +0000 http://timwindsor.com/?p=870#comment-520 Tim, I think your metaphor works. I don't think you're minimizing their pain at all. I think the people in this picture feel real pain. I would if I were them. But I think the metaphor works because we have no choice but to look forward. We don't have time to look back. This is the time when we as journalists have to act as if we're not terrified when we are. We need to innovate and create and change even though many of us just want crawl under a blanket and hide. That's just reality. Tim,

I think your metaphor works. I don't think you're minimizing their pain at all. I think the people in this picture feel real pain. I would if I were them. But I think the metaphor works because we have no choice but to look forward. We don't have time to look back. This is the time when we as journalists have to act as if we're not terrified when we are. We need to innovate and create and change even though many of us just want crawl under a blanket and hide. That's just reality.

]]> By: Eric http://timwindsor.com/2009/01/11/every-picture-tells-a-story/comment-page-1/#comment-532 Eric Mon, 12 Jan 2009 04:07:29 +0000 http://timwindsor.com/?p=870#comment-532 I'm really tired of all the bloggers, J-schoolers and Twitterati who jump up and down about how much they "get it," and everyone else is the problem. While the Web is allowing for new/faster/better/different/social ways to relay information to our readers, no one has convinced me there is a viable business strategy that will allow newspapers to continue on the scale they've always enjoyed on the backs of classifieds and display advertising. It's not the journalism that is broken, it's the business model. If newspapers had invented or bought into Google back in the day, then there would be more than enough money to support both online and print operations, but that ship has sailed. I'm really tired of all the bloggers, J-schoolers and Twitterati who jump up and down about how much they "get it," and everyone else is the problem. While the Web is allowing for new/faster/better/different/social ways to relay information to our readers, no one has convinced me there is a viable business strategy that will allow newspapers to continue on the scale they've always enjoyed on the backs of classifieds and display advertising. It's not the journalism that is broken, it's the business model.

If newspapers had invented or bought into Google back in the day, then there would be more than enough money to support both online and print operations, but that ship has sailed.

]]> By: A pep talk for journalists « Save the Media http://timwindsor.com/2009/01/11/every-picture-tells-a-story/comment-page-1/#comment-525 A pep talk for journalists « Save the Media Mon, 12 Jan 2009 01:59:40 +0000 http://timwindsor.com/?p=870#comment-525 [...] We must fight until we cannot, and then we must keep fighting. We must because that is our job. We cannot let journalism fail. We must set aside our own real pain, and, as Tim Windsor says on Zero Percent Idle, be the “people facing forward … doing the job of ... [...] [...] We must fight until we cannot, and then we must keep fighting. We must because that is our job. We cannot let journalism fail. We must set aside our own real pain, and, as Tim Windsor says on Zero Percent Idle, be the “people facing forward … doing the job of … [...]

]]> By: Eric http://timwindsor.com/2009/01/11/every-picture-tells-a-story/comment-page-1/#comment-510 Eric Sun, 11 Jan 2009 10:36:17 +0000 http://timwindsor.com/?p=870#comment-510 I think you're reading too much into that photo. I'm sure there are plenty of other people in that room who are focused on the new reality, but first they've got the reality of families and mortgages to worry about. And, yes, the "business" of journalism must change, but that involves the folks from advertising who haven't figured out how to monetize the journalism we do online. I think you're reading too much into that photo. I'm sure there are plenty of other people in that room who are focused on the new reality, but first they've got the reality of families and mortgages to worry about. And, yes, the "business" of journalism must change, but that involves the folks from advertising who haven't figured out how to monetize the journalism we do online.

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