Media Relations

Laugh At The News: Funny Headlines

Correct Me If I'm Wrong is a book full of funny blooper headlines collected by the Columbia Journalism Review.

 FYI...you won't find the book on Amazon.  Be sure to go the the Newseum Store .  I get no commission for this plug :)

Some great examples:

Social Media Vs. Corporate Web Sites - What Reporters View As Credible

Is social media trumping corporate Websites when journalists write their stories?  Thankfully, not yet. Not even close.   But recent responses from 371 reporters indicate 56% regard social media as important or somewhat important in helping them write the news.

"Almost nine out of ten journalists admitted using Blogs for their online research (89%).  Only corporate Websites (96%) are used more."

George Washington University and Cision conducted this 2009 survey of reporters.  Further findings:

Journalists appear quite concerned about social media accuracy. "Lack of fact-checking, verification or reporting standards is the number one reason (49%) for journalists' perceptions on the reliability of news and information from social media sources."

Funny Headlines. When The News Is Depressing, Read On...

Correct Me If I'm Wrong is a book full of funny blooper headlines collected by the Columbia Journalism Review.

 FYI...you won't find the book on Amazon.  Be sure to go the the Newseum Store .  I get no commission for this plug :)

Some great examples:

 

 

 

If Everyone's A Celebrity, Who Is The Audience? Do All Social Media Dreams Come True?

Disclaimer:  Don't get me wrong.  Social media is amazing. I love it and respect those who've harnessed its power. 

When you meet a high-level blogger, Tweeter, FBer, etc., can you see the stars in their eyes?  They've tasted the drug of celebrity.  Addiction levels are off the charts.  Visions of speeches at conferences, their books sold at the back as the audience exits. Webinars, Amazon orders & profits rolling in.  Attorney level consulting fees and the joy of the freebies.  It's a heady rush.

When Seth Godin spoke in Salt Lake several years ago, an audience member cried out, "we want to be like you!"  For some reason...that made me sad.  It seemed to bother him a bit, too. 

The slice and dice of once powerful media into cell sized morsels has brought power to the people.  May we use it wisely.

Can this be sustained?  Some questions I'd like you to ponder with me.

1. If we can all get our 15 minutes of fame, who will be our audience?
2. If we each publish our own newspaper, blog, have our own TV & radio (podcast, YouTube) outlets, how many followers can we attract before the excitement levels drop?  How much information can one human consume in a day, let alone generate? 
3. And now that we have all written and published a book (or plan to), who will read it?  What profit, if any, will we see as our copy joins the thousands of advice books outdated within mere months?

Online activity resembles a blur of swarming bees, all buzzing around each other, all frantically trying to give each other attention....and asking the same in return.  Pedestrians, drivers, people on dates, kids at the dinner table...eyes locked on mini-screens as their latest Google alert, Alexa rank, and online analytics confirm their new star status.

So it has come to this.  A country that strives to be so respectful of individual rights is now packed with citizen celebs.  In the anxious grab for audience...any audience...whatever audience is out there, to what lengths will people go?  Balloon boys?  Crashing presidential dinners?

Humor - Funny Headlines. Laugh Into 2010

And once again, real headlines collected by the Columbia Journalism Review in a new book called Correct Me If I'm Wrong.  Recommended reading for the holidays, and for psychological survival in January 2010!

  

Social Media Exhaustion...Observations

I've been bad in the eyes of social media experts.  I haven't posted on my blog for a few weeks.  Why? Too busy, BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY - I didn't have much to say.  Sure, I inhaled a lot of new information, and exhausted myself with FB and Twitter.  Some observations for your entertainment.

1. 1. Tried to buy the book, "The Four Hour Work Week."  After 30 minutes of keyboard arguing..couldn't get Amazon to let me (didn't recognize me as a regular customer...which I am).
2. Hired a virtual assistant in Kentucky. I live in Utah. This feels weird.  Maybe I'll learn to like it a lot.
3. Helped hold a blogger seminar for a client.  Fast and furious debate.  It was really cool ;)
4. For the first time, sent a news release with this wording: Media/Blogger Contact Numbers.
5. For the first time, sent a client news release to reporters via Facebook and Twitter...THEN proceeded to do some emailing and phone calling.
6. Hired an SEO consultant. Exhausted myself over Thanksgiving following all his advice.
7. Got mad about no longer being the top spot if you search Google for Cartwright Communications.  A tech firm and a PR firm in England now beat me out  :(
8. Helped a TV station coordinate a story on the new FTC guidelines for bloggers.  Couldn't get through to bloggers for the story via phone or email.  It was twittering them that got response.  Oh yeah, the reporter and I went back and forth through Facebook.  He said to me, "don't any of these bloggers have phone numbers?"

And life, however hectic and hard on the hands, arms, neck and back, goes on.  What's your week been like?  I'd love to hear about it.

Utahstories.com - Meet Utah's New Media

What do you do when you want to be a journalist, yet the world of journalism is in chaos?  Like many former or laid off reporters, you can always shoot for the stars and start your own news operation.  With some sweat equity, good journalism ethics and an eye for the hyper-local news no one covers anymore, you just might get a good reputation.  You just might one day make enough money to live on.

Here's one story, right here in Utah.

Meet Richard Markosian, creator of Utahstories.com.  "Read all about it" here.

Funny Headlines From The Columbia Journalism Review

With my thanks to the Columbia Journalism Review.  The magazine collects these great bloopers from subscribers and reporters.  By the way, if you really want to see inside the news business, understand the challenges and ethical dilemmas, subscribe.

Enjoy!

Study Reveals Content Is Still King

A great post today by Jeff Bulla. I'm very happy to see the research he highlights from the Online Publishers Association.  I stand by this: No matter what the vehicle...content is still king.  Those in the journalism and PR professions need to hang tight as we move through this change.  Just like the cash for clunkers campaign, the world is turning in the old clunkers that once delivered the content, for a shiny new vehicle that runs on Internet fuel.

Jeff has a great graphic to go with the post, also below, that made me LOL on a Monday.  And sometimes, that takes work :)   Enjoy his post here.

Newspaper Girl Janet Thaeler - Meet Utah's New Media

She's concerned about balance in her life, thus she only spends 7-10 hours a day online...not as much on weekends. She always wanted to be a reporter, but then learned how little it paid. She still misses the rush of writing in a noisy newsroom. Blogging is "so solitary," she says.

I went to her site and saw four display ads in the right column. She is making some money at this. I think she is an important facet of emerging new media.

If you'd like to meet Janet, here she is.  Thanks to UtahPulse for picking up the column!