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paulconley

A blog for those who toil in the most specialized, and perhaps the least glamorous, area in the press -- trade journalism.

The best among college journalistsNovember 3

I spent much of last week feeling sorry for myself because I had to miss the College Media Advisers Convention.

And today I find one more reason to wish I had been there. The American Collegiate Press announced the winners of its annual Pacer awards at the show. And the list of winners for the best Web-based journalism was filled with folks I know and admire.

I would have liked to have offered my congratulations in person to those winners who attended the show. But I'll have to be satisfied with offering a virtual pat on the back to Bryan Murley, Kelly Wolff, Sean Blanda, Whitney Rhodes and the other winners of the Online Pacer.

tags: journalism, b2b, media, trade press, magazines, newsletters, business media, journalism education

My sky isn't fallingOctober 29

I'm in New York this week, as I am most days. But I'm finding this a particularly annoying place to be this morning.
Because I'd really like to be in Kansas City as several hundred young journalists converge at the College Media Advisers convention. But I had too much work to do, so I decided to cancel my appearance at this year' show.
Now I'm sitting here in Manhattan thinking that was a really bad move.
Here's why:
Those kids are arriving at the convention in the midst of a print death spiral. And that's likely to cause an unnecessary panic.

Consider the news of just the past few days!
Time is cutting 600 jobs. Gannett, which has been a big supporter of CMA, is cutting 3,000 jobs. The L.A. Times is cutting another 10% of its editorial staff. McGraw-Hill is cutting 270 jobs. The RBI sale is faltering. The Washington Post had its

Why would you use that thing? It's stupidOctober 27

I spent much of the past few weeks on the road -- meeting with journalists, executives and others to talk about the changing nature of media.
I do a lot of that stuff. And I've found that meetings with publishing companies, with few exceptions, take a predictable path.

The folks at Web-only firms are enthusiastic, delightful, smart and engaged. They're thinking several steps ahead of the competition. They're focused on life in 2010 and beyond.
People at these companies are most interested in hearing my opinions on their ideas for the future.

The folks at the trendsetting companies in B2B -- home to those print-based brands that have made the transition to Web-first publishing -- are equally bright. But there's a slight undercurrent of resentment about the ways in which we work today. People are behaving well and talking positively. Yet it's clear that much of the staff longs for the past. People at these companies are most interested in asking me questions about the future.

The folks at other B2B companies are, to be honest, just depressing to be around. Workers at B2B brands that haven't figured out how to adapt are just miserable. Their anger is palatable. Their nervousness is pervasive. No one seems to have a single good idea about anything. Senior management is focused on the next quarter; older workers are wondering if they can hang on until retirement; everyone else seems to think no further than the next paycheck.
People

The tipping point's tipping pointOctober 6

The B2B industry has spent much of the past year or so obsessing over the "tipping point" -- that point in time when a brand's absolute growth in online dollars surpasses the decline in print revenue.
Predictably, it happened first in the world of tech publishing. And it shouldn't have been a surprise to anyone that the first company to get there was IDG, which is clearly the leader in Web-based journalism among traditional companies. (Note: just for laughs, take a look at the work done on any IDG site and then compare it to what's done on rivals' sites. Or, if you're rushed for time, take a quick look at this post blasting Ziff Davis Media for its offensive practices. For more on Ziff Davis and the company's inability to behave responsibly, read this earlier post of mine.)

But today may mark a new point in the tipping-point conversation. A recent survey by Ad Age suggests that the gain in online revenue at consumer magazines may be surpassing the gains made at the average B2B brand.
You can read Ad Age's piece here. Or, even better,

What's in a name? Circulation Management rebrandsOctober 1

Circulation Management, the magazine and Web site that has covered the circulation end of the magazine-publishing business, is changing its name to reflect changes in the industry.
Starting in November, the product will be rebranded as Audience Development.

I applaud the move. There can be no doubt that the jobs and tasks of what we once called the circulation department have morphed into something more complex, more challenging and more exciting in today's multi-platform world.

But the change at Circulation Management raises a question.
Circulation Management is owned by Red 7 Media, which is also the parent company of Folio magazine.
And I cannot think of a word that is more closely tied to the print past than "folio."
So can we expect a rebranding of that title as well?

tags: journalism, b2b, media, trade press, magazines, newsletters, business media