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Media Continues Self Destruction

Harry Hoover — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 17:07:36 +0000

Photo credit: Grafixar from morguefile.com

The US media aren’t trusted by Americans, and the self destruction continued this weekend with the incessant drumbeat of impending doom ahead of so-called Hurricane Irene. As Kendall Allen tells us in her piece Fools In Raincoats,

I was not at all helped along by the sensationalized, character-driven coverage on the major networks and even on the Weather Channel. In all these segments, the slapstick reporter standing IN the surf getting hammered was the story. Does that not break some journalistic principle: thou must not make oneself the story?

I saw video of one reporter excitedly talking about the wind and rain, that obviously was light. I’m sure his producer had told him to hype it up. When I was a reporter back in the 20th Century, we were told to cover the story as it was. No editorializing, no hyperbole. That day, sadly, appears to be gone.

Untrustworthy mainstream media are looking for something – anything – that will bring back their days of dominance. This was not their finest hour. It was clear before the storm hit the NC coast, that the weakened hurricane was not on the order of 1989′s Hugo. As Irene moved up the coast, it brought a lot of rain and produced serious flooding, but she just couldn’t live up to the hype. Poor Anderson Cooper was clearly disappointed that NY was not about to be wiped out.

I am not saying that there was no responsible coverage of the storm. But the national broadcast and cable networks did not cover themselves in glory. Like the dinosaurs they are, today’s media outlets are one meteor strike away from extinction. Let’s hope some agile mammal is in the wings to take their place.

Did you see any responsible coverage? Wade in to the conversation, but watch out for that deadly hurricane-driven surf.

Bad PR Firm, Naughty PR Firm

Harry Hoover — Thu, 12 May 2011 20:33:06 +0000

Well, here we go again. You’ll remember back in 2006 when Edelman PR was caught flogging for client Wal-Mart . It seems that we have another PR debacle. There now are stories about Facebook hiring PR firm Burson-Marstellar to discredit Google in the press.

As we say in the South: that just ain’t right. Robert Noltenmeier, Clinical Assistant Professor of Public Relations and Corporate Communications at the New York University School of Continuing and Professional Studies, agrees.

Noltenmeier claims that Google’s slogan,

“Do no evil,” certainly applies in this case—but to Facebook not Google. Regrettably, this issue is another example of a public relations firm—and a leading one at that—behaving unethically and reinforcing the perception and stereotype that public relations is sinister and misleading. This action violates the profession’s codes of ethics, from PRSA to the Arthur Page Society to IABC. A firm like Burson-Marsteller, whose namesake, Harold Burson, PRWeek called “the century’s most influential PR figure,” certainly should apply PR ethical principles. This incident likely will damage the firm’s and the profession’s reputations because of the public’s renewed distrust of both of them.

As for Facebook, given its alleged sketchy origins as described in “The Social Network, ” its founder’s gratuitous PR efforts—the Newark, N.J., education donation timing and amount—and its frequent user-privacy issues, this incident once again raises the question of its business practices. It will likely affect Facebook’s reputation, as the Wal-Mart-Edelman false blog posts did in 2006.

According to Noltenmeier, this incident also shows how social media businesses, no matter how free, democratic and popular, fundamentally work like traditional businesses: it’s all about beating the competition, attracting and retaining customers and boosting revenue. Like traditional businesses, social media firms must follow ethical business practices—and in their case ethical privacy practices—or suffer reputational damage and business losses.

He is dead on. What do you think?

Addendum: Facebook says no smear was intended.

Blogging Lesson 1 – Blogs Are Here To Stay

Harry Hoover — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 12:30:37 +0000

5 Lessons From the Blogosphere – Lesson 1

When I started blogging in 2005, I thought that it might just be a fad. Boy, was I wrong.

Nielsen says that blogs and social networks now claim the lion’s share of the consumer’s time online.

According to eMarketer, more than 50% of US internet users will read a blog at least monthly this year, and that swells to 61% by 2014. While reading blogs is becoming ubiquitous, writing blogs is more of a niche activity with only about 12% updating a blog at least monthly. And, in my opinion, there are fewer bloggers consistently producing quality content. So, there is an opportunity for the serious blogger to build a real following with good content. More on that in Lesson 3.

Technorati stopped tracking blog growth in 2008 because there were too many new ones emerging. In April of 2008, 175,000 new blogs were coming online daily. The top five blogs now account for more than 75 million visitors per month.

And what is a blog? Many companies now are using self-hosted WordPress installations as the backbone of their websites. Is it a blog? Is it a website? Then, there is your Facebook presence. With Facebook Notes, anyone can share his or her thoughts on topics. Does this constitute blogging? And what about microblogging via Twitter and Amplify? You tell me.

As blogs are becoming more and more a part of the media landscape and the traditional media continue to wane, it is clear to me that blogs are here to stay. What do you think?

Forgotten Gems

Harry Hoover — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 20:36:53 +0000

Through no fault of their own, sometimes really good posts just get overlooked. Here are a few forgotten gems you may have missed.

Grandma Says - Southern grandmothers have often said, “there are only three times a respectable person’s name should be in the paper: when you are born, when you are married, and when you die.” This is the one area in which I part company with my grandmothers.

Brand Euthanasia - Some brands should be allowed to die, or if that fails, then we owe it to them to kill them.

New Business Tip: Do Great Work For Current Clients -My marketing mentor, Bill Loeffler, once said the the best new business program is doing great work for current clients. He was right.

The Value Of Connections – As we have discussed before, the value of connections in business cannot be underestimated. I’m talking primarily about tight connections that you use ruthlessly to help you achieve your personal and professional goals.

To Market, To Market… - What does buying a fat pig have to do with your business? Stick with me and all will be revealed.

How To Be A Great Radio Guest

Harry Hoover — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 13:57:54 +0000

Radio – despite changes in media habits – still is a great way to get in front of a lot of people. As a radio talk show guest on a national program, millions could hear your message. Talk radio listeners tune in about 20 percent more than the average radio listener.

Being a great guest takes some work on your part. Let’s review what you must do in order to attain great guest status.

Be Available. Journalists of all stripes complain about not being able to reach sources when they need them. With radio, it is not just a 9 – 5 job. The great radio guest will show up whenever he or she is needed.

Be Conversational. This goes beyond your ability to carry on a good conversation. You must speak clearly, concisely and in terms the average listener understands. Start throwing around business-speak like “that’s not in my wheelhouse” and get booted off the show before it starts. In fact, don’t talk like that when you are not on radio!

Be Ubiquitous. It was true when I was in radio and it is still true today, radio people follow their print brethren. If you have been quoted by a news magazine or newspaper, radio producers are more likely to have you on. And, help producers locate you. Make sure you have an online presence and that you have your media clips accessible so producers can determine if you are the right source for them.

Be In The Moment. If you are out pitching yourself, take advantage of the news cycle. If there is nothing happening currently that ties your expertise into the topic of the day, then wait. Your day will come.

Front Page Coverage – That’s What I Want!

Harry Hoover — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 18:41:32 +0000

Does everyone in business seem to think all you have to do is call the local daily paper and they come out to do a page one profile of your business? With all the downsizing, it’s hard enough just to get the media to open your emails or take your calls. Getting a front page story just because you want it: priceless.

I was talking with a prospect once who tossed this off as if it was no big deal, “of course we’d like to have the paper come down, meet our principals and do a profile of our business.” Another one wants to become a “rock star-type celebrity” in his industry.

Well, I’d like to win the lottery, but at least I know I have to buy a ticket first in order to be in the running.

Got any thoughts on this subject?

5 Best Posts – January 2010

Harry Hoover — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 21:00:46 +0000

We had some very popular posts in January – some old and some new. I thought I’d share them with you.

8 Ways To Use Twitter Lists

Twittering Journalists

Be Relevant

When Billboards Go Bad

7 Ways To Kickstart Your 2010 Marketing

What’s your favorite?

Time For The Spin Cycle

Harry Hoover — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 16:51:49 +0000

It’s always interesting to see how the media and the politicians try to spin a story. Let’s take a look today at the Massachusetts victory of Republican Scott Brown over Martha Coakley in the bluest of blue states. Here’s what they are saying about it:

What do you think about the coverage of this race’s aftermath?