The Must-Read Book On American Journalism History
Posted on 14. Sep, 2009 by toddand in Educational, Media
Below is an excerpt from the blog post I guest authored for Timothy Hughes Rare Newspapers. It’s essentially a book review of Infamous Scribblers by Eric Burns. If you enjoy history and media, this one’s for you.
Perhaps what thrilled me the most about this book was its style. To me, Burns was masterful at marrying the story-telling flair of David McCullough with the newspaper history acumen of Mott, Emery and others. More so, I enjoyed learning several fun facts and exciting stories about many of the newspaper titles I see for sale at rarenewspapers.com or even hold in my own collection.
The Boston Gazette, according to Burns’ C-SPAN presentation on his book, is the most influential newspaper this country has ever known. He says the Gazette got us into the Revolutionary War, sped up the course of the war and may have even determined the outcome of the war. A good chunk of Infamous Scribblers is dedicated to supporting this thesis.
“Almost certainly the war would not have ended with an American victory in a period of seven years – from first shot to signed treaty – had not the newspapers constantly reminded the colonists of the cause they shared, thereby inspiring the valor of soldiers, and the patience and support of civilians,” Burns said.
He points out that newspapers were the only form of media at the time and served as the great unifier of our nation during a time when America “needed unity as much as we needed ammunition.”
On 18th century journalism: “As a rule, newspaper publishers of the time did not chase after interviews or hustle to the scenes of events with their juices flowing and pen fingers twitching. For the most part, they were denizens of the print shop, preferring that the news be spoken in their ears or slipped under their doors – that it be delivered to them, in other words, as spices were delivered to the grocer or bolts of clothes to the tailor.”
On reporting and publishing during the Revolutionary War: “The Revolutionary War was not an easy one to cover. For one thing, once the fighting started there was more news than ever but no more shipments of ink or type or spare parts for the presses coming into American ports. There were no more shipments of paper either, and, as for the quantities still available or smuggled into the colonies from a friend in the motherland or a trader in another European nation, there were higher priorities for it than journalism.”
Click here to read the entire blog post about the must-read book on American journalism history (includes a great video presentation by the author).
Back to the Future of Journalism
Posted on 08. Sep, 2009 by toddand in Media
While publishers are contemplating the future of journalism (and J-schools are missing in action), I thought now would be a good time to reflect on the good ol’ days…
Historic Newspapers Network Launches
Posted on 07. Jun, 2009 by toddand in Educational, Media, Social Media
The Historic Newspapers Network launched today as an educational and social community for all those interested in the world of rare and historic newspapers – authors, historians, collectors, dealers, institutions, history buffs, educators, etc. You’re encouraged to join, contribute and collaborate.
The term rag linen, as used in the web address raglinen.ning.com, has significant meaning in newspaper history. Prior to 1870, newspapers were printed on very durable rag linen paper, which was made from the linen in clothes and ship sails. So newspapers from the Revolutionary and Civil Wars are actually in better condition than last week’s New York Times, which is probably already yellow and brittle because it was printed on wood pulp.
The durability of rag linen newspapers from the 1600s, 1700s and 1800s makes them an excellent collectible and primary source of historic research. After all, these are history’s first drafts. Follow the Historic Newspapers Network on Twitter @raglinen
Dramatic Changes in Marketing and Media
Posted on 22. May, 2009 by toddand in Advertising, Educational, Marketing, Media, Public Relations, Social Media, Video
Power 150 Adds PostRank, Measures Content Engagement
Posted on 24. Apr, 2009 by toddand in Advertising, Marketing, Media, Public Relations, Social Media, Technology
The Ad Age Power 150, a ranking of top marketing blogs, has become more dynamic with today’s introduction of the PostRank metric. The new metric, developed by the folks at AideRSS, is based on social engagement or how interesting/relevant people find content to be. To measure such a thing, PostRank uses an algorithm that combines numerous online activities such as Digg, Twitter, Facebook, del.icio.us, RSS subscriptions, post comments, etc. This is the first Power 150 metric that scrutinizes your blog on a post-by-post basis… and adds a lot more daily excitement to the list.
Please read Charlie Moran’s detailed Ad Age blog post about the Power 150 upgrade and feel free to comment. Because we crave your feedback, anyone who comments on this blog post, Charlie’s post, our Facebook group or sends me a related comment via Twitter @toddand before Sunday at noon (Chicago time) will be entered in a raffle to win Power 150 prizes (t-shirts and pens). I’ll update this post with the winners then.
Most of your questions about why PostRank was added and it’s impact on the list can likely be addressed by reading Charlie’s explanation. Questions about the new metric will probably best be answered by PostRank’s “How It Works” page, but I’ve highlighted a graphic below from the PostRank website that lists several examples of engagement data sources that are included in PostRank. Bottom line, we’re hoping this new metric helps keep the Power 150 relevant and useful. More new features are in the works so stay tuned.
UPDATE: I picked two winners for Power 150 t-shirts and pens. The two winners are David Mullen and Jim Murphy. Thanks to all those who commented.
The Dumbest Generation: Don’t Trust Anyone Under 30
Posted on 23. Nov, 2008 by toddand in Educational, Media, Social Media, Video
Just in case you need it, here is another perspective on “the age of the Millennials.”
The Amazing Shrinking Media Directories
Posted on 28. Oct, 2008 by toddand in Advertising, Marketing, Media, Public Relations, Technology
Just as Balihoo is advertising’s best friend, Cision is PR’s best friend. Cision, the company formerly known as Bacon’s Information, publishes newspaper and magazine directories that contain information for every newspaper and magazine in North America. The directories contain contact information and profiles on editors and reporters, which PR pros often use to help determine media targets for pitching.
I recently ordered my 2009 directories and quickly noticed the smaller physical size when compared to my 2006 editions. By an unscientific eyeball-estimate, the directories have narrowed by about 17 percent, which is clearly reflective of the shrinking media landscape with disappearing newsrooms and folding magazines. UPDATE: However, as Cision SVP and Publisher Ruth McFarland points out, the books have only shed about 100 pages since 2006 because – despite fewer magazines and smaller newspaper editorial staffs – Cision continues to add more reporter details in response to industry requests. (Thanks, Ruth!) By the way, kudos on your social media monitoring news.
The Secrets of Headline Writing Unveiled: What Makes People Click?
Posted on 05. Oct, 2008 by toddand in Advertising, Educational, Marketing, Media, Public Relations, Social Media
And The Winner For Best Magazine Cover Is…
Posted on 23. Sep, 2008 by toddand in Media
Turning Attacks Into Marketing Opportunities
Posted on 21. Sep, 2008 by toddand in Advertising, Educational, Media, Public Relations, Social Media, Video
We see it all the time in politics, PR and advertising – attacks by the opponents, media and competitors. Smart marketing professionals can turn these attacks into opportunity and simultaneously earn some sympathy points. When you get hit with a negative, find the opportunity and turn it into a strength or positive. Here’s a great example of the I’m a Mac ad used as inspiration for a strong Microsoft campaign.
