Comments on: The Chronicle’s 25% Solution http://www.markevanstech.com/2007/05/20/the-chronicles-25-solution/ Thoughts on Startups, Entrepreneurs and the Web Thu, 09 Feb 2012 17:25:18 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Mick Gregory http://www.markevanstech.com/2007/05/20/the-chronicles-25-solution/comment-page-1/#comment-5522 Mick Gregory Fri, 01 Jun 2007 02:06:37 +0000 http://markevanstech.com/2007/05/20/the-chronicles-25-solution/#comment-5522 EGuy, DoubleClick would have been an excellent investment for newspapers. But not those run by the old namby pamby copy editors and proof readers. Take a look at the business experience on the resumes of people like Phil Bronstein and the newly departed "Rosey." Did they even complete BA degrees? Did they bother to even study Managerial Economis 101? The lazy boards of directors at many of the media chains let the editors run the enterprise, and let them get rid of the advertising and marketing entrepreneurs that used to run the media. EGuy, DoubleClick would have been an excellent investment for newspapers. But not those run by the old namby pamby copy editors and proof readers. Take a look at the business experience on the resumes of people like Phil Bronstein and the newly departed “Rosey.” Did they even complete BA degrees? Did they bother to even study Managerial Economis 101? The lazy boards of directors at many of the media chains let the editors run the enterprise, and let them get rid of the advertising and marketing entrepreneurs that used to run the media.

]]> By: E Guy http://www.markevanstech.com/2007/05/20/the-chronicles-25-solution/comment-page-1/#comment-5447 E Guy Tue, 22 May 2007 17:17:00 +0000 http://markevanstech.com/2007/05/20/the-chronicles-25-solution/#comment-5447 As a web saavy business executive in my 40s, I will try not to take it personnally that many people believe that age defines understanding or lack thereof. Part of being a superior business executive means distinguishing between a fad and a trend. Good business leaders make those distinctions correctly at the right time. Remember, all the pundits who said car dealerships would be eliminated with the web? Or all those arrogant Silicon Valley leaders within the B2B space that said B2B exchanges would take over? Not so much in either case. It would appear that too many newspaper executives are incorrectly assessing fads versus trends to their detriment. The reasons for such decisions are many and complex. To say they do not "get it" is being over simplistic and naive. As a web saavy business executive in my 40s, I will try not to take it personnally that many people believe that age defines understanding or lack thereof. Part of being a superior business executive means distinguishing between a fad and a trend. Good business leaders make those distinctions correctly at the right time. Remember, all the pundits who said car dealerships would be eliminated with the web? Or all those arrogant Silicon Valley leaders within the B2B space that said B2B exchanges would take over? Not so much in either case.

It would appear that too many newspaper executives are incorrectly assessing fads versus trends to their detriment. The reasons for such decisions are many and complex. To say they do not “get it” is being over simplistic and naive.

]]> By: The Mediasphere Radio show » New media, old media, newspapers and the future--Will it matter in five years? http://www.markevanstech.com/2007/05/20/the-chronicles-25-solution/comment-page-1/#comment-5443 The Mediasphere Radio show » New media, old media, newspapers and the future--Will it matter in five years? Tue, 22 May 2007 08:37:54 +0000 http://markevanstech.com/2007/05/20/the-chronicles-25-solution/#comment-5443 [...] So what do newspapers do to survive other than cutting employees while making the remaining employees work harder by having them write for the newspaper and the Web, as well do podcasts and blogs. The Toronto Star, for example, has decided to drive even deeper into local coveage - a pragmatic move given the Web still doesn’t do local well, including local search. On May 28, the Star will launch an improved - and physically slimmer - local section featuring new type and a focus on Toronto news. It will also put more local news on the front pages of the paper. To its credit, the Star also has an aggressive online unit, including a new social networking/recommendation service called Our Faves. Source: Mark Evans [...] [...] So what do newspapers do to survive other than cutting employees while making the remaining employees work harder by having them write for the newspaper and the Web, as well do podcasts and blogs. The Toronto Star, for example, has decided to drive even deeper into local coveage – a pragmatic move given the Web still doesn’t do local well, including local search. On May 28, the Star will launch an improved – and physically slimmer – local section featuring new type and a focus on Toronto news. It will also put more local news on the front pages of the paper. To its credit, the Star also has an aggressive online unit, including a new social networking/recommendation service called Our Faves. Source: Mark Evans [...]

]]> By: Mark Evans http://www.markevanstech.com/2007/05/20/the-chronicles-25-solution/comment-page-1/#comment-5442 Mark Evans Tue, 22 May 2007 03:11:08 +0000 http://markevanstech.com/2007/05/20/the-chronicles-25-solution/#comment-5442 Aaron, Bony: Part of the challenge facing newspapers is changing a deep-rooted management culture. I mean, you're talking about executives in their 40s and 50s who are far from Web savvy so expecting them to have a grasp on how the Web is turning their worlds upside down. Of course, this is a problem/challenge facing many senior managers in all kinds of businesses. Aaron, Bony:
Part of the challenge facing newspapers is changing a deep-rooted management culture. I mean, you’re talking about executives in their 40s and 50s who are far from Web savvy so expecting them to have a grasp on how the Web is turning their worlds upside down. Of course, this is a problem/challenge facing many senior managers in all kinds of businesses.

]]> By: bony http://www.markevanstech.com/2007/05/20/the-chronicles-25-solution/comment-page-1/#comment-5439 bony Mon, 21 May 2007 18:33:09 +0000 http://markevanstech.com/2007/05/20/the-chronicles-25-solution/#comment-5439 Newspapers are stuck because they're trying to stay big. If they accepted the new reality, where they're going to be small, they could just cut down to the appropriate size and be done with it. Newspapers are stuck because they’re trying to stay big. If they accepted the new reality, where they’re going to be small, they could just cut down to the appropriate size and be done with it.

]]> By: Aaron http://www.markevanstech.com/2007/05/20/the-chronicles-25-solution/comment-page-1/#comment-5438 Aaron Mon, 21 May 2007 06:14:37 +0000 http://markevanstech.com/2007/05/20/the-chronicles-25-solution/#comment-5438 I've thought about this a lot. . . and I believe the newspaper industry is currently just too big to be able to adapt as dramatically as it needs to the changing market. My experience as a journalist was in the UK where I worked for Gannett, Associated and News International. The scale of these organisations, to my mind anyway, makes it harder for the younger guys screaming about the web to get heard. The dinosaurs at the top just don't get it yet. I think Gannett are trying some interesting things with their local papers in the States, equipping reporters with laptops and sending them out into the communities they serve. I also think hyperlocalism is the answer, but that's no help to the big boys. I’ve thought about this a lot. . . and I believe the newspaper industry is currently just too big to be able to adapt as dramatically as it needs to the changing market. My experience as a journalist was in the UK where I worked for Gannett, Associated and News International. The scale of these organisations, to my mind anyway, makes it harder for the younger guys screaming about the web to get heard. The dinosaurs at the top just don’t get it yet. I think Gannett are trying some interesting things with their local papers in the States, equipping reporters with laptops and sending them out into the communities they serve. I also think hyperlocalism is the answer, but that’s no help to the big boys.

]]> By: phil shapiro http://www.markevanstech.com/2007/05/20/the-chronicles-25-solution/comment-page-1/#comment-5436 phil shapiro Mon, 21 May 2007 00:59:46 +0000 http://markevanstech.com/2007/05/20/the-chronicles-25-solution/#comment-5436 Newspapers are living in an alternate reality. That's the only way I can think to explain it. Newspapers are living in an alternate reality. That’s the only way I can think to explain it.

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