2012 America East; Video Recap from Conference

If Newspaper publishers placed business execs in charge of digital, would the industry be in better shape today? Are those in charge of Internet operations, out of touch and un-qualified?

That was the major theme from our ‘Profit-First Website’ workshop at the America East Newspaper Conference recently. ( See video & PPT below ) Of course, some in the audience were quite uncomfortable with the notion of making money. One such attendee was a  former director at API; the American Press Institute. Here’s what the ex-API director tweeted, soon after my standing room only session:

‘Can not say enough how offensive I found Mel Taylor’s presentation. He might be have been right about stuff, but ugh’. 

With API merging / being saved by the NAA, ( Newspaper Association of America ) one would think that money-making would no longer be seen as a necessary evil. Rather, it would be finally be embraced as a critical component to local journalism. With newsrooms being down-sized almost daily, maybe it’s time get serious about sustainable business models for news? Maybe we look for different advice before it’s too late? Want some different advice? Subscribe to my freebie newsletter below.

Some popular, politically incorrect items that I shared with the room:

  • Your publisher has no idea how to run a web business
  • Salaried executives have no financial skin in the game
  • Separate Internet sales teams will create internal civil war
  • Local media websites foolishly cling to CPM sales models
  • Your online inventory management sucks. Bad. Really bad.
  • Most online media kits & sales packages are pathetic
  • Newspaper needs new leadership, not more research & conferences
  • Letting outside sales consultants pitch your local clients, is deadly

Below:

  • Video from the America East Recap webinar we did on March 22.
  • The slide deck we used in Hershey, Pa., at the conference.

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