by Peter H Frank | Jul 12, 2013 | Business, Journalism, Media |
A Simple Conclusion
Feel free to dismiss all of this. After all, I’m from the US. What do I know? Things are different here. That’s what some people tell me.
Perhaps they’re right. But judging from the reaction that I’ve received in private regarding this long essay, while witnessing so little public comment or debate, I can’t help but be dismayed by the sad state of the industry here. Nodding in a smug, self-satisfied way does not absolve a person from responsibility. Knowing while not acting is not an accomplishment to be proud of. Isn’t that precisely what journalists rightly criticize others for doing? Isn’t the argument of ideas, after all, at the very heart of good newspapering? (more…)
by Peter H Frank | Jul 10, 2013 | Business, Journalism, Media |
“A Line That Moves Is No Line At All”
I hope we all agree that theoretically, somewhere, there exists a line between what editorial does and what advertising should be allowed to do. The question is: precisely where is it? You cannot decide on a daily basis. The pressures are too great. You have to decide beforehand and stick to it.
In this case (the one we’re discussing where you link a word in a story to an advertiser’s pitch), you have continued – indeed, furthered – the process of destroying that line. Or moving it a bit. And as we said previously, a line that moves is no line at all. So now, in essence, anything is possible. (more…)
by Peter H Frank | Jul 8, 2013 | Business, Journalism, Media |
“No matter what you think, your publication is not your product.”
(An introduction to journalism that even the owners can understand – I hope.)
The previous blog postings attempted to explain why it’s bad journalism to insinuate, insert, or overlay anything having to do with advertising into or onto the editorial content. I’d like to think reporters readily understood my point.
I’m less optimistic when it comes to the business side of the industry. So I will attempt to write this so even the media owners – whether you are in newspapers or magazines – can understand. (more…)
by Peter H Frank | Jul 5, 2013 | Business, Journalism, Media |
“If their ideas are so good, let advertising write the stories.”
When I was a journalist (and I hope it’s still this way in the US) if an advertising executive walked into the newsroom, one of us editors would jump up and block their path, asking if there was something they needed (or more likely and facetiously whether they were lost).
If a suggestion was made that a reporter might want to talk to someone, we would take that person’s business card, read it, and promptly throw it away. We would remember their name and we would try to be certain never to call them. Because even as a coincidence, the last thing we wanted was for someone to think we could be influenced. (In fact, just the idea that someone thought we could be, honestly, made us quite angry. I won’t tell you what we mumbled, but it was a request that they go do something.) (more…)
by Peter H Frank | Jul 3, 2013 | Business, Journalism, Media |
“So what’s the problem? We didn’t tell them what to write.”
Why did I pick this one example, the automated insertion of an advertising link into the editorial product, as the one ethical transgression (out of so many) to give rise to such a reaction?
Because I’m pretty sure too many of you don’t even see the problem. Yes, it might seem small. Indeed, most of the most-dangerous incursions of advertising into editorial are small. That’s what makes them so dangerous. It’s too easy to make the argument that just this one small adjustment to accommodate an advertiser won’t really hurt anything. Yes, we’ll do it … but just this once. (more…)
