Pub Talk
By Rob Yoegel
About Rob
Rob Yoegel takes an active role in North American Publishing Company's online efforts including content, sales, marketing, usability, functionality and vendor relations as Vice President, e-Media. Rob works directly with publishers and editors in developing a consistent strategy from print to online.
A former journalist, Rob has been involved in Internet strategies since 1996 serving as an associate editor of Target Marketing magazine, where he regularly contributed articles related to the Internet, including e-commerce, Web site design/development, e-mail, fulfillment, customer service and marketing integration. He also spent one year as publisher of PhillyTech Magazine, a regional technology magazine published by Philadelphia Newspapers Inc. E-mail him at ryoegel@napco.com or call (215) 238-5344.
Media Vent
On the 'Power of Print' Campaign
Mar 5, 2010The campaign claims to target advertisers, shareholders and industry influencers. Well listen up, my friends, because you just insulted them...
Editors Won’t Be Buying Me Lunch Anytime Soon
BtoB Magazine recently published an article about the new role of editors in a multi-media world. It was interesting to read, especially comments from CEOs who likely never spent one minute writing copy their entire careers. Just as intriguing was hearing what editors think about some of the new responsibilities thrown their way - from blogging and creating videos, to search engine optimization and hosting Webinars. I live this change every day working with editors in presenting a consistent and effective message from print to online. Reluctance is putting it gently.
Most editors I talk to tell me they don’t have time and are struggling just to meet print deadlines. Granted, folks in operations need to make editors jobs easier so they “have time,” but we are immersed in a world full of content that no longer can we take the time we once did to create content, edit it, re-write it, edit it again, and re-write it.
Any writer or editor who doesn’t feel this way likely will be the demise of print. You’ve heard this before: It’s not the medium, but the message. Well, take it one step further, it’s not the message, but the creators. If you don’t create it, someone else will.
Publishers need to start demanding for content faster -- and more of it.
Read the BtoB Magazine article here.
You position your argument as an either/or. Are you suggesting that there are no more readers that want or need polished content, or that cannot stay with a topic longer than a sound bite?
Don, thanks for writing. I think I'll take both sides here... I know, the easy way out! Of course, readers want polished content, but the Web has made the need for A+ Engish to just not be necessary anymore. I'll take B English and be happy. As for staying with a topic, again the Web has pushed so many people to take content in small bites. Sure, print should expand on topics and offer "more" of the guts, but as more advertising shifts online length of editorial suffers.
Thomas, editors/writers sitting with their peers certainly is one way to go about initiating a change. Another is to sit and look at some resumes of hungry young content creators! Thanks for reading and commenting.
Rob, I am on the technical side of operations, and can tell you that this can be a sticky situation. On one hand we are throwing this great new option out to editors and expecting to see adoption quickly. On the other hand, we may not be explaining the full value of what good online content will do for them. I see a mix bag of those editors who embrace this new world, and those who could do without it. I think the ones who could do without it should sit down with those immersed in it and really understand where this change can take their products.
Amy, I take public transportation (train) every day. The conductors still hole punch paper tickets while the transit agency wonders why they have a deficit and aren't making money. Sometimes we are forced to change old habits. It may not be easy and may not happen overnight, but we have to do it to survive.
Rob, I agree with you completely, however is this the editor's problem - or a corporate one? A feature based publication, does need the time to be thoughtfully executed and planned. Does that same skill set transfer over to gunslinging on the web? It's possible a couple more (maybe even different) people are actually needed to effectively manage an entirely "new" but certainly different medium. (oh, by the way, I'm a publisher)