Comments on: Newspapers, Getting Old

By: Citizen Journalism for London | B Frank

Citizen Journalism for London | B Frank — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 05:32:49 +0000

[...] But then again I’m not sure if bloggers are doing most of the complaining about the paper. There are far more complainers than bloggers, and London’s blogging community seems mostly ambivalent. From what I’ve read from bloggers, the complaints are limited to a minority – including Greg at From My Bottom Step, Butch at Alt London, The London Fog, Sonny Drysdale, and yours truly. [...]

By: Social Capital and Innovation in London | B Frank

Social Capital and Innovation in London | B Frank — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 06:51:59 +0000

[...] brings me back to my remarks about newspapers and [...]

By: Brian Frank

Brian Frank — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 00:16:38 +0000

And by the way, I was thinking about it some more and remembered that IDEO, which I praised so highly, has been a relative newcomer to social media as well. They only introduced their company blogs when they redesigned their site a few months ago. There’s a lot to be said for deliberation and restraint when adopting new technology, but IDEO already understood and exemplified a very open, progressive mindset; very few organizations are able to recognize the most opportune moment to adapt and then execute so effectively. This is getting me into another, complementary discussion about pragmatism, again…

By: Brian Frank

Brian Frank — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 00:16:00 +0000

By: Brian Frank

Brian Frank — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 00:06:33 +0000

Steve- Thanks/sorry. Glad you responded because it's encouraging to see the work you're doing "behind the curtain." London seems to be perfect geographically for great community-focused and user-driven media. I hope my criticism will be read in the context of the very high hopes I have. London can be a leader but we need leaders within London. Anyone who takes this challenge on gets my best regards -- but no free lunches!

By: Brian Frank

Brian Frank — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 00:06:00 +0000

By: Steve Groves

Steve Groves — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 21:12:08 +0000

Brian,

As the person who was hired at the Free Press over the summer to help ensure that we evolve from a newspaper company to a social media fueled news media company, I very much welcome your criticism of our current standing. I would, however, invite you to take a peek at my blog where I attempt to articulate what we’re doing in the social media space and how our local paper is evolving.

Do we have a long way to go? There is no question. But I firmly believe that we have taken steps in the past 6 months that will allow us to bring the news to Londoners in the way that they want it, no matter what that looks like.

Regards,
Steve Groves
Director of Internet Media, The London Free Press
@SteveatLFPress

By: Steve Groves

Steve Groves — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 21:12:00 +0000

Brian,

Regards,
Steve Groves
Director of Internet Media, The London Free Press
@SteveatLFPress

By: The “feeble-minded defense” of traditional journalism - From My Bottom Step

Fri, 19 Dec 2008 14:03:02 +0000

[...] of which is simply my long-winded prelude to a suggestion that you might enjoy Brian Frank’s recent article about the tiresome denials with which some MSM “experts” are trying to stave off this [...]

By: From News to Nascence | B Frank

From News to Nascence | B Frank — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 01:00:44 +0000

[...] As pointed out in the last post, some members of the current generation of news brass aren’t managing to see the future of their business because their vision is obscured by the conventional newsroom lens. They only see the competition that’s closest to their own conventions, but the range of threats they need to recognize are much more diffuse. Here I want to take a closer look at those — maybe using some new conceptual lenses – and suggest how the industry-formerly-known-as-newspapers might grow. I ended the last post with a rough outline: The new business models will form around, 1) national multi-media portals that combine online, TV, and mobile use, 2) community papers that consolidate all of our junk mail with puzzles and local news, 3) a few global organizations covering hard news, evolving from wire services, 4) editorials and commentary emerging from ongoing work at think tanks and research institutes, and 5) freelance intermediaries and enthusiasts like me (I mean, better than me). [...]