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Nashville’s Media Outlets Will Now Design Your Website
We’re entering a new chapter of journalistic innovation in Nashville—as I’ll argue below—since our media outlets doesn’t just engage in social media, but will now design your website. That’s a scary thing, but a good thing. Nashville’s traditional news outlets have adapted to the Internet like everyone else, and I’m proud of our progress, especially in light of this new trend. (News nerds, skip to Chapter Two) In 2005 Brittney Gilbert led the way at WKRN, where she headed up (then experiment) Nashville Is Talking, a blog network run by a newsroom. It was an exiting time. Bloggers converged on Nashville at unconference BlogNashville when I was a freshman at Belmont. Among other things, we congratulated ourselves in our new, powerful role in the new media landcape. That’s why I’m excited to see a newer trend that transcends common sense. It’s untested. It’s risky. It could fail. It’s messy. In the midst of chronic desperation and layoffs, it could dramatically change how we define “news outlet.” That smells of innovation. PHOTO CREDIT: jdlasica Within the last year or so, there have emerged at least two examples of Nashville media outlets expanding their services to website design and marketing: We started in radio and we’re changing with the times. -website We offer an integrated approach to marketing that reaches consumers at every stage of the cycle. -linkedin A New Name in Nashville with a 250-Year old Heritage -website South Central Media is moving its hips to the beat of the music industry and positioning itself as a full service shop. Simply put, they’re shifting their services to where there is the most opportunity. Makes sense. But, is it a conflict of interest for NEWS outlets such as The Tennessean to produce services outside the realm of news? Yes. Actually there are conflicts of interest about everywhere if you look closely enough. The bigger conflict is the the ability of producing quality journalism with a dying revenue model. We’ve all seen that with less revenue, a newspaper has to cut expenses somewhere. With stronger revenue, comes a stronger service. Our expectations of what a news outlet offers society has become unrealistic. Some news organization such as NPR are expanding. Some news organizations, such as Pro Publica are finding niches and reacting to what is wrong with journalism today. Some of what traditional media did well in the past, in some cases, is being done better by bloggers and The Daily Show. Having quality journalism in our culture has never been up to media outlets. It has always been up to us. That’s why we pass out pamphlets. That’s why we create a newspaper different from that other one. That’s why we blog. That’s why it’s ok our traditional media is changing. Our media outlets will change as businesses do. The real question is this. If we see something missing in our culture, will we act to fix it? If you’re looking for more perspectives on these issues, I’ve compiled a twitter list of some of the people I’ve mentioned and other advisers and media innovators in Nashville. They would be a great resource on this topic, as they know more than me. 15 Nashville Media Innovators On Twitter Some folks are engaging in some great discussion regarding all this on Twitter. I’m recording it here, so you can benefit as I did from hearing different angles on the topic. Feel free to jump in by commenting below, or continue the discussion on twitter by using the hashtag #InnovativeMedia — morganlevy @nathanTbaker I wouldn’t hire them to design my site, but I don’t necessarily think it’s a “bad thing” that they’re doing it. — morganlevy @nathanTbaker I don’t think most of their own sites are user-friendly or intuitive to navigate, and there are plenty of designers out there — morganlevy @nathanTbaker …who already know how to create a positive user experience. — Kittywink @nathanTbaker Not bad per se, but why would I go to them when I can choose a shop that specializes w/ usability & good design in mind. — morganlevy @ericshuff @nathanTbaker They can use someone else as a case study, then. Not my site :) — morganlevy @nathanTbaker The news orgs? I would disagree that they understand dissemination within web design. And if they do, they haven’t shown it. — morganlevy @ericshuff @nitweet I completely understand that, guys, and I feel your pain! Still doesn’t change my thoughts on the issue. — morganlevy @ericshuff @nitweet Why use a company supported by an overarching brand that doesn’t “get it” when I have plenty of other options? — morganlevy @ericshuff @nitweet If there was a shortage of web design firms, maybe I’d need to rethink my position. But there are too many design firms — morganlevy @ericshuff @nitweet with solid, proven track records for me to even consider letting a new company learn from their mistakes with my site. — morganlevy @nitweet Exactly, and it’s true for any franchised brand. If my local Starbucks started serving Drew’s Brews (ha!), I still wouldn’t go. — morganlevy @nitweet I can get Drew’s at local coffeeshops, I don’t like the way corporate Starbucks runs, so I still wouldn’t support the local branch.s — morganlevy @nitweet I can see that argument too, but coming from the music business side where we’ve had to completely change our model to survive… — morganlevy @nitweet Sometimes necessity dictates a completely different business model or serious diversification. Just depends on the market. — morganlevy @nitweet Who knows, if Starbucks’ market share drops enough maybe we’ll see that in a few years. Sip & snack & surf while we snip? — Kittywink @nathanTbaker Anytime my friend! Kinda hard to discuss on twitter! — Kittywink @nathanTbaker but a good discussion still! Feel free to jump in by commenting below, or continue the discussion on twitter by using the hashtag #InnovativeMedia How do you see it? What other innovations are taking place?
Chapter One: Bloggers enter the newsroom
Today Christian Grantham carries the Nashville Is Talking baton and has done a great job of utilizing newer outposts like twitter. An extension of the “blogger in the newsroom” trend is the emergence of the “social media coordinator.” Eric Shuff is doing a great job in this role at the Tennessean.
It’s obvious news is moving online. It’s also obvious companies in all fields are discovering the profitability of a social media strategy. So at that point in the game, when media outlets become more involved in social media, it’s not innovative; It’s simply common sense.Chapter Two: The newsroom will now design your website
1. South Central Media, a divison of South Central Communications, which owns Jack FM and Mix 92.9
2. 1100 Broadway, a Division of The Tennessean
The lesson is this:
You were both young and in love back then, but you’ve both changed now.
These are the only tools we need and it’s our choice to use them or not.
Of course media outlets should adapt to make more money. It creates better products, and creates them more efficiently.
Reactions from twitter
— nathanTbaker Does anyone think this is a bad thing? “Nashville’s media outlets will now design your website” http://bit.ly/2BOasR
— nitweet @nathanTbaker We’ve done it, but it’s not a direction I want to go.
— nitweet @morganlevy Yes, the times we did that was strictly out of necessity. It’s too much trouble and maintenance. We do host pages for clients. — nathanTbaker @nitweet Yeah? What are your reasons? — nathanTbaker @morganlevy Yay! I love feedback. Why wouldn’t you hire them? — nathanTbaker @morganlevy I gotcha.
— dbcotton @nathanTbaker @morganlevy sums it up well in her response.
— ericshuff @morganlevy @nathanTbaker But don’t these groups give the larger corp. the opportunity to learn from mistakes with more ease?…— ericshuff @morganlevy @nathanTbaker It allows for more web case studies within the company (which could, later, be pushed up the corp. ladder).— @nathanTbaker I don’t think it’s much different than the past (for newspapers, specifically). They’ve always offered other print services…— @nathanTbaker Why not web services? If print is on its way out, and web is on its way in, why not adjust to that?— nathanTbaker @nitweet Valid points. I think it can only be done well in certain venue and if it’s part of a larger strategy. — nitweet @nathanTbaker because we provide news and information. The more crap we add to that model the more we repeat mistakes of legacy media. — nitweet @nathanTbaker We aren’t innovating our own space, which should take all the resources we get, much less becoming a webmaster for a plumber. — nitweet @nathanTbaker Yes, and what would that strategy be? That’s the part that’s missing. For us, it’s always a short term gain. — nathanTbaker @nitweet eg a newsroom region could be the web dev for the parent company while bringing in recurring revenue through consulting. — nitweet @morganlevy most corporate media websites were built in another country and have people like me under them pulling out our hair. — nathanTbaker @nitweet Especially as the lines of broadcast and Internet continue to blur, having a mass at the edge could be useful. — nitweet @morganlevy If we could go completely local with our design and hosting budget, I think you’d see we do get it.— ericshuff @morganlevy I’m with @nitweet on this one. Corporate does the main site, but these agencies are different entities with different ideas. — nathanTbaker @morganlevy touche’ although orgs who realize this and hire people who get it & start changing their model are moving in the right direction — nitweet @nathanTbaker The thing is those peopel ought to be working at innovating that news org’s website before doing it for plumbers or lawyers. — nathanTbaker @nitweet I agree. — nitweet @morganlevy exactly. They know “I” get it, but until “we” get it, “they” need to go get it somewhere else. — ericshuff @nathanTbaker, @morganlevy, @nitweet, @kittywink I’m starting to feel a hashtag is needed for this convo… — nathanTbaker @ericshuff Yeah, past hashtag time. I’m loosing bits of the convo. Most of it’s here: @nathanTbaker/local-media-innovators — nathanTbaker @morganlevy @nitweet Also the target market for web dev is not as proficient as our unconference-attending selves. There’s a big demand. — nitweet @morganlevy We deliver news and information. Adding building websites to that would be like Starbucks doing hair. — nitweet @morganlevy I’m sure the stylish baristas can do it, but it doesn’t sell coffee. — nitweet @morganlevy “Welcome to Starbucks, can I cut your hair in hopes you will be here long enough to want some pumpkin bread with your coffee?” — nitweet yep. They generally call that bankrupcty, but there is a much better way. — nathanTbaker @nitweet @morganlevy @ericshuff @Kittywink Thanks for the discussion guys! That was helpful to me to hear some more angles. — nitweet @nathanTbaker Thanks for starting it, although more could be discussed ;) — nathanTbaker Do you have a non-twitter talk in mind? I’m working on putting reactions on the blog, so I see the whole thread.
