ASBPE Boston Blog

Media Chowder's 3rd Annual 'Drink for the Tots' Holiday Party!

2011-11-25T13:53:00.005-05:00

Participants at last month's Media Chowder party.

Media Chowder's 3rd Annual 'Drink for the Tots' Holiday Party! takes place Thursday, Dec. 15, starting at 6:30 p.m. As usual, it's at Sidney's Bar & Grille, 20 Sidney St., Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Mingle with hundreds of other media and PR professionals throughout Boston, share some drinks and good times, and drop off a toy for needy children who live in God-forsaken places like Brockton or Chelsea. Anyone who arrives with one toy (must still be in its original packaging) receives one free drink ticket. Anyone who thinks this is a joke, please see the lead story in the Globe for Nov. 25, which basically says even in Boston things are pretty sucky and we need to help. Toys will go to the Salvation Army, who presumably know what to do with these things.

As always, Media Chowder is free and open to anyone in the writing, reporting, editing, PR or communications fields. Show up! Bring a friend!

www.MediaChowder.com

The haul at last month's Booze & Food Drive.
It was donated to the Cambridge Baptist Church food bank.

Media Chowder Booze & Foods Drive Nov. 17

2011-11-06T17:44:00.001-05:00

From our friends at Media Chowder

Yes folks, it's that time of year again — a time to help the less fortunate while getting intoxicated. Our 3rd annual Booze & Foods Drive will take place on Thursday, Nov. 17, from 6:30 to 9 pm at Sidney's Bar & Grille in Cambridge as usual.

The concept is simple: for every item of canned food you bring for donation to the Cambridge Food Bank, you get one free drink. You also get to network with various other Boston-area writers, reporters, editors & other folks in the communication fields, and perhaps can drum up some business for yourself.

As always, free and open to all in the writing, reporting, editing, PR, broadcasting & other communications fields. Show up! Attend or die!

Get more information/RSVP.

Media Chowder's Leaf-blown October Cocktail Party

2011-10-03T19:32:00.000-05:00

Media Chowder's next monthly cocktail party is free and open to anyone in the reporting, editing, writing, PR or other communications fields. Show up for the first time and you get one free drink ticket!

Date: Thursday, October 20

Time: 6:30 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.

Place:

Sidney's Bar & Grille
20 Sidney St.
Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139

Join the Media Chowder Facebook group.

Follow Media Chowder on Twitter.

Join Media Chowder's Yahoo Group to get updates about events and group members.

Media Chowder website.

Sept. 22: Media Chowder Cocktail Party

2011-09-01T21:34:00.001-05:00

Come mingle with peers, socialize, network and have a few drinks.

Admission is free and open to anyone in the reporting, editing, writing, PR or other communication fields.

Thursday, August 22, 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.

Sidney's Bar & Grille
20 Sidney St.
Cambridge, MA

Media Chowder now has a web site: www.MediaChowder.com.

Media Chowder's August Cocktail Mixer

2011-07-26T21:22:00.001-05:00

You're invited to Media Chowder's August Cocktail Mixer, "where you can meet your peers, talk shop, look for new jobs, and otherwise advance your career while getting pickled for the evening," according to the Media Chowder Central Party Committee.

Admission is free and open to anyone in the reporting, editing, writing, PR or other communication fields.

Thursday, August 11, 6:30 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.

Sidney's Bar & Grille
20 Sidney St.
Cambridge, MA

View details — or see who else is coming to the party — on Facebook.

Media Chowder now has a web site: www.MediaChowder.com.

Hear Social Media Expert Kristin Burnham at Aug. 2 Azbees Banquet

2011-07-14T15:42:00.001-05:00

7/26/11: The Boston and New York regional Azbee banquets have been cancelled. There WILL be a national Azbee Awards Banquet in Chicago on Aug. 4.

You are cordially invited to attend the Northeast Region Azbee Awards Banquet on Tuesday, August 2, 2011.

The Boston/New England Chapter of the American Society of Business Publication Editors (ASBPE) will be holding an Awards Banquet and networking evening at Verona Restaurant in Watertown Square.

SCHEDULE:
5:30 p.m. Networking
7:00 p.m. Awards banquet begins

AWARDS:
The awards part of the event will recognize regional winners in this year's annual Azbees. ASBPE's Azbee Awards of Excellence program is one of the most competitive there is for business-to-business, trade, association, and professional publications. The awards recognize outstanding work by magazines, and newsletters in a wide range of design and editorial categories.

SPEAKER:
Our speaker will be Kristin Burnham, an award-winning journalist and blogger who covers the ever-evolving social media and Web 2.0 landscape for CIO.com. Her beat focuses on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and Google, as well as social tools used within the enterprise. As staff writer, Kristin's articles showcase practical tips, tricks and tutorials for consumers and businesses alike, as well case studies that detail company successes — or failures — in the Web 2.0 environment. In her blog, Web 2.0 Advisor, Kristin chronicles what matters and what doesn't in social networking and consumer applications.

NETWORKING:
ASBPE Boston/New England chapter welcomes members and nonmembers. In particular, we are inviting participation by Media Chowder - a local media networking group - as well as members of the Society of Professional Journalists.

DINNER MENU:
London Broil (with alternative entree to be determined)
Tossed Green Salad
Penne Primavera
Oven roasted red bliss potatoes
Broccoli
Dessert and coffee or tea

COST TO ATTEND:
$25 for members, $35 for nonmembers

REGISTRATION: You must register by July 29 to attend. Register online.

Note: There will be a separate Northeastern Region banquet in New York City on July 27. You may attend the banquet that is most convenient for you.

Questions? Please contact chapter president Alan Earls at alanearls@alum.bu.edu or (508) 528-6930.

AND don't forget: our National Conference is Aug 4-5 in Chicago. Visit ASBPE.org for more information.

2011 Northeast Regional Azbee Awards Banquet Set for Aug. 2

2011-06-10T23:04:00.001-05:00

The date and location for the regional Azbee Awards ceremony has been set. Put the information in your calendar:

Date: Tuesday, August 2

Times: 6:30 p.m. Networking; 7:00 p.m. Awards Banquet

Location:

Verona Restaurant
18 Mt. Auburn St. (Watertown Square)
Watertown, MA 02472
Map/directions

Further details will be posted on this blog as they become available. For more information, contact Alan Earls, chapter president at alanearls@alum.bu.edu.

There will also be a Northeastern Region banquet on July 27 in New York City for editors who live in that area.

June 23: Media Chowder's Mid-Summer Classic Cocktail Party

2011-06-07T23:08:00.000-05:00

Join other media types on Thursday, June 23 for drinks at Media Chowder's next monthly cocktail party.

As always, the party will be at Sidney's Grille at Le Meriden Hotel, 20 Sidney Street, Cambridge. It's open to anyone in the writing, reporting, editing, PR or other communications fields. Feel free to invite friends and colleagues. Show up, meet people, drink. It's not complicated.

RSVP for Media Chowder's May Cocktail/Tornado Victims Fundraiser Party.

Media Chowder's May Cocktail/Tornado Victims Fundraiser Party

2011-05-18T11:51:00.007-05:00

This smart pen/recorder is one of the technologies that will be demonstrated at this month's Media Chowder cocktail party.

Thursday, May 19, is the date for Media Chowder's next monthly cocktail party. This month's party will be a fund-raiser for victims of the recent tornadoes in the South. For every beer you drink, Media Chowder will donate $3 to the Red Cross' tornado relief fund; every wine or cocktail gets $5. At last month's "Drink for Japan Victims!" fundraiser party, Media Chowder raised $200 for disaster victims in Japan. Let's see if we can do the as well this time around.

In addition, ASBPE Boston will hosting an informal Reporter Tech Show & Tell. Bring your laptop, smart phone, MP3 recorder, or other favorite tech gizmo. Show us your favorite hardware, software, apps, and web sites for reporting and writing. We'll learn from one another.

As always, the party will be at Sidney's Grille at Le Meriden Hotel, 20 Sidney Street, Cambridge. It's open to anyone in the writing, reporting, editing, PR or other communications fields. Feel free to invite friends and colleagues. Show up, meet people, drink. It's not complicated.

See you on the 19th!

RSVP for Media Chowder's May Cocktail/Tornado Victims Fundraiser Party.

5/26/11 update: The official take for the Media Chowder Tornado Victim fund-raiser was
$116. Media Chowder will round that up to $150 and donate that to the Red Cross today. Thanks to all who helped!

Filmmakers' Bootcamp | Somerville Community Access Television

2011-02-11T14:24:00.000-05:00

Boston-area editors and art directors: Want to sharpen your video production skills? The Filmmakers' Bootcamp course offered by Somerville Cable Access TV might be just the ticket, and the start date was moved back a week, to Feb. 16, so there's still time to sign up.

Class covers skills in all areas of film production: script-writing, storyboarding, filming techniques, audio and lighting in the field, music selection, and editing.

You don't have to be a Somerville resident to take the class. Cost is $150 for eight weeks ($100 for SCATV members). Class goes from 7:00-9:30 p.m. on Wednesdays.

2010 Magazine of the Year Winners To Be Made Public July 29

2010-07-26T17:30:00.010-05:00

Magazine staffers who attended the Boston chapter Azbee Awards banquet last week learned who the two ASBPE 2010 Magazine of the Year award winners are. Everyone else will find out when the winners are announced on the ASBPE web site on July 29. The regional and national Azbee Award winners from the Northeast region will be posted on that date, too.

For 2010, ASBPE will present two Magazine of the Year Awards — one in the $2 million and over revenue division and another in the under $2 million division. There are 10 finalists in each division. See which magazines are in the running.

A large contingent from CIO magazine was in attendance at the Boston banquet July 22. Also represented were Computerworld and MedTech Media, among others. A few ex-Reed/Cahners editors (aka exCahns) were on hand to hear Paul Teague’s stories of some of the more colorful characters who worked for the pioneering B2B publishing company over the years.

Congratulations to all the winners, and thanks to everyone who attended the banquet. If you took photos at the banquet, please share them on ASBPE’s Facebook page. (But no spoilers, please!)

B2B Magazine of the Year To Be Honored at Boston Ceremony

2010-07-16T10:22:00.008-05:00

One of this year’s Magazines of the Year is from the Boston chapter. The name of the winning publication will not be announced until the Boston Azbee Awards banquet on Thursday, July 22.

ASBPE gives out two Magazine of the Year awards each year; there is one winner in the $2-million-and-over revenue division and one in the under-$2 million division. Ten publications in each division are Magazine of the Year finalists.

The Boston/New England Chapter Azbee awards banquet takes place at Verona Restaurant in Watertown Square on the evening of July 22. In addition to the local Magazine of the Year, we’ll recognize the Northeast region winners in this year's annual Print Azbee Awards of Excellence and the New England-based national winners. Also, Paul Teague, a 19-year veteran of Cahners and Reed Business Information, will speak about the history of this important publishing organization and its many alums that have seeded the communications industry nationwide.

Banquet Details

Date: July 22, 2010

Time:

6:00 p.m.: cocktails/networking
6:45 p.m.: dinner
7:15 p.m.: speaker
7:45 p.m. to approximately 9:00 p.m.: awards presentation

Location:

Verona Restaurant
18 Mount Auburn Street (in Watertown Square — enter at 17 Spring St.)
Watertown, MA 02472-3928
Map/directions

Parking: There are two metered parking lots on Spring Street, one on either side of the street, just past the Verona Restaurant.

Price: $30.00 per person

To RSVP: Fill out this reservation form (98K Word doc) and return to Martha Spizziri, mspizziri@rcn.com. Must reserve by July 19.

Questions: Email or call Martha Spizziri: mspizziri@rcn.com; (617) 628-5466.

See which publications are regional and national finalists (37K PDFs).

Note: A separate banquet will be held in New York City on July 28 for national and Northeast region award winners who live in that area. Details are on the New York chapter page.

July 22: Print Azbee Awards of Excellence Banquet

2010-06-17T22:05:00.027-05:00

The Boston/New England Chapter of ASBPE will be holding an awards banquet and networking evening at Verona Restaurant in Watertown Square on the evening of Thursday, July 22, 2010.

We’ll recognize the Northeast region winners in this year's annual Print Azbee Awards of Excellence. In addition, New England-based national winners will be recognized.

ASBPE’s Azbee Awards program is one of the most competitive there is for business-to-business, trade, association and professional publications. The awards recognize outstanding work by magazines, newsletters, and digital media — Web sites, e-newsletters, digital magazines, and blogs. In 2009, ASBPE began holding separate Print and Digital Azbee Awards programs. The digital awards operate on a later schedule than the print awards.

Speaker

This year’s featured speaker is Paul Teague, a 19-year veteran of Cahners and Reed Business Information. A Neal Award winner, he was most recently editor of Purchasing. Previously, he had been editor and national editor of Design News and also served a term as cochairman of the Cahners Chief Editors Advisory Board. Paul will speak about the history of this important publishing organization and its many alums that have seeded the communications industry nationwide. Reed/Cahners vets are encouraged to join us!

Networking

ASBPE Boston/New England chapter welcomes members and nonmembers. In particular, we are inviting participation by Media Chowder – a local media networking group – as well as members of the Society of Professional Journalists.

New York Banquet

A separate banquet will be held in New York City on July 28 for national and Northeast region award winners who live in that area. Details are on the New York chapter page.

Boston Banquet Details

Date: July 22, 2010

Time:

6:00 p.m.: cocktails/networking
6:45 p.m.: dinner
7:15 p.m.: speaker
7:45 p.m. to approximately 9:00 p.m.: awards presentation

Location:

Verona Restaurant
18 Mount Auburn Street (in Watertown Square — enter at 17 Spring St.)
Watertown, MA 02472-3928
Map/directions

Parking info: There are two metered parking lots on Spring Street, one on either side of the street, just past the Verona Restaurant.

Price: $30.00 per person

To RSVP: Fill out this reservation form (98K Word doc) and return to Martha Spizziri, mspizziri@rcn.com. Must reserve by July 19.

Questions: Email or call Martha Spizziri: mspizziri@rcn.com; (617) 628-5466.

See which publications are regional and national finalists (37K PDFs).

Save the Date: ASBPE Regional Awards Banquet, July 22

2010-05-20T13:13:00.006-05:00

The Boston/New England Chapter of ASBPE will be holding an Awards Banquet and networking evening at Verona Restaurant in Watertown Square on the evening of Thursday, July 22, 2010. Please mark your calendars!

Azbee Awards

The awards part of the event will recognize regional winners in this year's annual Azbees. ASBPE’s Azbee Awards of Excellence program is one of the most competitive there is for business-to-business, trade, association, and professional publications. The awards recognize outstanding work by magazines, newsletters, and digital media — Web sites, e-newsletters, digital magazines, and blogs. The competition is open to all U.S.-based publications. ASBPE membership is not required for entry, but members receive a discount on entry fees. In 2009, ASBPE began holding separate Print and Digital Azbee Awards programs. The digital awards operate on a later schedule than the print awards.

Speaker

This year’s featured speaker is Paul Teague, a 19-year veteran of Cahners and Reed Business Information. A Neal Award winner, he was most recently editor of Purchasing. Previously, he had been editor and national editor of Design News and also served a term as cochairman of the Cahners Chief Editors Advisory Board. Paul will speak about the history of this important publishing organization and its many alums that have seeded the communications industry nationwide. Reed/Cahners vets are encouraged to join us!

Networking

ASBPE Boston/New England chapter welcomes members and nonmembers. In particular, we are inviting participation by Media Chowder – a local media networking group – as well as members of the Society of Professional Journalists.

Event details will be posted soon.

Questions? Please contact chapter president Alan Earls.

6/17/10 update: Event details are now available.

A separate banquet will be held in New York City on July 28 for the national and Northeast region award winners who live in that area. Details will be posted on the New York chapter page.

Meet Former Boston Globe Economics Columnist David Warsh March 24 (or just come to socialize!)

2010-03-03T18:24:00.005-05:00

ASBPE Boston and the Society for Professional Journalists (SPJ) New England chapter, are joining together to sponsor an informal “meeting within a meeting” at the regular Media Chowder get together, held at Sidney’s Grille in the Le Meridien Hotel in Cambridge, Mass.

Media Chowder — which likes to style itself as “the most dangerous group of journalists and media professionals in Boston!” is an informal networking group that meets monthly to talk shop, drink liquor and otherwise try to build a sense of professional camaraderie for those in the business. The regular informal Media Chowder social and networking event will start at 6:00 p.m.

At approximately 7:00 p.m., those interested will adjourn to a separate corner at Sidney’s. There, David Warsh, a former Boston Globe economics columnist, will share some of his adventures in transitioning from the print world at a big city daily to journalism through his self-supporting, independent web site, www.economicprincipals.com.

Event Details

Date: Wednesday, March 24

Time: socializing starts at 6:00 p.m.; meet David Warsh at 7:00 p.m.

Location:

Sidney’s Grille
Le Méridien Hotel
20 Sidney Street
Central Square
Cambridge, MA
Note: Sidney’s is walking distance from the Central Square station on the Red Line. There is limited on-street parking in the area as well as a number of nearby parking garages or lots.
map
driving directions

Cost: Free - cash bar

For more information: For questions about the David Warsh portion of the event, please contact Alan Earls (alan.earls@comcast.net), chapter president for ASBPE/Boston or Emily Sweeney (emily.sweeney@yahoo.com), chapter president for SPJ.

More About Media Chowder

Media Chowder meets monthly for cocktails at Sidney’s Bar & Grille in Cambridge. Admission is free, expectations are low, and a good time is had by all. Anyone in the publishing, news, PR or communications industries (even those gainfully employed) is welcome to attend. For questions about Media Chowder, contact Matt Kelly (mkelly@complianceweek.com). You can also join the Media Chowder group on Facebook.

Feb. 26 Webinar: Web Video Editing

2010-02-17T08:30:00.000-05:00

ASBPE's Feb. 26 webinar will provide a detailed, step-by-step walk-through to help you get a vivid picture of the editing process from a fellow B2B editor. Speaker Rob Freedman produces and edits some 40 videos a year.

Other aspects of the video process will be covered but the focus is on editing with the standard editing platform: Final Cut Express. We will walk through the actual editing process of a short video.

We will show you how to:

Transfer video from your camera to the editing platform
Edit video to create a sequence (Final Cut's term for the edited video)
Add transitions
Add music
Add voiceovers
Enhance badly shot or lighted footage
Export to a playable file

Rob Freedman, senior editor of Realtor Magazine, has recently made the crossover to multimedia journalism and will offer his “been there, lived through that” experience so you can learn his lessons — and avoid his mistakes.

Date: Friday, February 26, 2010

Time: 12:30 to 2:00 p.m. EST

Location: Your desktop

Cost: $20 for ASBPE members, $45 for nonmembers

To register: Go to www.asbpe.org/webinars

Thursday: FREE Advanced Social Media for Journalists Workshop

2010-02-16T14:10:00.003-05:00

Columbia Journalism school prof Sree Sreenivasan is leading a workshop this Thursday, from 6:00-7:30 p.m., at Emerson College. From the workshop description:

Already comfortable on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn? Already figured out Google Buzz? Then it's time to take it your social-media skills to the next level.

This, special, advanced social-media class is designed to specifically help social-media pros make the most of social-media tools. You will be expected to know all the basics and be ready to dive into a session filled with practical, actionable tips and case studies.
How to deepen your connection with your audience(s) via social media
New tools you must absolutely know and use
How to build your personal brand
How to find, on deadline, specific types of people you need for work
The best ways to increase your followers, fans, and connections
How to get the "right" followers, fans, and connections
Metrics: why you need to understand them and how you can do just that
Sustainable social media -- how to keep from drowning in information and make time to participate efficiently

The workshop is free, but registration is required. Details and registration links are on Facebook.

2009 Northeastern Region Azbee Award Winners

2009-07-22T23:06:00.000-05:00

Northeastern region Azbee winners were announced last night. See who won (60K Word doc).

Get Video News Training - Cheap

2009-07-21T21:01:00.007-05:00

If you want to expand your multimedia skills, consider signing up for the Aug. 12 evening workshop Creating a News Package at Somerville Community Access Television (SCAT). You don't have to be a Somerville resident — or even a Massachusetts resident — to take the class. It's reasonably priced at $45 ($25 for SCAT members). It’s taught by Bill Barrell, a TV news veteran (he was a news editor at Boston's WHDH Channel 7). The workshop will cover writing and production.

Other relevant classes coming up at SCAT:

Basic Editing using Final Cut Express. Starts Aug. 4. Meets for four sessions, from 7:00 - 9:30 p.m.; $40 members ($20 for SCAT members)
Basic Portable Equipment. Meets Saturday, Aug. 8, starting at 10:00 a.m.; cost is $40 ($20 for SCAT members)
Introduction to Photoshop. Starts Sept. 9. Meets for three sessions, starting at 7:00 p.m.; cost is $100 ($50 for SCAT members)

If Somerville isn’t convenient for you, try contacting your local cable access station to see what training it might offer.

July 22, 2009, 5:02 p.m.: Here’s an article on getting access to video equipment through your local cable access station. It also talks a little bit about getting training through your local station. It’s aimed at filmmakers, is relevant to others, too.

Northeastern Region Azbee Awards Banquet: June 22 in New York

2009-06-19T10:07:00.003-05:00

ASBPE's 2009 Northeastern Region Awards of Excellence will be presented on Wednesday, July 22. You'll get a chance to see the winning entries, cheer on your colleagues, and hear the story behind the story about two award-winning articles (speakers to be announced).

Meeting Details

When: Wednesday, July 22nd, from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Where:

Trattoria Dopo Teatro
125 West 44th Street (off 6th Avenue)
New York, NY 10036
info@dopoteatro.com
(212) 869-2849
Map/directions

How to attend: To reserve your place, send payment (credit card or check payable to ASBPE) by July 14 with a completed reservation form (72K Word doc) to the contact listed on the form.

If paid by July 14: $59.00 for ASBPE members; $69.00 for nonmembers. Groups of 5 or more receive a $5 discount per person.
If paid after July 14: $69.00 for ASBPE members and journalism students (w/ current ID); $79.00 for nonmembers.

Get the Stories Behind the Stories: Hear History of Pulitzer Journalism Winners June 9

2009-06-03T14:44:00.010-05:00

"[Pulitzer's Gold] is a must read for those who want an inside look at journalism at its best. There is no higher calling among American newspapers than public service journalism, and Roy Harris delves into it with flair and expertise. He tells us why and how extraordinary stories were done."

— Gene Roberts co-author of The Race Beat

"At a time when the business model of the American newspaper lies broken, this book tells us, by vivid examples, why newspapers are essential to our national well-being. It is a sobering yet inspiring message."

— John S. Carroll former Los Angeles Times editor and Pulitzer Prize board member from 1993 to 2002

On June 9, ASBPE past president Roy Harris will be at Porter Square Books in Cambridge, Mass., to talk about the art and craft of journalism and the Pulitzer-winning news organizations detailed in his book Pulitzer's Gold.

From the book's jacket copy:

No journalism awards are awaited with as much anticipation as the Pulitzers. And among those Pulitzers, none is more revered than the Joseph Pulitzer Gold Medal.
Pulitzer's Gold is the first book to trace the ninety-year history of the coveted Pulitzer Prize for Public Service. Exploring this service-journalism legacy, Roy Harris recalls dozens of "stories behind the stories," often allowing the journalists involved to share their own accounts. Included are a vivid description of the Boston Globe's uncovering of sexual misconduct by Catholic priests; an analysis of how the New York Times helped the community cope with the 9/11 attacks; and tales of the brilliant coverage of Hurricane Katrina by two wounded papers, the Times-Picayune in New Orleans and the Sun Herald in Gulfport, Miss.
Readers will recognize some of the stories, like the New York Times's Pentagon Papers exclusive and the Watergate scandal that Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein dug up for the Washington Post. But Harris takes his Gold Medal saga through two World Wars, the Great Depression, the Civil Rights struggle, and the Vietnam era before bringing public-service journalism into today's age of environmental and corporate exposes. Among the hidden treasures that come alive: how the Boston Post exposed the original Roaring Twenties Ponzi schemer — dapper, silver-tongued Charles Ponzi himself — and how northern California's tiny, remote Point Reyes Light, thirty years ago, discovered that the Synanon antidrug program had become a dangerous armed cult. (As the Light investigated, one Synanon critic was attacked by arattlesnake that had been stuffed into his mailbox by group operatives, taking the story, and the Light's fame, national.)

Through these and other Gold Medal accounts, newspaper teamwork gets its due as a driving factor in great journalism, and Harris acknowledges reporters and editors who may have received little personal attention when their papers received the awards. He also examines the evolution of the judging process since the first Pulitzers in 1917, addressing controversies arising over the public-service selections.

At a time when newspaper journalism is severely challenged, story after story illustrates how public-service reporting has been a point of pride for the American press, whether by small-town papers or metropolitan dailies. Pulitzer's Gold offers a new way of looking at journalism history and practice and a new lens through which to view America's own story.

Roy was most recently senior editor of the Economist Group's CFO magazine. He served from 1971 to 1994 as a reporter with the Wall Street Journal, including six years as deputy chief of its fourteen-member Los Angeles bureau. Early in his career he reported at the Los Angeles Times and the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. He now lives in Hingham, Massachusetts.

Time: Tuesday, June 9, 2009, 7:00 p.m.

Location:

Porter Square Books
Porter Square Shopping Center
25 White Street
Cambridge, MA 02140
(617) 491-2220
map/directions
Purchase a copy of Pulitzer's Gold from Porter Square Books.

Sign Up for May 29 Webinar: Managing Social Media

2009-05-11T15:54:00.004-05:00

Find out how to take advantage of social networks — and make best use of your time — at ASBPE's May 29 webinar, Managing Social Media.

Participating in social networks like Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter is becoming a must for B2B publications, but managing your publication's presence on all of them can take up a lot of time. At this webinar, you'll learn:

What the metrics are for figuring out where to concentrate your efforts.
Whose province social networking is. Is it a function of marketing, editorial, or both?
How you can best complement, not cannibalize or duplicate, the efforts on your main site.
How to make sure any information you present is perceived as helpful, and not purely self-promotional.
Ways to automate your participation – and when not to automate.
What free or low-cost tools are out there to help you disseminate video, podcasts, discussion, slide shows, etc.

Panelists will be:

Erin Erickson, ASBPE Chicago board member and senior web editor at Putman Media in Itasca, Ill. She created UBrandMedia.com, a how-to website that aims to teach nontechnical people how to create, use and manage social media. In addition to consulting with small businesses on social media strategy, Erin has created several social networks of her own.

You can connect with Erin on Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn.

Lorna Li, an online marketer with expertise in social media, search engine marketing, and online reputation management. She is the founder of Search Marketing Salon, a growing LinkedIn network of over 5,000 search engine marketers. Lorna is currently part of the SEO Team at Salesforce.com. Her blog is Green Marketing 2.0.

Connect with Lorna on Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn, or subscribe to her FriendFeed.

Webinar Details

Date: Friday, May 29

Time: 1:00–2:00 p.m. Eastern time

Where: Your computer. You will need a dial-in number, URL and access codes to participate.

Charge: This webinar is $10.00 for all ASBPE members and $35.00 for nonmembers.

How to register: To reserve your place, you must complete two steps:

1) submit payment; and
2) visit the web page where you will actually register.

Fill out our registration form (76K Word doc), submitting payment (credit card or check payable to ASBPE) to the contact listed on the form. Upon receipt of payment, you will receive an e-mail with the online registration link. A second e-mail will follow identifying the dial-in number, URL and access codes needed to join the webinar.

More on the State of B2B: Are Advertisers Our Competitors?

2009-04-30T08:03:00.004-05:00

At a recent ASBPE Cleveland panel, B2B media industry veteran Joe Pulizzi suggested attendees should think of their customers as competitors. He said that customers are already creating content that competes with trade magazines, and more of them will do so in the future. From a recap of the discussion:

“Fifty percent of the advertising dollars they’re pulling back on are going into creating their own content,” Pulizzi said. “Right now 30 percent of customers’ marketing budgets are going to their own content and 70 percent is spent on paid placement. Over the next decade, that will flip.”

The full recap of the panel discussion is on the ASBPE National Blog.

Other Views on the State of B2B

2009-04-22T15:45:00.004-05:00

Last month we recapped some opinions about where our industry is going. This month, three B2B executives gave their views at an ASBPE Kansas City chapter panel. Two were pessimistic about the dearth of print advertising; the third saw opportunity in the present and “lots of fun ahead!”

Read more about the execs’ outlook for B2B media.

B2B Panelists on the Economy: “Cautiously –Very Cautiously – Optimistic”

2009-03-02T16:29:00.007-05:00

Even after the ups and downs of the last few months, at least one of the industry and B2B media figures who spoke at ASBPE Boston’s State of the Industry panel in January still holds out hope for an economic turnaround this year.

“Now that the new government has taken control, there seems to be a sense of new beginning,” said panelist and Managing Automation reader Dr. Steven Vidakovic in a recent email. Vidakovic is associate research fellow in technology and knowledge integration at Pfizer Inc. Back in January, he described himself as “… cautiously – very cautiously – optimistic that in the next six to12 months we’ll start coming out of this.” Now, he says, “I am still cautiously optimistic that we are soon to be on the mend. The trick will be to keep the businesses afloat for the next 12 months. If you survive that, you will probably prosper in 2011 [and] onwards.”

Financial Crisis = Opportunity for B2B Media

Tim Reason, editorial director of CFO.com, believes this is a period of opportunity for B2B journalists. In January, he said: “The mainstream media has done an abysmal job of reporting on this crisis. There's a tremendous opportunity for us to do really, really good work.”

Recently, he reiterated this sentiment via email. “‘The worst financial crisis of our time’ remains, for us, the greatest journalism opportunity of our time,” he wrote, “particularly for service journalism, as we seek to help companies understand how their peers are coping.” During January’s panel, Reason observed that page views on career-related stories had soared. “ [That] reinforces to my mind that in difficult times people seek information. … There is no room for fluff or topics that are driven by an advertising need.”

Operating Priorities: Employees and Customers

During the January panel, Gary Beach, publisher emeritis of CIO magazine, said there were two main operating priorities for B2B publications. “Number 1: Have happy employees,” he said. They'll be more productive and creative. “Number 2: Listen to your customers.”

He said CIO expected to make most of its profit from online and events. Profit margins are greater for online banner ad campaigns, even though print ads might gross more, he explained. He said page yields were down 10 to 15 percent.

Encouraging Signs

Representing the advertiser perspective at the January discussion, Mark A. Davidson, VP of global marketing at software vendor Wonderware, said, “We’re cautious, but not pessimistic – and not totally optimistic.” He pointed out that there is continued investment in necessities like food and beverage. And, he said, “There’s a little bit of resurgence of sourcing goods closer to home because of oil price volatility –and high transportation costs.” That resurgence could bring more business back inside U.S. borders.

How Advertisers Are Reacting to the Downturn

Isabelle Kane, media director of PJA Advertising & Marketing, provided the ad-agency view at the panel discussion. “Even though budgets have been cut in some cases of 25 to 35 percent, there's a feeling that the advertising won't look like it's cut because it's cheaper, and there's less noise in the market,” she said. “Clients are concerned about the number of magazines going out of business, but kind of glad because then they can focus their marketing in one publication.”

She said PJA was advising clients to stick to the fundamentals. “I can have the most killer, amazing thing going on in YouTube, but that doesn't matter if I don't also have something in the Wall Street Journal or Time.” Kane advised asking clients what you can give them as a value add so they will come back with their whole budget next year.

Changing the Online Product Mix

During the panel, Reason noted that CFO was paring down product offerings. “We killed video. We were spending 40K a year on it, but it wasn't getting sold,” he said. “Also, readers are coming [to CFO.com] for the quick-hit story,” not to watch video. CFO.com does have the capability to start offering video again very quickly if needed, he said.

Panel moderator Dave Brousell asked the marketers on the panel whether they were seeking to be in control of online initiatives.

Davidson’s reply: “It's a partnership. We’re interested in those media that work with us and really understand the different marketing techniques and how they will serve us.” He said he’s also looking for publishers who know how to measure results – whether it's lead generation or demand generation.

The Holy Grail for Advertisers: Qualified Leads

But mere measurement isn’t enough. Both Tim Reason and Gary Beach pointed out that online, advertisers are now looking more for the quality of the lead than for a high click-through number. “We’re moving off focus on lead- and demand-generation. [Advertiser’s] sales people are getting frustrated chasing down supposedly qualified leads that aren't qualified,” said Beach.

The Outlook for Events

When it comes to events, both readers and marketers are likely to be more selective. Kane said during the panel that her clients would look for “ Totally integrated, customized events” with measurable goals in which “everyone knows what's coming out of it before the contract is signed.” Vidakovic said he’d be more selective about the events he attends, leaning more toward webcasts. He commented that a typical reader probably can only justify attending one conference per year.

Other topics discussed by the panel included:

why being a good feature writer alone might not be enough to help your publication to survive;
what the implications of the downturn are for web site design;
how to engender advertiser loyalty; why magazines might have more success with advertisers if they decrease the frequency of publication; and
CIO’s approach to getting advertisers to loosen the purse strings.

Countdown to State of the Industry Panel

2008-12-23T08:00:00.011-05:00

While you're waiting for our Jan. 6 State of the Industry panel, get your prognostication fix from this summary of ASBPE New York's recent event, Taking the Pulse of B2B Media in 2009. One prediction from that panel discussion: Tony Silber of Red 7 Media (which publishes Folio:) said debt will make it difficult for large publishers with roots in print to invest in the web. He predicted bankruptcies among such companies will begin in the next month or so.

And here are some 2009 predictions from various media-industry compiled by Folio: magazine.

This interview with NewspaperDeathWatch's Paul Gillin from Michelle Rafter's WordCount blog is also pretty interesting. Gillin mentions that many community newspapers owned by large companies are being shut down -- but are being replaced by web sites started by individuals.

Also see the latest WordCount weekly digital media biz recap for info on the current status of the print-v.-web struggle in the magazine world (believe it or not, print is winning this round), how to be a good marketer, and how Twitter can grow a freelance business. You can also see a video of "The Morbid Major Magazine Song," a musical recitation of publications that have recently gone bust.

1/6/09 update: Watch for Paul Conley's predictions for B2B media in the January/February edition of the ASBPE newsletter.

2/19/09: Members can download a PDF of the January/February 2009 newsletter (276KB). (Nonmembers: View the newsletter archives.)

Call for Nominations: ASBPE Journalism That Matters Award

2008-12-22T15:44:00.003-05:00

ASBPE has introduced a new honor to its Azbee Awards program: the Journalism That Matters Award.

This award was inspired by the reporting featured in the ASBPE book Journalism That Matters: How Business to Business Editors Change the Industries They Cover (Marion Street Press, 2006), which showcases changes in government policy or industry practices that resulted from articles written by B2B, association, and trade journalists. The award will recognize similar work in our field.

If you or a colleague produced journalism that matters in 2008, consider entering. All forms of media — print, online, video, and audio — are eligible. The entry deadline is March 2, 2009.* The winner will be recognized at the 2009 National Azbee Awards of Excellence banquet in Washington, D.C., on July 16.

Download an entry form for the Journalism That Matters award (456K PDF).

Learn more about the Journalism That Matters Award.

* Note: This is later than the deadline for regular print Azbee Awards entries, which are due Jan. 30.

Speakers for Jan. 6 State of the Industry Panel Announced

2008-12-16T12:37:00.007-05:00

Panelists for our Jan. 6 meeting at the Wellesley Public Library will include:

Dr. Steven Vidakovic, associate research fellow in technology and knowledge integration at Pfizer (Managing Automation reader)
Isabelle Kane, media director, PJA Advertising & Marketing, which has been BtoB magazine's top small agency of the year for three years running.
Mark. A. Davidson, VP of global marketing, at Wonderware, an Invensys unit
Tim Reason, editorial director, CFO.com
Gary Beach, publisher emeritus, CIO magazine

They'll discuss their outlook on what the coming months hold for B2B publications at a FREE event at the Wellesley Public Library on Jan. 6, 2009. Chapter officer David Brousell, editor-in-chief for Managing Automation, will moderate the panel. Complimentary refreshments will be served.

Date: Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2009

Time: Social hour, 6:00-7:00 p.m.; program begins at 7:00 p.m.

Location:

Wellesley Free Public Library – Wakelin Conference Room
530 Washington Street
Wellesley, Massachusetts 02482
phone 781-235-1610
Transportation:
The Wellesley Library is a few minutes from the Turnpike/I-95 interchange and easily accessible from the Wellesley Square stop on the MBTA Framingham-Worcester commuter rail line. The stop is approximately two blocks to the west of the library.
Driving directions.

Parking information:
There is a parking lot in back of the library. There is also an underground parking garage exclusively for library users. If you park in the garage, you may access the library by elevator or a staircase that brings you into a lobby area.

Join Us for FREE State of the Industry Panel Jan. 6

2008-12-08T08:00:00.010-05:00

Are you ready for 2009?

The year ahead presents unprecedented challenges – and opportunities – for B2B publishing.

Join the ASBPE Boston Chapter for our annual State of the Industry panel discussion with representatives from B2B sales and editorial as well as a media buyer and a reader.

Because budgets are tight, we decided to change the format of this annual event so that you can attend for free. Instead of preceding the panel discussion with a formal banquet, we'll start off with a social hour. Complimentary refreshments and sandwiches will be served.

David Brousell, editor-in-chief for Managing Automation magazine, will moderate the panel.

~~Speakers will be announced shortly, so check back at this site.~~

Update, Dec. 16, 2008: Panelists for our Jan. 6 meeting at the Wellesley Public Library will include:

Dr. Steven Vidakovic, associate research fellow in technology and knowledge integration at Pfizer (Managing Automation reader)
Isabelle Kane, media director, PJA Advertising & Marketing, which has been BtoB magazine's top small agency of the year for three years running.
Mark. A. Davidson, VP of global marketing, at Wonderware, an Invensys unit
Tim Reason, editorial director, CFO.com
Gary Beach, publisher emeritus, CIO magazine

Date: Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2009

Time: Social hour, 6:00-7:00 p.m.; program begins at 7:00 p.m.

Location:

Wellesley Free Public Library – Wakelin Conference Room
530 Washington Street
Wellesley, Massachusetts 02482
phone 781-235-1610

Transportation:
The Wellesley Library is a few minutes from the Turnpike/I-95 interchange and easily accessible from the Wellesley Square stop on the MBTA Framingham-Worcester commuter rail line. The stop is approximately two blocks to the west of the library.
Driving directions.

Parking information:
There is a parking lot in back of the library. There is also an underground parking garage exclusively for library users. If you park in the garage, you may access the library by elevator or a staircase that brings you into a lobby area.

Questions? Want to attend? This event is open to both members and nonmembers. However, please RSVP if you plan to attend the social hour from 6:00-7:00 by emailing Alan Earls at alan.earls@comcast.net. You may reach him by phone at (508) 528-6930.

Postscript: For some ideas on what B2B publications can do now to weather the recession, don't miss Tonie Auer's recent blog post on the ASBPE National Blog.

For help on a personal level, take a look at this slide show from BusinessWeek.com, 20 Tips for Career Survival: Preventive and Preemptive.

Media Chowder's 'Drink for the Tots' Holiday Party

2008-12-05T08:30:00.001-05:00

From ASBPE Boston Board member Matt Kelly, via Facebook:

Yep, it's that time of year: the Media Chowder Annual Christmas Party. We will meet, imbibe, discuss the crappy state of the industry and poke fun at the Herald as usual. All are welcome; Santa attire is strongly encouraged.

When: Wednesday, Dec. 17, 7 p.m.
Where: Sidney's Grille, Cambridge, as usual.

Anyone bringing gifts for needy children will win a free drink, and then can stroll to the Salvation Army office across the street and drop it off for said needy children.

All are welcome! Shooting for a new turnout record of at least 20 folks this time, so please bring friends, writers, PR folk, and other hangers-on.

Details:

Sidney's Grille at the Meridien Hotel
20 Sidney St
Cambridge, MA 02139
(617) 494-0011

cash bar
on street and garage parking available

See area map.
Get driving directions from Google Maps.

Directions via public transportation: short walk from Central Square T stop on Red line. (Exit T stop and walk down Mass Ave. about 10 minutes towards Boston. Sidney Street is on the right side of Mass Ave., just past the fire station, behind the Asgard bar)

Cast Your Vote: Which Twitterers Should B2B Editors Follow?

2008-12-04T13:23:00.003-05:00

Tell us who B2B editors and journalists should be following on Twitter. To vote, simply log onto Twitter and send a direct message or an @reply to ASBPE. Remember to include the person's Twitter handle. The top 10 will be posted on the ASBPE National Blog.

Check Twitter for Highlights of New Media Webinar

2008-11-17T18:05:00.004-05:00

If you missed our Guide to Creating the Next New-Media Resource webinar today, you might want to check out ASBPE's Twitter page for a few highlights from the presentation, plus some related links.

Update, 12/4/08: See a recap of some of the key points from the webinar on the ASBPE National Blog.

Nov. 17 Webinar: A B2B Journalist's Guide to Creating the Next New-Media Resource

2008-11-06T15:49:00.003-05:00


On Nov. 17, Harry McCracken and Joe Pulizzi will give advice on launching a successful new-media venture. Read posts by and about McCracken and Pulizzi on the ASBPE National Blog.

The advent of the Internet has made it easier and less costly than ever for writers and editors to connect with a niche audience. It also has dramatically increased the value of their skills, enabling smart writers and editors to reach millions of people, as well as make money doing so, without the backing of a large media company.

During a Webinar brought to you by ASBPE, you'll learn from Harry McCracken, the former editor-in-chief of PC World who has since founded the personal technology blog Technologizer, and Joe Pulizzi, founder and chief content officer of the search community site Junta42, how to:

develop an effective marketing strategy to promote your content;
identify, and participate in, online conversations that can help draw audiences to your work;
use social networking Web sites to reach out to online communities who are likely to value your expertise;
leverage the power of "free";
and build successful permission-based marketing initiatives.

If you aim to learn how you can create a compelling B2B editorial brand on your own, then we invite you to set aside time for our webinar.

Webinar Details

Date: Monday, Nov. 17
Time: 1:00 p.m. Eastern time
Duration: 60 minutes
To register: Click here.
Cost: This Webinar is $10.00 for all ASBPE members and $35.00 for nonmembers.

About the Moderator

JOE FLEISCHER has more than 12 years of experience as a writer and editor covering a wide range of topics related to customer care. He is a sought-after speaker and moderator at leading customer care events. He has developed and moderated numerous conference sessions, workshops and Webcasts, with the aim of helping companies to improve their communication with customers.

With Brendan Read, Mr. Fleischer is the coauthor of the book The Complete Guide to Customer Support.

About the Presenters

HARRY MCCRACKEN is the founder and editor of Technologizer, a Web site and community about personal technology that reaches 400,000 unique visitors a month. Prior to launching Technologizer in July 2008, he served as editor-in-chief of PC World, the world's largest computing magazine, and its Web site, from 2003 to 2008. McCracken earned American Business Media's Timothy White Award for Editorial Integrity in 2008. He was named to Folio: magazine's Folio:40 list of media movers and shakers in 2008, and was one of min Magazine's 21 Most Intriguing People in 2008. McCracken's PC World editorials won American Business Media's Jesse H. Neal award in 2008.He has appeared as a technology expert on ABC, the BBC, CBS, NBC, the History Channel, and many other TV and radio outlets, and has written for Family Circle, Popular Science, Slate, USA Today and other publications.

JOE PULIZZI, a thought leader, speaker, writer and evangelist for content marketing and custom publishing, is founder and chief content officer for Junta42, a content marketing and custom publishing on-line resource, helping businesses of all sizes learn how to create valuable, relevant and compelling content. Voted American Business Media's "Custom Media Innovator of the Year," Joe is also president of Z Squared Media LLC, a content marketing consulting firm for marketers and publishers. In addition, Joe is coauthor of the book Get Content. Get Customers, which helps teach businesses why and how to create their own compelling content to drive their businesses.

Update, 12/4/08: See a recap of some of the key points from the webinar on the ASBPE National Blog.

Media Chowder Happy Hour Nov. 13

2008-11-04T10:49:00.002-05:00

The Media Chowder Society, the social group for journalists that we told you about earlier, will be getting together again on Thursday, Nov. 13. The invitation says:

The Media Chowder Society, a happy hour organization for local journalists, writers, and media types, will be meeting again. No agenda, no nonsense.

Please feel free to invite friends and colleagues.

Day/Date: Thursday Nov. 13
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Location: Sidney's Grill at the Meridien Hotel
20 Sidney St
Cambridge, MA 02139
(617) 494-0011

Details:
cash bar
on street and garage parking available
Directions: short walk from Central Square T stop on
Red line. (Exit T stop and walk down Mass Ave. about
10 minutes towards Boston. Sidney Street is on the
right side of Mass Ave., just past the fire station,
behind the Asgard bar)

Brought to you by the Medill Club of New England

See area map.
Get driving directions from Google Maps.

No need to RSVP -- just show up. Hope to see you there!

"Media Chowder: The best damned excuse for Boston-area journalists to go out drinking, period..."

2008-10-10T09:53:00.006-05:00

That's the slogan of a new journalists' group that's hosting a happy hour on Oct. 16. Wanting more frequent opportunities to network than Media Bistro has been providing, a group of Boston journalists took matters into their own hands and started Media Chowder. ASBPE Boston board member Matt Kelly is a charter member, and he sent me this info about the October event:

The Media Chowder Society, a happy hour organization for local journalists, writers, and media types, will be meeting again. No agenda, no nonsense.

Please feel free to invite friends and colleagues.

Day/Date: Thursday October 16
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Location: Sidney's Grill at the Meridien Hotel
20 Sidney St
Cambridge, MA 02139
(617) 494-0011

Details:
cash bar
on street and garage parking available
Directions: short walk from Central Square T stop on Red line. (Exit T stop and walk down Mass Ave. about 10 minutes towards Boston. Sidney Street is on the right side of Mass Ave., just past the fire station, behind the Asgard bar).

See area map.
Get driving directions from Google Maps.

No need to RSVP for this one -- just show up. Matt tells me "Media Chowder parties have been known to last until 11 or so," so even if you can't make it early on, it's still worth stopping by.

To keep apprised of Media Chowder events, join their Yahoo group.

All-Media Party in Boston Oct. 21

2008-10-09T15:43:00.004-05:00

If you need a networking fix between now and December, when ASBPE's State of the Industry banquet takes place, you might want to attend Media Bistro's All-Media Party at Bella Luna in Jamaica Plain. It's an informal evening mixer featuring a cash bar and hors d'oeuvres. All guests must RSVP and be approved -- space is limited, and the event is or full-time media professionals only, either staff or freelance (no college interns/students). I plan to attend. Hope to see you there!

State of the Industry Banquet: How Will the Wall Street Meltdown Affect B2B Media?

2008-09-30T15:20:00.007-05:00

Update, Oct. 28, 2008: We've decided to hold the banquet in January 2009. A new date will be announced once it has been confirmed.
-------------------------------------
The time for our annual State of the Industry banquet is approaching. As usual, it will be an dinner event held in December. A panel will talk about on the impact of the Wall Street meltdown on b2b print, web, and conference products. Planned speakers will include top managers from area b2b publishing companies, a media buyer or two and a reader.

Because December is a busy time of year, we'd like to get your input on the date to hold the banquet. (Keep in mind that it will be an after-work event.) Please give us your input by taking the poll below. (Poll closes Oct. 18 at midnight Eastern time.)

Which week would be best for the chapter's annual State of the Industry dinner? ( polls)

If there's a particular day of the week that works best for you, please let us know that:

Which evening works best for you to attend ASBPE Boston's State of the Industry Banquet? ( surveys)

Have You Checked Out the ASBPE National Blog Yet?

2008-07-14T08:00:00.002-05:00

ASBPE's National Blog is updated every Monday and Thursday with posts by ASBPE chapter and national board members — and occasional guest bloggers from B2B media companies, consultancies, and the like. Of course you'll find association news there, but most of the commentary deals with issues such as web site do's and don'ts, the financial state of our industry, making yourself marketable in the media world, and reassessing the way you do business. There are also posts to help out with day-to-day work, such as improving your writing and finding good web resources.

If you use an RSS reader, subscribe to the national blog's RSS feed. If not, sign up to get new national blog posts automatically emailed to you. Those of you with Twitter accounts also have the option to keep up with the blog (and other ASBPE news) via ASBPE's new Twitter page.

Twitter isn't the only social networking site where you can find ASBPE.

There's now an ASBPE group on the networking site LinkedIn where you can see the profiles of other B2B media types — and see who's in their networks, too.
There's also an ASBPE Facebook group where you can share links, start discussions, and network with B2B editors.
And we've started a group on the book-review site GoodReads, where you can get recommendations from other B2B editors on the best books for learning about journalism, the web, the business world, and other job-related topics.

Now's as good a time as any to mention that from now on, I'll be using this blog more for strictly local stuff and posting about topics of general interest to all B2B editors over on the national blog. Head over and take a look.

Northeast Region Azbee Award Winners Announced

2008-07-10T16:10:00.009-05:00

A full list of the winners, which awards they won, and how they placed is now online.

See who won in the Northeast Region.

National winners will be announced July 24 in Kansas City as part of the ASBPE National Editorial Conference.

In the meantime, you can see who the national finalists are.

Northeastern Azbee Finalists Announced

2008-07-07T08:00:00.003-05:00

The names of the publications that are finalists in the Northeast Regional competition of the Azbee Awards of Excellence have been published at www.asbpe.org. Categories and names of the winning articles, editors, and designers will not be revealed until after the Boston-area awards banquet on Wednesday, July 16. If you plan to attend the banquet, you must RSVP by Thursday, July 10. Contact Alan Earls at (508) 528-6930 or alan[dot]earls[at]comcast[dot]net.

Before the awards are given out, we'll hear from author and magazine consultant John "Jack" Brady on The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Magazine Editors. Brady has a long career in the magazine industry: He's been editor-in-chief of Writer’s Digest and Boston magazines and founding editor of The Artist’s Magazine and M: The Magazine for Montessori Families. He and his consulting partner Greg Paul have overseen the redesign of hundreds of publications and assisted with the launch of numerous new magazines at their publishing consultancy Brady & Paul Communications. Brady always has something valuable and useful to say, so you won't want to miss his talk and the chance to speak with him in person.

ASBPE Boston/Northeast Region Awards Banquet

Date: Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Time:

6:00 p.m. social hour/cocktails
7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. dinner, followed by speaker and awards

Location:

Papa Razzi
16 Washington Street
Wellesley, MA
parking info

Cost:

• If paid by June 16: $55.00 for ASBPE members; $60.00 for nonmembers. Tables of 8: $400.

• If paid after June 16: $60.00 for ASBPE members; $65.00 for nonmembers. Tables of 8: $425

How to attend: To reserve your place, send payment (credit card or check payable to ASBPE) by July 10 to ASBPE Chapter President Alan Earls:

Alan Earls
222 Pond Street
Franklin, MA 02038

Questions? Call Alan at (508) 528-6930 or email him at alan[dot]earls[at]comcast[dot]net)

Note: As in years past, the New York chapter will be holding a separate banquet for editors in the New York City area. That banquet takes place July 9.

Update, July 9, 2008: The Boston banquet has been canceled. There will be only one Northeastern Region banquet this year, in New York.

Reed DivestmentWatch Blog Shut Down

2008-06-16T15:16:00.004-05:00

For those who didn't here (or see the Folio: blog post from Friday): A site about the Reed sale was shut down. Here are the details from Folio:.

June 26 Webinar: The Disruptive Power of Green

2008-06-11T15:59:00.003-05:00

Chances are your readers are rethinking how they do business to minimize their industry’s environmental impact. Companies have become more aware of environmental issues — especially climate change — and that's impacting editorial coverage and priorities, including the allocation of staff resources.

You'll get some good ideas about how to cover these issues by attending ASBPE's next webinar, The Disruptive Power of Green. Among the topics covered:

how other B2B reporters are creatively seeking out stories on the environment, sometimes producing reforms that make business more environmentally friendly.
how to help your audience navigate new environmental laws.
how to help them respond to demand from consumers and business partners for green initiatives.

The discussion will be led by ChemicalWeek’s Robert Westervelt and Ward’s David Zoia, both of whom are breaking new ground in this area.

Webinar Details

Date: Thursday, June 26, 2008

Time: 2:00-3:00 p.m. Eastern time

Where: Your computer. You will need a dial-in number and access code to participate. You will receive the dial-in number and access code in a subsequent e-mail message after you register for this Webinar.

How to register: You can register online for this Webinar at eventcallregistration.com/reg?cid=2927t11. Shortly after you register, you will receive a confirmation of your registration by e-mail that will include the dial-in number and access code.

Charge: $15.00 for all ASBPE members; $35.00 for nonmembers.

Northeast Regional Azbee Awards Banquet is July 16

2008-05-28T15:47:00.014-05:00

Update, July 9, 2008: The Boston banquet has been canceled. There will be only one Northeastern Region banquet this year, in New York City.

Set aside the evening of Wednesday, July 16, for the Northeast Region Azbee Awards of Excellence Banquet.

Before the awards are given out, author and magazine consultant John "Jack" Brady will speak. His topic: The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Magazine Editors.

Brady is an editor, author and magazine consultant. He was editor-in-chief of Writer’s Digest and Boston magazine, and founding editor of The Artist’s Magazine and M: The Magazine for Montessori Families. He served as deputy editorial director at Warner Bros. Records, and as associate editor for the 13-30 Corporation publishing group (later called Whittle Communications). Brady has been a partner in Brady & Paul Communications, a magazineworks and publishing consultancy with offices in New York City, Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and Newburyport, Mass., since 1984.

With magazine designer Greg Paul, he has overseen the redesign and repositioning of hundreds of publications and assisted with the launch of numerous new magazines. Brady is the author of the five books, including The Craft of Interviewing (Random House), widely used in journalism programs. His most recent book is The Interviewer’s Handbook: A Guerilla Guide for Reporters and Writers (The Writers Books), published in May 2004.

ASBPE Boston/Northeast Region Awards Banquet

Date: Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Time:

6:00 p.m. social hour/cocktails
7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. dinner, followed by speaker and awards

Location:

Papa Razzi
16 Washington Street
Wellesley, MA
parking info

Cost:

• If paid by June 16: $55.00 for ASBPE members; $60.00 for nonmembers. Tables of 8: $400.

• If paid after June 16: $60.00 for ASBPE members; $65.00 for nonmembers. Tables of 8: $425

How to attend: To reserve your place, send payment (credit card or check payable to ASBPE) by July 10 to ASBPE Chapter President Alan Earls:

Alan Earls
222 Pond Street
Franklin, MA 02038

Questions? Call Alan at (508) 528-6930 or email him at alan[dot]earls[at]comcast[dot]net)

Note: As in years past, the New York chapter will be holding a separate banquet July 9 for editors in the New York City area.

National Conference Schedule Is Here - Register Now

2008-05-19T23:59:00.008-05:00

Gather with other B2B editors at the ASBPE National Conference July 24‒25, 2008 at the InterContinental Hotel, Kansas City, Missouri.

The conference will kick off the night before with a special reception with the trustees of the new ASBPE Foundation on the evening of Wednesday, July 23. Conference attendees are welcome to join the festivities and discuss ASBPE’s future goals. And of course, the Azbee National Awards banquet will take place on the evening of July 24.

The conference proper will consist of a day of Web-focused sessions on Thursday, July 24 and print sessions on July 25. Session topics include:

How to juggle increasing digital and print duties
How to do a podcast
How to do video
How to rebuild poorly written articles from industry experts

Baseball fans will have the opportunity to catch a Kansas City Royals game on the evening of Friday, July 25, and see whether they'll have recovered from yesterday's no-hitter against the Sox.

Download the conference registration brochure with a full schedule (832K PDF).

Update, 5/21/08: You can register for the conference online, too. Online registration is now open.

Web Expertise Doesn't Trump Subject Knowledge, Says Lifetime Acheivement Awardee

2008-05-06T12:02:00.004-05:00

From editorial consultant and past ASBPE Lifetime Achievement Award winner Howard Rauch, a counterpoint to the article mentioned in yesterday's post.

Article on IDG and Web-Only Publishing

2008-05-05T13:11:00.005-05:00

IDG is dropping the print versions of more and more of its publications. Those print pubs that remain are adopting an "online-first" publishing model. In case you didn't see it yet, this article on the topic from The New York Times is worth a read. It talks about IDG's strategy and plans and the pitfalls of chasing page-view stats.

Answers to Questions About CIO/LinkedIn Deal

2008-04-22T12:13:00.004-05:00

In this blog post from Sunday, CIO editor in chief Abbie Lundberg answers most of the ethical questions put forth in this blog and others about the web site's use of pop-up windows in the text of articles.

CIO's In-Text Links: Ethical or Not?

2008-04-15T10:35:00.014-05:00

Via a post on Paul Conley's blog, I learned that Framingham, Mass.-based CIO is putting ~~what appear to be paid~~ links in story text (example). Correction, 6:26 p.m.: CIO editor in chief Abbie Lundberg says that no money changed hands. ~~I don't know for sure what the business arrangement is for these links, and~~ according to CIO's own letter to its readers the links are part of a larger offering of social networking tools involving LinkedIn. ~~But still, judging by that letter and this story from Reuters, it seems apparent that this is at least in part a commercial deal~~.

Conley considers these links to be unethical, just like the IntelliTXT in-text ads that have appeared on eWeek's site and others. He bases part of his argument on the assumption that the links were not approved by editors, though, and CIO's editor in chief says she did give her approval.

My initial thoughts on this -- and note that what I write here does not reflect an official ASBPE stance on the issue -- were that these links perhaps were a bit different from other paid links. At least they show potentially useful information and not just ad copy. My main objection was how annoying it was to have the links right in the story text. Are CIO's readers keen on networking as to warrant putting social networking information on every company name within the story? And that LinkedIn logo is a bit irritating, sort of like reading copy with a ™ trademark symbol next to every mention of a company's name. Also, there's the question of whether the links should be clearly labeled with the word "advertisement." As Paul notes, BusinessWeek's implementation of a similar feature puts the links in a separate sidebar. I don't know that that makes it more ethical, since there's no notation indicating whether the LinkedIn pop-up is part of a business deal and what role Hewlett Packard plays. But it's at least less obtrusive and more in line with how similar links (the social networking links to Digg and Del.icio.us) are handled.

The comments people have left on CIO's site so far (even discounting Paul Conley's comment) show a mixed response. Granted, since so far most of the comments are anonymous, there's no way of knowing if all the comments were left by actual CIOs and not, say, editorial consultants or competitors of LinkedIn. Still, as one commenter to the CIO announcement put it:

I'm not so sure I like this new feature … it's a bit distracting and adds an amateurish feel to the articles. … [the links] will only distract me from the content on your site. You might want to rethink this one … [second set of ellipses is mine]

~~It would be great if this were a tool created by CIO editorial and tech staff on their own initiative, using an open application programming interface (API). But it's not.~~ [See correction above -- this does not apply.] In fact, according to the Reuters report, LinkedIn must approve all applications created using its API. ~~In other words, the links are not strictly based on editorial judgement, as called for in ASBPE's code of ethics.~~ [Again, per Abbie Lundberg's correction, the stricken sentence does not seem to apply to the CIO situation.] And if you're trying to help the reader network, why not include other networking sites like Facebook, Friendster, Naymz, and Plaxo?

ASBPE will likely issue an official statement on this matter; if that happens, I'll update this post to add a link to that statement.

Update, 4/16/08: ASBPE President Steven Roll has commented on the issue over at the ASBPE National blog.

Update, 4/22/08: Abbie Lundberg clarifies most of the issues raised in here a post on CIO's Difference Engine blog.

March 26: Pulitzer's Gold Book Discussion

2008-03-25T13:28:00.006-05:00

Tomorrow, March 26, join former ASBPE national (and New England) president Roy Harris and other Boston-area journalists for a discussion of Roy's new book Pulitzer's Gold — a history of the public service awards of print journalism's biggest prize. You'll also get a preview of the next round of Pulitzer awards, to be announced in early April.

A preview of the book on Poynter Online reports on the selection of The Boston Globe for the prize in 2003 for its coverage of the Catholic church's sexual abuse scandal, which was "anything but automatic" — despite the fact that Father Andrew M. Greeley wrote that without the Globe accounts "the abuse would have gone right on." Although the importance and scale of the story made it an obvious contender, the Globe still had to prove that the quality of its reporting matched that of previous recipients like The New York Times and The Washington Post. Meanwhile, at The New York Times, whose parent company also owns the Globe, then-executive editor Howell Raines reportedly was miffed by the Globe's scoop and made every effort to outdo the Boston paper's coverage.

This casual book-club style event is cosponsored by ASBPE and the Medill Journalism School alumni group, of which Roy is a member.

Date: Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Time: 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.

Location:

Borders - Braintree store
255 Grossman Drive
Braintree, MA
driving directions
map

If possible, please RSVP to David Wallace at dwallace@deadlines.net. Walk-ins are welcome.

Thoughts on the Reed Business Information Sale

2008-03-25T11:43:00.004-05:00

This will interest Waltham-based Reed employees (or anyone wondering about the job pool for B2B editors in New England): On the ASBPE National blog, former Purchasing staffer Tom Temin reflects on what made Reed/Cahners successful, and what might be next for the company now that Elsevier is divesting itself of that division.

March 21: Taking Your Webcasts to the Next Level

2008-03-10T14:41:00.005-05:00

Webcasts can boost readership and ad dollars and raise brand awareness, learn how B2B publications are gaining a competitive edge through webinars.

Find out what it takes to successfully produce compelling — and profitable — webinars for your trade magazine. Join the American Society of Business Publication Editors for a webinar on Friday, March 21, to get the inside scoop from top experts at Nielsen Business Media and InXpo.

Learn how to:

pick a compelling topic and present it for maximum impact.
involve print and online staff editors in content development and presentation of webinars.
manage the "church-state" divide and address common ethical issues when conducting webinars.
package and market online events for potential viewers and sponsors.
leverage webinars for related editorial content, including virtual trade shows, podcasts and e-newsletters.

Meeting Details

When: Friday, March 21, from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. EDT.

Where: Your computer. A web conference dial-in number and access code is required, and will be provided to registrants in a subsequent e-mail.

How to attend: To reserve your place, submit a completed reservation form (80K) by March 17th to b2beditor@gmail.com or 201-221-8655 (fax). Questions may be directed to Steve Roll at 703-341-5926.

Charge: This webinar is $10.00 for all ASBPE members and $35.00 for nonmembers.

About the Presenters

Kristin Beaulieu is the Vice President of Client Services at InXpo, a leading provider of virtual online communities and tradeshows. She works with leading publishers such as Nielsen, The Wall Street Journal, CMP, IDG, Ziff Davis Enterprise and others to strategize their event businesses.

Kristin was formerly the Vice President of Digital Events for the Consumer Small Business Division of Ziff Davis Media. She managed two online event divisions for Ziff Davis: eSeminars and PCMagCast. eSeminars was launched in 2000 and grew steadily to become a highly profitable division of Ziff Davis with year-over-year exponential growth in revenue and events. In January 2006, PCMagCast was launched as the dedicated online event division of PCMagazine.

PCMagCast received both Gold and Bronze 2006 Folio: Fame Awards for "Best Online Events of the Year" for its "Security and Mobility Virtual Tradeshow" and the webcast, "Selecting and Setting up an HDTV Set". Additionally eSeminars received the 2005 Folio Fame Gold Award for "Best Online Event" for its Security Solutions Tradeshow "Protect Yourself Against Attacks."

Elliot Markowitz is Editorial Director of Nielsen Business Media Webcasts and Virtual Events and is responsible for the content of all web seminars across Nielsen's publications and brands. He is also Editorial Director of Nielsen's Small Business Resource Center and Mediajobmarket.com.

Previously, Markowitz was Editorial Director of Ziff Davis Media eSeminars, where he helped build the company's eSeminar business and launched its award-winning Virtual Tradeshow concept. Markowitz is an 18-year publishing veteran and before Ziff Davis, he was Editor of Hotel Business magazine and HotelJournal. Before that he was Editor-in-Chief of CRM Magazine and the destinationCRM.com website and related live events. Before CRM Magazine, he was Business Editor at TechTV, responsible for helping to manage the TV station's website as well as conducting live on-air interviews with key industry executives.

Markowitz also spent 11 years with CMP Media's award-winning weekly newspaper Computer Reseller News (CRN), where he held many key editorial positions including News Editor, Business Editor, and Senior Executive Editor. In 1999 he was named Editor of CRN, responsible for the entire editorial operation of the newspaper and in charge of coordinating its redesign and re-launch in June 2000. While at CRN Markowitz initiated many key alliances including the Industry Hall of Fame event in Las Vegas and the annual CRN/Raymond James Conference. Early in his career Markowitz was a news reporter on Long Island for the Massapequa Post.

He holds a B.A. in Journalism from Hofstra University and is a graduate of the Stanford Professional Publishing Course.

Two Deadlines Approach for International B2B Competitions

2008-02-27T12:38:00.005-05:00

Think you're creative? You have two days to prove it by entering the TABPI Design Challenge, sponsored by Trade Association Business Publications International. The challenge is to design a cover for a hypothetical issue of an imaginary magazine, Concrete Times. The reward is $250 for the overall winner. The challenge is open to all B2B art directors and designers.

The TABPI Design challenge deadline is this Friday, Feb. 29.

Also looming is the deadline for TABPI's Tabbie Awards. This international awards competition is open to trade, association and business magazines published at least four times per year, completely or partially in English. Magazines must accept paid advertising. This year TABPI has added a new web category, Online Feature. (Online entries don't need an associated print publication, but they must be b2b-oriented and accept advertising.)

Entries for the Tabbies must be submitted by Wednesday, March 5.

Azbee Awards: Deadline Extended to Feb. 22

2008-02-15T17:39:00.002-05:00

Deadline changed due to technical difficulties.

Because the new online entry system has been so popular, our server has been overloaded by awards entry on this deadline day. The results has been that many entrants are encountering error messages when they try to submit their entries online.

ASBPE is tehrefore extending the deadline another week, to Feb. 22. This weekend we’ll be taking action to help prevent further server problems.

An Intervention for Journalists Lacking Web Skills

2008-01-24T15:07:00.000-05:00

Four resources to bring you into the 21st century.

You're hearing everywhere about how you need web skills to keep your job. Ad nauseam, in fact. You really don't need one more person to tell you that you'd better start teaching yourself. But the problem is, where and when do you learn all these skills? And which ones do you learn first?

It's time to join a 12-step program to break your addiction to Luddism. And it happens that you're in luck.

In his blog, Howard Owen, director of digital publishing for GateHouse Media, lays out an 11-step program for non-wired journalists to get wired, and he offers a $100 Amazon gift certificate to one such journalist who completes this program in 2008. (OK, so it's one step short, but you can always make up your own 12th step.)

It's a good plan. It's simple and very doable, and it covers the bases with almost all the important skills. (Maybe you could throw in podcasting as that final step.) Owens gives suggestions on how and where to get started, too. Reading and following his advice should take the intimidation factor out of learning web skills no matter how technophobic you are.

Owen's post led directly to the launch of a second resource to help journalists get wired.

It's called -- well, WiredJournalists.com. It's the brainchild of Owens; Ryan Sholin, director of community site publishing for GateHouse Media; and Zac Echola, a content producer at Forum Communications Co.

A post on Sholin's blog announces the site launch. The post includes this excerpt from the WiredJournalists.com Mission Statement, but it addresses the fear factor so well that I have to reproduce it here:

Our goal is to help journalists who have few resources on hand other than their own desire to make a difference and help journalism grow into its new 21st Century role.

You don’t need the best equipment, the biggest budget or even management support to accomplish worthy goals. The only requirement is a willingness to learn and a mind open to new ways of thinking about journalism.

We are here to help each other learn basic skills and learn how new technology and new societal expectations for media are changing journalism.

At WiredJournalists.com we are all teachers and we are all students. We help each other and learn together. Those who know more should help those who know less. Those with questions should never be afraid to ask them.

That sounds like just what I'm looking for. I immediately signed up.

A third resource I just learned about is a Jan. 31 webinar hosted by NewsU and Poynter. It's called Multimedia Tools: Your 2008 Shopping List. From the course description:

Ready to build, or beef up, your multimedia newsroom? You know you'll need digital cameras, audio recorders, lights and lots more. In this one-hour Webinar, you'll learn which tools you need to efficiently (and cost-effectively) produce digital video, audio and still photos. You've got your money for 2008, now we'll help you spend it wisely. This Webinar will cover:
How to identify your multimedia needs and the equipment that works best

Which features are most important in still cameras, audio recorders and video cameras

Which equipment can improve the workflow in your multimedia production

What you can expect to spend on equipment

As a bonus, you'll be able to download our suggested shopping list and customize it for your newsroom.

It's not free, but the cost is reasonable at $30.

Last, I've been thinking for some time about the panel discussion on blogging I participated in at the 2006 ASBPE National Editorial Conference, and how surprised I was at how surprised some of the audience was when they found out how easy it was to get started blogging. So I decided to post my presentation from the panel on SlideShare. A few of the details in it are outdated, but for the most part the information is good, and it should serve to get you started on Owens' first step.

| View | Upload your own

Feel free to email me with questions, or post them in a comment.

Note: I learned about the first two items on the above list through a Folio: article on using the web in your job search, which I in turn found through a post about uncooperative sources on the ASBPE Cleveland blog. Both are well worth reading.

Update, 1/24/08, 11:35 a.m.: Paul Conley just pointed out to me that WiredJournalists.com has a group specifically for B2B editors -- so if you register for the site, be sure to join the World of B2B group.

Azbee Deadline Changed; Get Entry Questions Answered at Free Webinar Jan. 18

2008-01-11T12:27:00.001-05:00

~~ASBPE has moved the Azbee Awards of Excellence entry deadline from Feb. 1 to Feb. 15.~~

2/15/08 update: The deadline has been extended once more, to Feb. 22, due to server problems caused by the high volume of entries today.

Also, ASBPE is offering a free webinar to familiarize people with the new online entry process on Jan. 18 at 1:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. To sign up, email b2beditor@gmail.com.

Other resources that can help you out with your awards entries include a free tip sheet, "Secrets to Winning Azbee Awards" (96K PDF; available to everyone) and a slide presentation from the "Editorial Winners Tell All" webinar in December (the slides are for members only, but still free).

Secrets of Winning Editorial Awards

2008-01-04T13:39:00.003-05:00

With the Azbee Awards of Excellence coming up, I thought people would probably be interested in knowing about two resources that can help their chances of bringing home a plaque, or even a Magazine- or Web-Site-of-the-Year trophy. Fostering an award-winning culture, or even paying special attention to the entry statement, can have an impact on whether your submissions are successful or not. Most of these tips apply to any awards competition, not just the Azbees.

First, there's the new ASBPE Tip Sheet, "Secrets to Winning Azbee Awards."

Tip Sheets, compilations of practical advice from national and chapter ASBPE meetings and other sources, are a new benefit for ASBPE members. But this first Tip Sheet is available to everyone.
ASBPE members can get a slide presentation from our recent webinar, "Editorial Winners Tell All."

This webinar featured advice from multi-award-winners Don Tennant (VP/editorial director of Computerworld and InfoWorld) and Boyce Thompson (editorial director of Hanley Wood's Builder, Multifamily, and Technology magazine groups). Thompson's detailed slides from the webinar are available to members.

Update, 1/11/08: ~~The deadline for submitting Azbee entries has been changed to Feb. 15.~~ Also, we'll be offering a free webinar on the new online entry process on Jan. 18 at 1:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. To register, email b2beditor@gmail.com.

Update, 2/15/08: Due to online entry-submission problems caused by high server traffic today, ASBPE is moving the deadline one week later, to Feb. 22. Over the weekend we'll be taking steps to help prevent further problems.

Awards Entry, Scholarship Nomination Forms Available

2007-12-19T16:17:00.000-05:00

Update, 1/11/08: The deadline for submitting awards entries is now Feb. 15

You can now download a PDF of the Azbee Awards of Excellence Brochure.

Although you can still enter the old-fashioned way, by mailing in magazine pages and/or a paper entry form, for the first time this year you will be able to enter most categories completely online; doing so will save you $10 per entry. ~~The electronic entry form isn't available yet, but should be in the next week or so; I'll update you when it is.~~ Update, 1/11/08: The online entry form is now up and running. ASBPE is offering a free webinar to familiarize people with the new online entry process on Jan. 18 at 1:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. To sign up, email b2beditor@gmail.com.

The PDF awards brochure also includes a nomination blank for our Young Leaders Scholarship, which pays the registration fees and hotel costs for editors who are 30 or younger to attend ASBPE's National Editorial Conference -- which this year takes place July 24-25 in Kansas City. It's a great reward -- and a great learning experience -- for hard-working young editors on your staff. Update, 1/17/08: To download just the YLS application, without the contest entry form (much faster download), click here (file is a 600KB PDF).

Free ASBPE Webinar: How to Select Your Editorial and Design Award Entries

2007-12-06T14:32:00.001-05:00

With the deadline for entries in ASBPE's Azbee Awards of Excellence looming, it's a good time to start thinking about what you should enter.

On Dec. 14, ASBPE is hosting a webinar with two multiple-award winners, IDG's Don Tennant (vice president and editorial director of Computerworld and InfoWorld) and Hanley-Wood's Boyce Thompson. They'll talk about how the awards have affected them and their publications, why they chose the articles they entered, how to build award potential into the articles you write or edit, and how you can apply the standards of editorial competitions to your work on a daily basis.

This webinar is free to ASBPE members and nonmembers alike.

Azbee Award Webinar details.

Update, 1/11/08: ~~The awards entry deadline is Feb. 15, 2008.~~ ASBPE is hosting another free webinar -- this one's an overview of the new online entry process. It takes place Jan. 18 at 1:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. To sign up, email b2beditor@gmail.com.

Update, 2/15/08: The entry deadline has been changed to Feb. 22, 2008. Because of the volume of people using the online submission system today, many were receiving server error messages. Over the weekend we'll be moving the system to a new server, and we're extending the deadline to make sure all those who had trouble today are able to get their entries in.

Site for Learning Multimedia Skills

2007-12-03T16:02:00.000-05:00

Note: This post comes from Erin Hallstrom-Erickson, via the ASBPE Chicago Blog. Link: CopyBlogger: A great website for multimedia editors in training

Trying to wrap your head around Search Engine Optimization? Not sure what keywords have to do with your writing? Then click over to CopyBlogger and set yourself a RSS feed.

I forget how I came across the site, but it's become one of my favorites lately. From posts like how to create a blog that people will want to Digg to how not to commit grammar errors that make you look dumb, the site has a lot of easy-to-digest information.

Hate Transcribing? Try This.

2007-12-03T11:27:00.000-05:00

Say your publication is doing podcasts and you're responsible for editing the audio. Or maybe you just have a half hour or so of audio from an interview to transcribe. Here's a great tip from the just-launched ASBPE Cleveland blog about a service that will transcribe your audio from a computer file quickly, cheaply, and accurately.

Of course, using this service for interviews assumes that you are no longer using tape to record them.

'Integrated Media' Reservation Deadline Extended

2007-11-28T15:37:00.000-05:00

The deadline to register for our Dec. 12 State of the Industry banquet has been extended to Dec. 4. The dinner will feature a panel discussion on Integrated Media--a mixed product portfolio that embraces print, the web and conferences. Discussion topics will include:

how to align and balance different media to serve a target audience and achieve financial goals.
how to assemble, sell, and manage portfolios of print/web/conference products for their audiences,
how media buyers see these portfolios, and
how readers actually want to consume information.

The event will be held at the Crowne Plaza Boston in Natick, which is located just off Exit 13 on the Massachusetts Turnpike (I-90), across the street from the new Natick Collection mall.

Get details on the banquet.

Residuals for Journalists?

2007-11-16T12:39:00.000-05:00

Should journalists be paid residuals when their writing is used to generate extra revenue for their companies? Nikki Golden of ASBPE Chicago wonders about that topic in two blog posts, Just Sour Grapes? and Follow up to Sour Grapes. It's particularly worth reading the two articles she points to in those posts. Here are the links:

Labor Cyberwars: or, Why I'm Like a TV Writer, Except Poorer
by James Poniewozi, from Time.com, Nov. 1, 2007
Why Don't Journalists Get Residuals?
by Albert Kim, from The Huffington Post, Nov. 14, 2007

For background, ASBPE members can see our 2001 special report on electronic rights, which dissects the Tasini case referred to in Kim's article.

2008 Azbee Awards Deadline, Conference Dates Set

2007-11-16T12:23:00.000-05:00

The deadline for 2008 Azbee Awards of Excellence entries will be Feb. 1, 2008. Material published in 2007 is eligible for entry in the 2008 competition. The online entry form will be made live on the ASBPE site in the coming weeks. In the meantime, you can start thinking about what you’ll enter. To get an idea of the categories in which you can enter, see the list of 2007 winners, accessible here.

The dates for this year's National Editorial Conference are July 24-25. The conference will be held in Kansas City, at the at the InterContinental Hotel on the Plaza. The national Azbee Awards banquet will be held there on the night of July 24. Details on session topics will be posted on the ASBPE national web site soon; members will also find them in the November/December ASBPE newsletter, mailing soon.

Web 2.0 Resources

2007-11-07T12:49:00.000-05:00

Via the ASBPE Chicago blog, a useful post about the site J-Learning and its Journalism 2.0 blog. J-Learning provides information on topics such basic HTML coding, marketing your content, new reporting methods, and blogging. Chicago chapter board member Erin Hallstrom-Erickson makes special mention of the PDF download Journalism 2.0: How to Survive and Thrive. The site map is also a good starting point.

In a related post, Chicago board member Nikki Golden wonders when and how editors will be paid for new web-related duties. And ASBPE members can visit our forums to discuss how we're trained (or not) for new, web-related duties.

And of course, we'll discuss answers to questions about revenue and business models at our Dec. 12 State of the Industry panel, Integrated Media: A Work in Progress.

Don't Miss the State of the Industry Banquet: Integrated Media: A Work in Progress

2007-11-06T12:44:00.000-05:00

RSVP deadline extended to Dec. 4.

With traditional publishing models under assault, a growing number of organizations are pinning their hopes on a mixed-product portfolio that embraces print, the web and conferences – also known as Integrated Media.

Our panel of experts, drawn from both the publishing industry and the “buy” side, will discuss ideas on:

how to align and balance different media to serve a target audience and achieve financial goals.
how to assemble, sell, and manage portfolios of print/web/conference products for their audiences,
how media buyers see these portfolios, and
how readers actually want to consume information.

The panel will be led by David Brousell, editor-in-chief of Managing Automation, and currently includes:

Julia King, executive editor, events/national correspondent, Computerworld.

Gary Beach, publisher, CIO magazine.

David Rudzinsky, vice president and chief information officer, Hologic Inc.

Paul Hoy, global manufacturing industry leader, Cognos Inc.

Don't miss this important event.

Meeting Details

Where:

Crowne Plaza Hotel
1360 Worcester Street (Route 9)
Natick, MA 01760
Directions

When: Wednesday Dec. 12, 2007

Networking: 6:00-7:00 p.m.
Dinner: 7:00-7:30
Panel Discussion: 7:30-8:45
Q&A: 8:45-9:15

Tickets include dinner and dessert. A cash bar will be available.

Menu: Grilled Marinated Chicken Breast with Dijon Mustard, Field Green Salad with Sherry Vinaigrette. Dessert: Fresh Fruit and Berries with Vanilla Cream

Cost:

Nonmembers: $75
Members: $65
Tables of 8: $500
Half-Tables of 4: $250

Reservations must be received by Dec. 4. Please mail your check, payable to "ASBPE-New England Chapter," to:

Alan Earls
222 Pond St.
Franklin, MA 02038

For further information or to pay by credit card, contact Alan at 508 528 6930 or email alan.earls@comcast.net.

Update, Nov. 27, 2007: The above has been updated to reflect that Paul Hoy of Cognos Inc. will replace Sharon Ward of Microsoft as a panelist.

Nov. 28: The reservation has been extended by three days, to Dec. 4.

Oct. 19 ASBPE Webinar: Managing the Editor-Freelancer Relationship in the Digital Age

2007-10-05T13:14:00.000-05:00

Webinar is free to first 50 ASBPE members who register.

ASBPE's next Webinar will explore how the Internet is raising new questions about and methods for managing freelancers -- and requiring freelancers themselves to learn new skills.

For instance, some editors are exploring the idea of paying freelancers based on the number of page views or visits their articles generate. And freelancers will have to learn about podcasting, video, mashups, and more.

One of the speakers will be Chris Linquist, online editorial director for locally based CXO Media. The freelancer's perspective will be represented by Matt Bolch, a successful Atlanta-based freelance writer and editor.

Other topics to be discussed:

How much and when (upon acceptance, upon publication?) should a freelancer be paid?
What rights will the publication retain over the freelancer's work?
Should "kill fees" be publication policy? If so, how much?
How to develop long-term relationships with effective freelancers?
How should freelancers break into the B2B press?

The Webinar cost is $25 for ASBPE members or $35 for nonmembers -- but it's free for for the first 50 ASBPE members who register, or nonmembers who join at the time of registration.

Full Webinar registration details:

Date: Friday, October 19, 2007

Time: 1:00 to 2:00 pm EST

Cost: Free to the first 50 ASBPE members* who register $25 to ASBPE members who register after the first 50 registrants.
$35 to nonmembers

* Free to those who apply for ASBPE membership when registering ($75 for editors; $50 for freelancers) as well as for current members. Join ASBPE by emailing or faxing this membership form (71K PDF) to the attention of Steve Roll, ASBPE president, at b2beditor at gmail dot com or (703) 341-1625.

Membership includes, among other things, ASBPE's national newsletter, discounts for ASBPE's annual National Editorial Conference and Azbee Awards of Excellence competition, and access to original editorial-related research.

To register:

Fill out this registration form (33K Word doc) and e-mail it to Steven Roll, ASBPE president, at b to b editor at gmail dot com, or fax it his attention at (703) 341-1625.

DETAILS FOR HOW TO CALL IN WILL BE PROVIDED UPON REGISTRATION.

Related discussions: ASBPE members can go to our forums to talk about

Updates on CMO, Ethics

2007-09-28T13:44:00.000-05:00

An update (admittedly belated) on the now-defunct CMO magazine, which was based in Framingham:

Paul Conley reported last month that former CMO editor-in-chief Rob O'Regan has a blog called Magnosticism, where he blogs mainly about marketing and advertising. But the blog also houses some of the content from CMO. Since CMO's closing, the articles are is no longer available from CXO Media, but the company has given O'Regan permission to reproduce them on his blog.

You may remember that CMO won ASBPE's Magazine of the Year award in its first year in existence.

In the same post, Conley notes that Ryan Block, editor in chief of the blogazine Engadget, has posted an open letter to the industry about IntelliTXT-style pop-up ads that appear on keywords on some web sites' stories.

You can read our previous posts on the subject of IntelliTXT here.

More on Second Life

2007-09-28T13:43:00.000-05:00

Following up on our previous post about the online virtual world Second Life, here's a good article on the subject from BtoB online. The Sept. 10 article, "Second Life has some firms guessing" reports that B2B media company CMP Technology has ventured into the world of Second Life, developing Second Life content for other companies. (Here's the CMP press release announcing the new offering.)

The article also talks about some Second Life's limitations and how companies are working around them. Most notably, system slowdowns and crashes start to happen when event attendance reaches about 60 attendees. (It's interesting to note that even a large company like Intel typically gets only 15 to 20 people attending its Second Life forums, though.) The piece also mentions alternatives to Second Life. Deloitte U.S., for instance, is using one virtual world to recruit employees; a custom-developed application lets prospects participate in a game where they solve business problems. And, perhaps most important, the article sheds some light on what metrics can be used to measure ROI for Second Life projects.

Also see:

A recap of a talk about Second Life from the D.C. chapter blog.

"Who Is Tomorrow's Reader?" -- insight from Northeast region awards banquet speaker John Carroll.

A get-started guide from Second Life about its business and education applications.

"The Virtual World of B-to-B," a post from American Business Media's MediaPace blog, updates and shows a screenshot of a virtual seminar.

Upcoming Conferences on Digital Media

2007-09-28T00:32:00.000-05:00

Two conferences on new media are coming up soon:

Nov. 28-Dec. 1, Boston
Effective Strategies for Media Companies: Navigating the New World
This program offered by Harvard Business School will focus largely on business strategy. The course is designed for "mid-level and senior media executives at the business-unit or corporate level," according to the HBS web site, and it's priced accordingly; the cost is $5,750, but that covers tuition, books, case materials, accommodations, and meals. You must apply to be admitted to the program; admission is based on professional achievement and organizational responsibility.

Dec. 10-11, New York
Web Video Summit
The conference has two tracks:

The Business of Web Video, with sessions such as You and Your Audience: Distribution, Big Outfits Prove “We’re Not Just Old Media,” and Video Search Engines; and

Technique and Creative, whose sessions include Simple Success Steps and Shooting for the Web: Making Sure it Works Compressed, Small and Everywhere.

The summit takes place at New York's Roosevelt Hotel (where August's ASBPE National Editorial Conference was held). If you register by Nov. 21, prices are $595 for a one-day pass or $995 for both days; after Nov. 21, they go up to $695 and $1,095 respectively. An exhibit-hall pass is free through Nov. 21 and $50 after that.

Ethics Guidelines in the Digital World

2007-09-24T17:15:00.000-05:00

Noelle Skodzinski, the editor of Publishing Executive magazine, attended our National Editorial Conference and wrote an excellent editorial about our session on web ethics. It's called " 'Pay to Play' OK in the Digital World?"

In it, she points out that many media companies produce webinars or webcasts that are sold to a single sponsor. Sometimes that sponsor even is in charge of the content. She notes:

Some editors (including those with high editorial standards), say, "As long as the content is useful for my audience, I'm OK with this." After all, the sponsorship enables the content to be provided to the audience free of charge.

And:

As long as it is transparent to the audience that the webinar is paid for by the sponsor(s), putting that sponsor on the panel seems to be an accepted practice among many reputable companies. If the content is useful, what’s the difference? In other words, if the content is useful, then ‘pay to play’ is OK, right? A lot of editors could (and do) create some really usefulprint content based around their print advertisers, too. Does that make it OK?

As Skodzinski points out, the ASBPE code of ethics doesn't address this specific issue with regard to webinars or webcasts. Section IV, Part B, item 3 of the ASBPE ethics code does say this about advertiser-sponsored sections or supplements in print:

3. The Editorial Role. The editorial staff should not assign, write, edit, design, or lay out special advertising sections or supplements. However, editors should review, revise, and approve for publication any advertising section or supplement to ensure that editorial standards are followed.

Transferring those same standards to the web, as Skodzinki suggests doing, would seem to mean that editors would not appear in or help produce webcasts sponsored by a single advertiser.

It could be argued that this directive, from Part A of that same section, should govern webcasts:

A. Single-Sponsored Issues

1. Labeling and Appearance. In the case of an advertiser sponsoring an entire issue, full disclosure must be made of the relationship in a prominent part of a publication’s pages, e.g. the cover, table of contents, or in a special introduction by the editor or publisher. Special care and explanation must be given to readers to avoid the appearance of editorial content being affected by the sponsorship.

2. Use of the Logo. In a single-sponsored issue, the publication’s logo may be used, but the editorial content must be held to the same standards that apply for a non-single-sponsored issue.

But in Section VII, the code has this to say about web site content:

The editorial department should control all editorial content on a publication’s digital publication, including Web site, blogs, e-newsletters, digital magazines, and others. Standards such as accuracy, attribution, fairness, and balance applying to a publication’s printed editorial material also apply to a publication’s Internet or digital presence.

And later on in the same section:

Special advertising sections online should also be clearly identified.

It seems clear to me that any given piece of web content -- including an audio podcast, webinar, or video -- should either follow the rules for web content cited immediately above, or else follow the rules set forth for an advertiser-sponsored section in a print publication. The guidelines for a single-sponsored issue would not apply, because the advertiser is not sponsoring the entire web site, but an individual piece of content on the site -- in essence, it's the same thing as if an advertiser were to sponsor an individual story in the print magazine in which it is also quoted.

Skodzinki has also posted on her blog about this issue. And in reading it, to my embarrassment, I realize that we have failed to comply with our own code of ethics in this blog. Specifically:

G. Blogs and Other Online Features or Publications

These should be ... have easily understood user guidelines, includingn general rules, etiquette, privacy issues, and related policies. Statements concerning expected decorum and the control of an editorial moderator or supervisor over the blogs or other online discussion forums should be explained.

We have not posted a specific policy here. The ASBPE bloggers are working with the national officers and members of the ethics committee to come up with a formal policy. But in the meantime, here are the general guidelines I've been operating under:

1. All views expressed are the individual author's and may not reflect those of ASBPE.

2. All comments submitted to the blog by users are moderated by the blog editor (for the ASBPE Boston blog, that's me). Commenters are allowed to post anonymously, without signing up for a Blogger ID, but the blog's authors reserve the right not to publish those or any other comments that don't meet certain criteria. For instance, comments containing personal attacks will not be posted. In addition, spam or advertisements will not be posted, nor will comments whose main purpose seems to be to plug a particular product or service (at the discretion of the blog's editor).

3. As for privacy, ASBPE will not collect your contact information from this blog. Privacy for those who subscribe to this blog via email is governed by the policies of FeedBlitz, the third party that provides that functionality.

Please post any comments or questions here, or direct them to me at mspizziri at rcn dot com.

Update, 9/25/07: I forgot to add that Publishing Executive has sent an e-mail survey to its readers on some of the issues brought up in Noelle Skodzinki's editorial, and the results will be published in the next issue and posted on PubExec.com, too.

Post Job Listings for Free

2007-09-18T14:13:00.000-05:00

The site NewsJobs.Net has been redesigned and upgraded the site, and they're offering free employment ads through September. So if you're looking for an employee, you might want to try it out.

Of course, it's always free to post a job listing on the ASBPE web site.

Slide Show: ASBPE National Conference Highlights

2007-09-18T04:53:00.000-05:00

Click to start slide show.

We've just posted a slide show of last month's National Editorial Conference in New York. The slides provide a sampling of the conference speakers’ wisdom and a glimpse of the festivities at this year’s national Azbee Awards. You can also comment on the slides, share them with others, or offer ASBPE your feedback.

The slide presentation was posted via a site called SlideShare that speaker Rex Hammock mentioned during the his conference session on new digital technologies. SlideShare made it very easy. You sign up for a free account, create the slides in PowerPoint, OpenOffice, or Apple's Keynote and upload it. It then gets converted to a Flash file, with all the navigation controls built in. And it was remarkably easy to post the slide show right on our site, so that visitors can look at the slide show or email it to others right from asbpe.org. I just had to pick up some code from a little window on SlideShare labeled "Embed in your blog":

and plop it into a web page.

If users click through from our site to SlideShare.net, they have even more options -- they can leave a comment or send feedback for us, subscribe to be notified about any slide shows we might post in the future via RSS, save our slide show to a list of favorites, or add it to their own blog, FaceBook or MySpace page, or web site. SlideShare also makes it easy to specify how others can use your slide show with a Creative Commons license.

There are some limitations. Right now, you can't post slide shows with audio or video embedded in them, although you can synchronize your slide presentation with an audio file that you have uploaded to your own web space. Also, I noticed a quirk or two. For instance, link text that is more than one line long doesn't work very well when the slides are converted to the Flash format; you have to make sure any linked text in your slide show does not

I hope to post a few thoughts about the conference here soon. In the meantime, enjoy the slide presentation.

Learn About Web Skills for Freelance Writers

2007-09-15T20:43:00.001-05:00

The Cambridge Center for Adult Education is offering a class called "The Changing Landscape of Freelance Writing" that sounds perfect for freelancers who want to get started learning the web skills that everyone seems to be telling us we need. From the class description:

Freelancers need to know not only time-tested basics - successful query letters, editor etiquette, and getting attention from target publications - but also: blogging, pod casting, branding, supplementing income through other kinds of writing, and more. Together, we will work on the basics, and chart our way through the new waters of the modern freelance world.

The Wednesday-night course starts Sept. 26 and goes for eight weeks. The Cambridge Center is located in Harvard Square in Cambridge, Mass.

Upcoming MediaBistro Courses and Videos

2007-09-11T12:29:00.001-05:00

MediaBistro has some great educational offerings coming up, both here in Boston and online. The site also offers short educational videos that you can pay for and watch online. Some are one-offs and some that are part of series on a particular topic.

Here are two online classes of interest--but both start today, so you'll have to sign up ASAP:

Boot Camp for Magazine Editors
Designed for assigning editors.
4 weeks, $350. Starts Sept. 11, 2007

Intermediate Copy Editing
6 weeks, $425. Starts Sept. 11, 2007

And these also start this week:

Writing and Editing for the Web
4 weeks, $350. Starts Sept. 12, 2007

Advanced Copy Editing
4 weeks, $350. Starts Sept. 13, 2007.
Cheryl Della Pietra

Intro to Copy Editing
6 weeks, $425. Starts Sept. 13, 2007.

Other online classes:

Grammar, Punctuation, and Meaning
4 weeks, $350. Starts Sept. 17, 2007.

Online News Writing
4 weeks, $350. Starts Sept. 17, 2007.

C reate and Launch a Website
8 weeks, $599. Starts Sept. 18, 2007.

Writing Scripts for Online Video
4 weeks, $350. Starts Sept. 25, 2007.

Feature Writing
Researching, writing and selling narrative-driven features
4 weeks, $350. Starts Oct. 2, 2007

Classes taking place in Boston include:

Writing and Editing for the Web Essentials
3 hours, $65. Starts Oct. 9, 2007.

Breaking into Financial Writing
3 hours, $65. Starts Oct. 9, 2007.

Copy Editing Essentials
3 hours, $65. Starts Oct. 30, 2007.

And some videos you can pay for and watch online:

Blogs Every Media Professional Should Know
Course description from Media Bistro:
Find what you need on the Web without drowning in too much info
2.5 hours, $29

From MediaBistro course synposis:
For those struggling to keep pace with the blogosphere, tech expert Sree Sreenivasan gives a thorough introduction to the key players of the online world, delving into the present and future of the web as a media outlet.

It covers all the blog basics but focuses on the best blogs for and by media professionals. Topics include:

1) blogs that are changing America and the world,
2) how to read blogs without drowning in too much information,
3) how to create a blog and raise your Google rankings,
4) why journalists should and should not be blogging, and
5) what to expect next: photoblogging, videoblogging, tagging, podcasting, wikis, RSS, and XML.

His presentation is a fun, informative, fast-paced survey of the blog world.

Get Noticed on Wikipedia
Course description from Media Bistro:
Increase and influence your web presence on the world's largest encyclopedia

How Online Video Is Changing the Internet, Part 1: Overview
Course description from Media Bistro:
Understand how online video works, where and how it's being used on the web, what makes it effective, and what the future most likely holds
21 mins., $15

How Online Video Is Changing the Internet, Part 2: Making Your Mark -- and a Healthy Profit
Course description from Media Bistro:
How amateurs, corporations, and mainstream media are making money with online video, plus tips for creating compelling content
15 mins., $15

Web 101: Understanding Blogs, Wikis, Social Networking, and Mobile Internet
Course description from Media Bistro:
Make sense of the internet today and get ready for the future
15 mins., $15

Writing for the Web: Guidelines for Writing Online
Course description from Media Bistro:
A 15-minute crash course on understanding your online audience and writing copy that's searchable and user-oriented
15 mins., $15

Writing for the Web: Is Writing for the Web Different from Print?
Course description from Media Bistro:
A crash course for editors and writers making the switch from print to online
15 mins., $15

Writing for the Web: Understanding How Readers Use the Web
Course description from Media Bistro:
A crash course for editors and writers to master site usability and drive traffic
15 mins., $15

See a full list of MediaBistro's upcoming Boston and online classes and training videos.

ASBPE Joins TABPI in Offering Magazine Critique Service

2007-09-04T21:02:00.000-05:00

ASBPE and Trade, Association and Business Publications International (TABPI) are offering the Magazine Critique Service (MCS), which is designed as an affordably priced entry-level option for B2B magazines interested in improving their content. Two editors and a designer examine two of your recent issues and provide a report with detailed feedback on your publication. The editors and designers who do the critques have judged magazine awards competitions, won awards themselves, and/or actively work in their professional associations.

A Standard Critique from the MCS is $625 -- $575 for ASBPE members. If you want more feedback, you can opt for a Premium Critique, priced at $975 ($925 for ASBPE members). The Premium option includes a TABPI/ASBPE-approved editorial consultant as one of your publication's reviewers. In addition to the report you receive, you and your staff will get a one-hour conference call with the consultant so you can ask questions about the review.

The MCS is a seasonal offering, and there is a deadline for submissions of Oct. 1.

• See a sample MCS report (535K PDF).
• Download an order form (49K PDF).
• See the MCS FAQ.

$300 off Boston-area Web Seminar for Publishers

2007-08-22T12:39:00.000-05:00

A company called Mequoda Group is offering a two-day seminar on web strategies for magazine, newsletter, and book publishers, Mequoda Summit Boston. It will take place Sept. 26-27 at The Conference Center at Waltham Woods (Waltham, Mass.). If you register by Aug. 30, you get an early bird rate of $1197. Still not cheap, but potentially worthwhile.

I am not familiar with the Mequoda Group or their seminars, but they seem to have plenty of testimonials. And they say they offer a full money-back guarantee, as long as you notify them that you want a refund by lunch time of the first day.

National Award Winners

2007-08-06T15:14:00.000-05:00

I've been on vacation and won't be back officially until tomorrow, but now that I have a reliable Internet connection I wanted to post a link to the list of national Azbee Award winners, for anyone who hasn't seen it.

National Azbee Award winners.

More information on our Magazine of the Year, Web Site of the Year, Barr Award, and Lifetime Achievement Award winners will be posted when I get back.

Should Business Editors Get a (Second) Life?

2007-07-31T10:52:00.000-05:00

Second Life is a computer fantasy world where people assume alternate identities in order to visit virtual space stations and vampire castles. So you'd think this was one online trend business editors could skip. But according to Rob Freedman and Dave Levinson, you'd be wrong.

Freedman and Levinson spoke at the Central South-East Region Azbee Awards banquet on July 12 in Washington D.C. Freedman is immediate past president of ASBPE and has written a book called Second Life Business Strategies, to be published by McGraw-Hill. Levinson is the CEO of Cranial Tap, a firm that builds Second Life sites for business clients. Their talk was summarized in a post on the the ASBPE D.C. blog.

The two pointed out that businesses like IBM and Coldwell Banker are already starting to use Second Life, and B2B magazines could do the same. For instance, Feedman said, a homebuilder magazine could sponsor a virtual workshop on building techniques, demonstrating in a realistic recreation how to install solar panels on a roof.

Other reasons B2B editors should pay attention to what's going on in Second Life (and other virtual worlds that are emerging):

The mass consumer market is interested in virtual worlds. That's undeniable, given the success of Second Life. The site has garnered millions of users since its launch in 2003.
Businesses are making money serving customers in Second Life. "Some entrepreneurial users generate a six-figure income based on the objects they create and sell," the blog post quotes Levinson as saying.
Virtual worlds are a global phenomenon. Right now, Second Life can be translated into 12 languages. That gives it potential to reach an international audience.
Virtual worlds are a way to reach a younger audience. Why should you care? Because that's the audience of the future. Rob Freedman argued that the next generation of readers "will be totally acclimated to virtual environments." As one audience member suggested, they may even require new interfaces such as virtual worlds before they're even willing to consume new content.

Read the full recap of Freedman and Levinson's talk, from the D.C. chapter blog.

Also see:

"Who Is Tomorrow's Reader?" -- insight from Northeast region awards banquet speaker John Carroll.
A get-started guide from Second Life about its business and education applications.
"Second Life has some firms second guessing," a Sept. 10 article from BtoB online, mentions that B2B media company CMP Technology has made a foray into the world of Second Life content development. It also covers some of the pitfalls and constraints of Second Life, and tells how some content developers are dealing with them. (This link added 9/24/07.)
"The Virtual World of B-to-B," a post from American Business Media's MediaPace blog, updates and shows a screenshot of a virtual seminar. (This link added 9/24/07.)

2006-07 Northeast Region Azbee Winners Posted

2007-07-26T23:02:00.000-05:00

Now that both the Boston and New York regional awards banquets have taken place, the full results can be posted online.

Here are the Northeast Region winners.

And here are the magazines that are the finalists for national awards, which will be given out at a banquet during the National Editorial Conference in New York City on Thursday, Aug. 2:

Editorial Director of PennWell's Lightwave Joins Chapter Board

2007-07-26T16:24:00.000-05:00

Stephen M. Hardy, editorial director and associate publisher of PennWell's Lightwave magazine, has joined the ASBPE Boston/New England board.

Hardy has twenty-five years' experience in techonology publishing, starting with Telecommunications magazine and then the Journal of Electronic Defense. He has been with Lightwave since 1997. In his current position, he has management responsibility for the editorial content of Lightwave, its website, and the Lightwave Direct electronic newsletter.

Who Is Tomorrow's Reader?

2007-07-23T10:49:00.001-05:00

Last Wednesday night, the Boston/New England chapter held a banquet for the Northeastern region Azbee award winners.

Because there will be a second banquet for the Northeastern region in New York City on Thursday to honor those winners, full details on regional award winners won't be on the ASBPE web site until Friday. What we can tell you that there were 2,600 entries to the competition this year, and the Northeastern region is the most competitive of the four. And we can tell you which magazines are in the running for regional awards.

We also can share the comments of our guest speaker at the banquet, journalist and Boston University professor of communication John Carroll. Carroll started off by pointing out that three of the four segments in bustines-to-business publishing -- events, custom media, and e-media -- have been thriving. Only print revenues have remained flat. We all know that, but what do we do about it?

"What you don't know is who today's students--your future audience--are," Carroll said. And as a teacher, he has come to know those future media consumers--and their media habits--intimately. He shared with the banquet audience what he saw as the four most salient characteristics of the next generation.

Characteristic #1: "They are their own producers. They have nothing against traditional media, they just have no use for you. They have 'The Daily Me' " -- news that meets their interest criteria, aggregated on personalized pages on sites like Yahoo and MSN. "Instead of radio, they have iPods. Instead of TV, they have You Tube. Instead of reading columnists or listening to commentators, they write their own blogs."

Characteristic #2: "They are fearless navigagtors of the Internet. This is coming from someone who's never used an ATM—I'm hoping to be the Cal Ripken of Luddism," he noted. They have no problem giving out personal information, such as date of birth, in order to register for a web site.

Characteristic #3: "They're virtually unconcerned about privacy issues, and they don't understand why anyone would be worried about it," said Carroll. "Their attitude is, 'They're going to get that information and you're not going to stop it.' All this leads to a particular frame of mind when you are trying to deal with these younger people They are not like you and me."

Characteristic #4: "They don't understand the value of a free press," Carroll said. "They don't get the role of a watchdog. They don't trust the press, they don't like the press, and they don't believe the press. ... They don't understand why the First Amendment is important. They don't understand why anyone would go to jail to protect a source."

The idea that young people are really media savvy isn't quite accurate, Carroll concludes. What they really are is media saturated. "They don't understand that MTV is a series of commercials interrupted by ads. They don't understand that their cell phones are running them, and not vice versa. When you ask them who's going to report on the conditions at Walter Reed Hospital, it doesn't occur to them [to think about that], because they don't know about the Walter Reed story."

How do you reach these people? "I don't have a real boffo finish," Carroll admitted. "But you have to convince them of the value of what you do ... that you're a real business, that you're important. ... They don't understand what they're going to lose if traditional media go by the boards. It doesn't strike them that it would be any big deal. You try to convince them that [professional media outlets are] essential to their well-being, to the well-being of a functioning democracy.

"It's not that they don't care, it's that they've never thought about it before," Carroll points out. But when you explain it to them, they do start to understand. "[R]e-establish a sense of importance of the news business, because I think it's disappearing. It's too easy to look at the negative and dismiss the news business overall," he said.

He added: "If it doesn't work out, there's always teaching. Give me a call."

ASBPE Conference: Reserve by July 9!

2007-07-03T08:50:00.000-05:00

The 2007 ASBPE National Editorial Conference and Azbee Awards of Excellence banquet will be held in New York City, Aug. 2-3, at The Roosevelt Hotel.

You have six days left to make your hotel room reservations and get ASBPE's group rate of $229 a night single/double occupancy. The hotel reservation deadline is July 9. Call The Roosevelt Hotel at (888) 833-3969 to reserve.

To get the early-registration discount for the conference and/or awards banquet, register by July 13. By registering early, you save:

up to $180 on full conference registration or
$100 on single-day conference fees or
$25 per banquet registration.

You can register online (credit card required) or get a printable registration form (1.2MB PDF).

Northeast Region Azbee Awards Finalists Announced

2007-06-26T00:02:00.000-05:00

Here are the magazines that will be honored with Northeastern region Azbee awards. Exactly which awards each publication won and how each placed will be announced at our regional awards banquet on July 18.

(Note: There will be a second Northeast Region awards ceremony July 26 in New York City for editors in that area.)

Ronn Campisi Joins ASBPE Boston/New England Board

2007-06-25T13:14:00.000-05:00

Designer Ronn Campisi has joined the Boston/New England chapter board of the American Society of Business Publication Editors.

Campisi has extensive experience in the area of publication design. He is former design director of The Boston Globe and has served as design director at Boston magazine, The Real Paper and Fusion magazine. In addition, Campisi has designed formats for many leading technology magazines and newspapers including PC Magazine, Computerworld, Computer Reseller News, and InfoWorld. Campisi has won more than 300 awards for his work and was part of the team that won a 1983 Pulitzer Prize for a special Boston Globe magazine section entitled "War and Peace in the Nuclear Age."

Here's what our Boston/New England chapter president, Alan Earls, had to say about the appointment: "We are excited to have Ronn aboard and hope his wealth of experience will inform our development of programs and events that will strengthen ties with the design side of our membership."

ASBPE Announces Web Site Publication of the Year Finalists

2007-06-25T10:45:00.000-05:00

The Top 10 finalists for ASBPE's Web Site Publication of the Year Award have been announced.

The Web Site Publication of the Year is a new designation in this year's competition. Up till now, ASBPE has named Gold, Silver, and Bronze winners in a national "Overall Web Site" category, but the society wanted to raise the profile of the award and recognize in a way comparable to the Magazine of the Year Awards.

Although the Web Site Publication of the Year Award (like the Magazine of the Year Awards) is a national award only (to be announced during the National Editorial Conference in New York), I figure it's always of interest to see which sites from our region are among the finalists.

This year, finalists based in the competition's Northeast Region are:

CFO.com, the site for Boston-based CFO magazine
ENR.com, the site for New York City-based Engineering News-Record
eWeek.com, the site for eWeek magazine in Woburn, Mass.
studiodaily.com, based in New York City

See the complete list of Web Site Publication of the Year finalists (and Magazine of the Year finalists) nationwide.

Directorship Mag Seeks Editorial Assistant

2007-06-25T10:37:00.000-05:00

Directorship, a magazine for corporate board members, is looking for a hard-working person with good organizational skills to work on its magazine, web site, newsletter, and conferences.

Full job description and contact info for the editorial assistant position.

Discount Extended for Boston Awards Banquet

2007-05-30T10:00:00.000-05:00

If you're planning to attend the Regional Azbee Awards banquet in Boston, note that you have an extra week to get the Super Early Bird Discount. It's now available through Tuesday, June 12. You must register and pay by that date to get the discount.

RSVP info and details on the banquet are here.

Northeast Region Awards Banquets Set for July

2007-05-25T13:56:00.000-05:00

Again this year, the Northeast Region of the American Society of Business Publication Editors is pleased to announce two awards ceremonies to honor regional winners of the 2007 Azbee awards.

Depending on your location and preference, this year you may attend a Boston-area event on the evening of July 18 or a midtown New York City event the following week.

In either case, you’ll be treated to a great guest speaker, a terrific awards program, and a chance to connect with your colleagues in the region.

DETAILS: BOSTON AREA

GUEST SPEAKER: Award-winning journalist and public radio veteran John Carroll.

Through his newest venture, John Carroll’s Take, which airs Thursdays at 6:35 a.m. and 8:35 a.m. during WGBH 89.7 FM’s broadcast of Morning Edition and at 5:45 p.m. during WGBH 89.7’s broadcast of All Things Considered, Carroll gives his perspective on today’s hottest topics in news, media, technology, and more. <

Carroll currently serves as a professor of mass communications at Boston University and a panelist for "Beat the Press," a weekly discussion on media on WGBH's Greater Boston public affairs TV program.

DATE: Wednesday, July 18, 2007

TIME:

6:00 p.m.: Social hour/cocktails
7:00 p.m. Dinner, followed by speaker and awards.

COST:

SUPER EARLY BIRD DISCOUNT— RESERVE AND PAY BY TUESDAY, JUNE 12

ASBPE members: $50 per person
Nonmembers: $55 per person
Tables of 8: $390

REGULAR PRICE — RESERVE AND PAY AFTER JUNE 12

ASBPE members: $60 per person
Nonmembers: $65 per person
Tables of 8: $450

Banquet tickets may be paid for by check or by Visa, Mastercard, or American Express.

LOCATION:

Papa Razzi
16 Washington St.
Wellesley, MA
Located just of I-95 (state Route 128) near Mass. Turnpike (I-90).
Also a 10-minute walk from public transit Green Line.

IMPORTANT: There is ample parking at Papa Razzi but it will not be obvious unless you review the detailed parking information (428K PDF).
NEED MORE REASONS TO COME?

Check out what’s happening this summer in Boston.(3.3M PDF)
And consider taking in a Red Sox game at Fenway Park -- they play at home all week.

PLEASE RSVP NO LATER THAN MONDAY, JULY 9 to Alan Earls at alan.earls@comcast.net or (508) 528-6930, or to Martha Spizziri at mspizziri@rcn.com or (617) 628-5466.

DETAILS: NEW YORK CITY

The New York event will be held July 26. Details are on the New York chapter page.

5/30/07 update: Note the change above: The Super Early Bird discount has been extended through Tuesday, June 12.

Marblehead Healthcare Publisher Seeks Managing Editor

2007-05-25T13:50:00.000-05:00

HCPro Inc. in Marblehead, Mass., is looking for a managing editor to do developmental editing on books, occasional ghost writing, and more. The company specializes in providing training and educational materials and consulting services in the areas of healthcare regulation and compliance.

Further details on the managing editor position.

IntelliTXT Ads Back at ZD

2007-05-18T08:08:00.000-05:00

After removing paid links from within stories on some of its sites, Ziff Davis is again using the IntelliTXT service on at least one site. This time it's PC Magazine's site. (For me, at least, it took a few seconds after the page loaded for the links to show up. They're the green links within the story text.)

I'll let Paul Conley tell the story.

The backstory is here and here.

Magazine of the Year Front Runners Announced

2007-05-17T12:56:00.000-05:00

ASBPE has released the names of the Magazine of the Year Top 10. These are the top candidates shortlisted for the Magazine of the Year awards, which are given each year to two magazines -- one in each of the two circulation divisions, under 80,000 circulation and 80,000 and over.

The winners in each division will be anounced at the Azbee awards banquet on Aug. 2, during the National Editorial Conference. The top three in each circulation category will be announced there as well.

Although the Magazine of the Year award is given on a national level only, it's fun to see who the Top 10 finalists are from the Northeast region, which includes New England. They are:

Less than 80,000 circulation	80,000 and over circulation
CSO owned by IDG and based in Framingham, Mass.	BusinessWeek headquartered in New York City and owned by The McGraw-Hill Companies
Meetings & Conventions owned by Northstar Travel Media and based in Secaucus, N.J.	CFO based in Boston and owned by The Economist Group
The Scientist based in Philadelphia	CIO owned by IDG and based in Framingham, Mass.
Storage owned by TechTarget and based in Needham, Mass.	IEEE Spectrum based in New York City and published by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
	Network World owned by IDG and based in Southborough, Mass.

See the complete list of Magazine of the Year finalists, nationwide.

ASBPE National Elections Open

2007-05-17T12:35:00.000-05:00

The ASBPE national board has nominated a slate of officers to serve the next two-year term, which begins after the Aug. 2–3, 2007 National Editorial Conference.

The nominees are:


President: Steve Roll, Washington, D.C., chapter president	Vice President: Amy Fischbach, previously Kansas City chapter president	Treasurer: Jyme Mariani, immediate past president, Dallas/ Ft. Worth chapter

Voting members (those who are employed in an editorial capacity by a business publication or who are freelancers who edit or write regularly for business publications) must send their ballots in by Monday, July 2.

Learn more about the officers and their plans for ASBPE or get a ballot.

Was PC World Editor's Resignation Another Instance of Fuzzy Edit/Sales Standards On the Web?

2007-05-14T18:55:00.000-05:00

According to this Folio: magazine article, Harry McCracken's temporary resignation as editor-in-chief of IDG's PC World is more evidence of the uncertainty in some quarters over who controls editorial.

According to the Folio: article, McCracken resigned after PC World CEO Colin Crawford pulled a column titled “Ten Things We Hate About Apple.” According to a report on Wired, Crawford also told editors PC World's product reviews were too critical of vendors, especially advertisers, although IDG disputes that claim; Wired later excerpted a forum post by a PC World staffer who said the issue was that Crawford killed the article without even consulting McCracken. The article has now been published, and McCracken is back in his old position. Crawford, who was just promoted to the CEO position in March, has now been moved to a position as executive vice president, online (before becoming CEO, Crawford was senior VP- online). IDG announced that it is searching for a new CEO for PC World and Macworld.

Folio: likens the episode to the controversies over IntelliTXT paid links appearing within editorial copy (see here and here). A quote from Matt Kinsman's article:

It’s a situation that is in danger of becoming common. Unlike print, where content is physically managed by the editorial team, online just about everyone has access to content and a perspective—inappropriate or not—of what to do with it.

"PC World Editor Resigns Over Dispute" (Folio:, May 3, 2007)
"It's Hard To Know Who To Trust When PC World Is Afraid Of Steve Jobs And A 'Sad Mac' " (Jossip, May 3, 2007)
"Editor in Chief Harry McCracken Returns to PCW" (PC World, May 9, 2007)
"PC World Invites Harry Back to Fill Their Crack In" (Jossip, May 10, 2007)
"A Nod to Journalistic Integrity Is Seen in an Editor’s Return" (The New York Times, May 14, 2007)

(Note: McCracken was on the ASBPE Boston/New England chapter board before moving to California to work in PC World's offices there.)

Updated May 14, 9:21 p.m.

Public Records Workshop This Weekend at Globe

2007-05-14T12:58:00.000-05:00

The New England chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists is holding a seminar on investigative reporting techniques. Sean Murphy of the Boston Globe will lead a two-hour workshop on Saturday, May 19, from 10:00 a.m. to noon.

The workshop takes place at The Boston Globe, 135 Morrissey Blvd. Admission is free, but RSVPs are required. To reserve your spot, email SPJ New England chapter president Emily Sweeney at emily dot sweeney at yahoo dot com.

Update on IntelliTXT

2007-05-14T12:38:00.000-05:00

Sorry to be slow getting to this, but anyone who hasn't been reading Paul Conley's blog might not have heard that Ziff pulled the IntelliTXT paid links that were appearing in some of its properties' online articles.

Meanwhile, CMP started using the links, but then stopped.

For more on what IntelliTXT links are, see previous post.

Are Magazines, Web Sites Just "Ad Platforms"?

2007-05-11T11:42:00.000-05:00

An update on this week's earlier post:

Internet marketing expert Prescott Shibles is against the use of paid links in edit copy, but is open to the idea that there might be a different implementation for InTelliTXT and similar services that would not be unethical.
Wooden Horse Publishing's Meg Weaver wonders if magazines will be replaced by "ad platforms." She cites an article on AdAge.com, "Publishers Move Into Agency Territory and Marketers Take Notice" (registration required to read article abstract; subscription or pay-per-article access required to read entire article). Weaver notes that consumer publisher Hachette Filipacchi Media US has purchased Internet ad company Jumpstart Automotive Media, while Meredith has purchased two interactive ad agencies and a marketing firm.)

Here's a paragraph grabbed from Weaver's article:
Meredith's president of its publishing group, Jack Griffin, summed up the new direction of today's large magazine publishers when talking about his own company: "What we're doing is equipping Meredith to be a robust marketing-communications provider."

Ziff Davis, eWeek, Again Subject of Ethics Controversy

2007-05-07T11:04:00.000-05:00

The same day I posted about a recent Folio: profile of Ziff Davis Media, B2B publishing consultant Paul Conley published a blog post titled "Ziff Davis crosses the ethics line again."

Conley's post centers around Ziff Davis' decision to once again use Vibrant Media's IntelliTXT in-context ads on some of its sites, after pulling them from eWeek earlier this year. (See earlier post on this blog, "eWeek/IntelliTXT Flap," and two earlier posts on Paul Conley's blog, "eWeek crosses an ethical line" and " eWeek retreats in ads-within-edit scandal" for background.) The ads are back in eWeek and also appear on the company's CIO Insights web site.

Folio: published a story about the controversy on May 3. The article quotes Ziff Davis editorial director and senior VP Michael Vizard as saying "The IntelliTXT ads are clearly labeled as advertisements in compliance with existing ASME and ASBPE guidelines as we understand them. Should these officially recognized bodies adopt specific policies related to IntelliTXT ads, we would welcome that clarification and would also be inclined to comply with those guidelines."

ASBPE's ethics guidelines do, in fact, state that links within editorial content should be under editorial control. But in response to Vizard's statement, the ASBPE ethics committee has attempted to clarify the issue. The last sentence of the relevant portion of our Code of Preferred Editorial Practices, Section VII, Paragraph D, previously read:

Contextual links within editorial content should not be sold, and generally should not link to a vendor’s Web site, unless it is pertinent to the editorial content or helpful to the reader.

It now reads:

Contextual links within editorial content should not be sold. If an editor allows a link, it generally should not link to a vendor’s Web site, unless it is pertinent to the editorial content or helpful to the reader.

ASBPE national president Roy Harris relayed this change to Folio: and it was posted as an addendum to the May 3 article. As Roy says in an accompanying statement to Folio:, "We feel the code offers a clear guideline: Editors, not publishers or ad-sales folks, should make the final decisions on ALL uses of links within edit copy. Also, ad links within editorial text should NOT be sold under any condition."

A short news item about the whole matter will soon be issued by ASBPE national and posted on the ASBPE web site. I'll post an update when it appears. In the meantime, here are other posts on the topic:

From ASBPE ethics committee member Jeff Seglin:

"Hypertext Ads Within Online Edit Cause Confusion"

From Paul Conley's blog:

From custom publisher Rex Hammock's blog:

"Paul Conley is mad as hell at Ziff Davis for embedding text ads in news articles"

For a contrarian view, see this post on Eric Shanfelt's personal blog:

"Give Ziff Davis a Break"

(Shanfelt is a former senior VP of emedia at Penton Media Inc.)

Update, 5/16/07: Also see "ASBPE Speaks Out on Hypertext Link Issue," on the news section of ASBPE's web site.

Recent Folio: Articles Focus on Online Success for B2B Media

2007-05-02T12:42:00.000-05:00

Good stuff in Folio: this month, mostly centering on strategies for the web, and much of it with a B2B focus.

Tony Silber's lead article, "Ziff's Last Stand," starts off with a tale that's any magazine editor's nightmare. PR executive Steve Rubell posted a comment on Twitter, a networking web site, saying that he threw his free copy of Ziff Davis Media's PC Magazine in the trash whenever it arrived in the mail.

PC Magazine editor Jim Louderback's initial reaction was anger, of course, and he posted a response on the online PR journal Strumpette. But then he began to think about what it meant that one of the company’s top executives "had stated, in a public forum, that my magazine … was useless to him. He wasn’t even interested in seeing whether we’d covered one of his clients. Did the rest of Edelman think like Steve? Were we no better than fishwrap to the entire company?"

Rubell issued an apology on his blog, in which he clarified by saying that he does read PC Magazine online.

As the article points out,

Two things about this episode are remarkable: A senior executive of a giant PR firm says he doesn’t even read what is arguably the largest and best-known tech-oriented print magazine in the country. And second, the whole thing—from initial insult to response to apology—occurred on a Web site and two blogs—entirely online, even though it was about a big, well-established print magazine. Combined, these elements say an awful lot about the current condition of Ziff Davis Media, and indeed, all of the three major tech-publishing companies — if not the magazine-industry overall.

The story takes off from there with an in-depth look at the current and future state of Ziff. A sidebar gives a glimpse of Ziff Davis' editorial strategy for succeeding online. An example, from senior vice president Mike Vizard: "We need stories that are original. We get 90 percent of our traffic on stories that can't be replicated."

The article "Creating an Internet Hub for Successful Multiplatform Publishing" includes Computerworld as one of its three case studies. It elaborates on some of the topics -- like lead generation -- mentioned in the Media Business article I wrote about in an earlier post. It also outlines Computerworld's game plan for succeeding online:

… the general rule is to frequently provide specific information in as many formats as possible, including articles, blogs, columns, newsletters, reports, white papers, RSS feeds, video and audio. The amount of information is staggering and most of it is free, sponsored by advertisers.

In what seems like a contrast to PC Magazine's experience, Computerworld is finding that its web site is a major generator of print subscriptions (and, therefore of data about potential print subscribers). Other products that have been successful for Computerworld include white papers; online buyers guides; e-mail newsletter (the web site offers more than 50, "some on relatively arcane topics," the article notes -- a lesson in the potential of narrowcasting?); job ads; and of course, mailing lists. "All Computerworld sites are in the business of collecting data," the articles says, and consequently "Their database of e-mail names is huge and relatively well qualified."

"Digital Magazines Take the Next Step" takes a look at how digital versions are evolving from static facsimiles of the print magazine to interactive products that can help drive print subscriptions and increase a publication's visibility on search engines. There's also mention of how digital magazine ads are changing and may even become desirable to advertisers on their own rather than just a value-add.

Other recent B2B stories in Folio:

Compliance Week Seeks Assistant Editor

2007-05-01T13:25:00.000-05:00

Compliance Week, a Boston-based electronic newsletter and print magazine on corporate governance, risk, and compliance, is looking for an assistant editor. They're looking for someone with five years' editorial experience, a strong knowledge of business reporting and business issues, and the ability to develop a beat. The candidate also must know HTML.

Among the duties required:

tracking a governance developments such as SEC investigations and public companies' financial restatements on a daily basis and updating the Compliance Week Web site accordingly;
participating in regular editorial meetings, updating the Compliance Week editorial staff on governance, risk, and compliance developments as tracked above;
writing a weekly column of industry personnel announcements.

For full details, see the ASBPE web site.

Free Web Content = More Revenues?

2007-04-25T14:07:00.000-05:00

Via Paul Conley:

We're all constantly looking for compelling web content and for ways to increase our publications' bottom lines. An idea that covers both bases comes from the New York Times article "Giving Away Information, but Increasing Revenue." (Note: You will need to register to read the article, but it's free.)

The article shows how a professional organization -- TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) -- and a trade-show company -- Reed Exhibitions, sister company of B2B publisher Reed Business Information -- are using online video of conference sessions to expand revenues.

TED uses free, sponsored videos of short conference sessions to promote awareness of and attendance at its conferences. The response has been tremendous: millions of viewers for the videos and sellout conference crowds -- despite a 50-percent increase in the registration price.

Reed Exhibitions' business model involves charging users to download videos from its ISC West Internet security conference. It will host the videos on the recently launched ISC365.com site. Subscribers will be charged about $300 to $350 to download five videos, according to the Times, though there will be some free, advertiser-sponsored videos as well.