Yes, you can teach the old media some new tricks

November 3rd, 2008

It’s a bleak time for the mainstream media. The great advertising migration to the Web coupled with bad economic times have lead to missed profit goals and industry-wide job losses.

Sounds depressing, doesn’t it?

Well, there’s hope - if organizations are ready to change. That change will allow your organization to reconnect with your community and even bring in a new audience. The change is the still relatively uncharted seas of social media. As the established media tries to figure this out, we’re here to help.

Welcome to Old Media, New Tricks. This blog has been designed as a resource for reporters, editors, academics, marketers and other folks working in and with “old” media. We’ll give you the social- and new-media weapons you need - from social bookmarking to Twitter - to take back to your newsrooms.

Hence the name, “Old Media, New Tricks.”

Who started this fine blog?

Daniel B. Honigman is a social media strategist for Tribune Interactive, where he helps guide the company into becoming more, well, social.

Daniel works with both newspaper and broadcast companies and believes all media has the potential to be local, but that it just takes a little bit of effort — and clout — to make things happen.

Daniel is good friends with Colonel Tribune. Really good friends.

Robert Quigley is the Internet editor for the Austin American-Statesman. Half his job is coordinating the paper’s social media efforts, and the other half is working with the newsroom to boost content to the Web.

Robert created and pushes the Statesman’s Twitter efforts and is a bit of an evangelist when it comes to social media.

Robert and Daniel will be co-authors for most of the entries. We’re not pretending to know everything about social media; in fact, we’re still feeling our way around the space, just like you.

At “Old Media, New Tricks,” you’ll get hands-on advice, not only from us, but from many in media who are trying to figure this all out. We’ll add our unique experiences and expertise to each post, and we’ll help you avoid the common pitfalls and teach you the keys to success.

It may be a depressing time, but the chance for innovation is exciting.

You can find us on Twitter at @mediatricks. If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, please message us there, or you can e-mail us at robert@oldmedianewtricks.com or daniel@oldmedianewtricks.com.

Thank you!

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Entry Filed under: General