Even in the age of social media, The New York Times boasted a few years back that they receive hundreds of letters a day, spread across the gamut of society, all addressed to the same person: “To the Editor.” Newspapers have been publishing letters to the editors for nearly 300 years, allowing readers a safe space to vent and opine about the news of the day. more

Objection handling is a skill that every media salesperson must master. Amidst selling during this global pandemic, objection handling has taken a little bit of a different twist. Having worked with almost 30,000 salespeople around the globe, I would say that objection handling is a skill that most salespeople think they have mastered, but most fail when they are put on the spot. more

This is a situation best handled on a case-by-case basis by the editors of the newsroom. They are in the best position to know the importance and relation of a crime story to their community. Crime stories about minors, minor crimes and victimless crimes such as drug possession are cases where it may be appropriate to unpublish or modify the articles to conceal the identity of the defendant. more

As we reach the one-year mark of when the coronavirus was declared a national emergency, we’ve also arrived at the point where some of us are recalling some very painful memories. more

Donald Trump is no longer the president, and gone with him are some of the journalistic headaches that came with the most powerful man on Earth freely lying as easily and often as he blinked. Unfortunately, a majority of Republicans in Congress often went along with Trump’s lies, even going so far as to vote to throw out legitimate election results in two states... more

If you’re a fan of “The Office,” then you’re familiar with the actor John Krasinski who played Jim Halpert on the show for nine seasons. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in March last year, Krasinski launched a popular YouTube series called “Some Good News..." more

Recently, I was reminiscing about a question I heard years ago at an industry event by a media executive who was inquiring about how one would purchase a small or mid-sized newspaper. Media analyst and speaker Jim Chisholm said without hesitation, “Just buy a large metro newspaper and wait a few years.” He probably didn’t understand just how prophetic he was at the time. more

What do the years 1990, 2001, 2007 and 2019 all have in common? They represent technical recessions in America when we had to reinvent our sales game and adjust for the circumstance. So, why does the era of selling amidst COVID feel so different?  more

No, I don’t believe identifying or asking readers to identify rioters was appropriate. However, my issue is almost entirely with the latter of the two. I consider myself a centrist, but regardless of political orientation, I’m viewing this question from the standpoint of the purpose of the media in general. more

I recently had lunch with a friend of mine who’s an architect, and in our conversation about our lives, he told me that before he shows a client a first draft of his work, he gives them a disclaimer: “This is not the house you need. It’s the house you thought you wanted.” more

The former president of the United States called us “fake news” and the “enemy of the people.” Talk radio hosts falsely parrot claims of “liberal media bias.” Right-wing media figures have flooded the public square with misinformation on everything from the outcome of the election to the effectiveness of wearing a face mask. more

Congratulations. You’ve started your year and the 2021 budget is officially in full swing. Bet it’s going just how you planned it, right? You put time and research into crafting your budget, you make educated assumptions, and you put in the work to get ready for the new year. more

As I work with media companies and their communities, there is a term I like to use called “Economic Gardening.” In the community transformation and revitalization world, this simply means to work at nurturing and cultivating your current communitywide assets in lieu of buying new assets. more

Be careful what you wish for. As I write this column, former President Donald Trump has been indefinitely banned from Twitter, Facebook, Snapchat, Reddit and Pinterest. “Finally!” many people probably thought when they heard the news. Sadly, all it took was a riot at the Capitol building led by his supporters... more

Selling advertising in a post-COVID world is going to be daunting and challenging for most salespeople. Teams that are willing to make changes will see some level of success, but those that are not willing to make any changes could be left behind. One of the most constant themes I have seen during my 30 years in media is the constant effort of media salespeople to try and redefine insanity. more

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette journalist Alexis Johnson was barred from protest coverage after joking about a Kenny Chesney concert on Twitter. She tweeted: “Horrifying scenes and aftermath from selfish LOOTERS who don’t care about this city!!!!! .... oh wait sorry. No, these are pictures from a Kenny Chesney concert tailgate. Whoops.” more

For four years, every word uttered, action taken, and tweet sent by Donald Trump dictated the day’s media coverage. I hope that changes, though I am unsure whether journalists will have much of a choice; once a reality star president, always a reality star president. more

Collaboration is a buzzword that we hear a lot. To some extent, we all know why it’s important: More eyes on a project can lead to more ideas, better troubleshooting, etc. And while collaboration is all well and good, it’s important to consider the real, operational costs of bringing everyone together. more

A new year typically means a blank slate. But to me, 2021 is like a dry erase board that has been used one too many times. No matter how hard you scrub with your eraser, the faded images and text still linger, even when you write over it. Yes, we have a new president heading into office and a vaccine for COVID-19 is here, but the lasting effects of 2020 will remain for quite some time. So, how can we solider on? more

In a recent conversation I had with a news media company and its audience director and publisher, they were excited and proud they had been able to increase their audience pricing in both print and online successfully. Additionally, they had been able to implement these increases while reducing their print footprint and maintaining their digital footprint with little damage. more