Atlanta Online
Welcome to Mitch's PR and Media Spotlight podcast ... where we talk a little about public relations and a little about Atlanta media twice a month.
This month we're going to talk about online media outlets here in Atlanta.
This year marks the 403rd anniversary of the world's first newspaper, published in Strassburg in 1605. For about 390 years, the basic concept of the newspaper remained: words on paper. The first newspaper went online actually in 1980, the Columbus Dispatch in partnership with the old CompuServe. But there wasn't much advance movement for many years.
In the 80s, CompuServe and then Prodigy were offering some news content online, but it was minimal, the download speeds were ridiculously slow and their graphics were ... let's just say "not great."
Then in the 1990s the Internet emerged as a general consumer tool and changed everything. Newspapers and magazines began placing some of their print content online. The first generation of online newspapers was simply the papers posting their print content verbatim online.
The second generation of online newspapers added original content in addition to what was in the print edition. In the last few years, we've seen blogs added to newspaper sites, audio podcasts, and as download speeds have increased, even streaming video.
Our own Business to Business magazine is a great example. The magazine existed for a decade as a print product. The web site was really just a place to find a few contacts and maybe some advertising information. A year or so back that changed dramatically. The web site morphed into a real companion to the print magazine. Not simply offering the same print stories that are in the magazine, the site provides additional content daily, allowing the editors to keep up with breaking news. There's also a video streaming feature, plus of course these fabulous blogs on topics, including PR and media, legal, technology, financial strategies, and executive coaching.
But in addition to media moving from print to the Internet, we've seen the birth of online only media outlets at the national level, like Salon.com and The Drudge Report. We've also seen the same thing at the local level here in Atlanta, with sites like www.hometowndekalb.com and www.decaturelife.net.
But one interesting thing we've seen is publications and services that have made the leap from print to solely online. I'm remembering two companies that started as fax products and moved online.
The first is what used to be the What's Up Fax Service. Richard Warner started the company almost 20 years ago. PR folks would send him information on press conferences, events, and issues, and he'd fax it out every morning to local media. The service for many years was THE way to get information to local media.
In 2005, Warner realized that the era of the fax as the best way to reach newsrooms had ended he migrated the concept to the Internet. The Daybook Network and Atlanta Daybook was born and now PR folks can deliver information to media online at www.atlantadaybook.com.
In 1993, Phil Bolton launched GlobalAtlanta, a fax newsletter focusing on international business in Atlanta. As with What's Up, Bolton moved GlobalAtlanta online and added video streaming features to his offering. You can learn more about GlobalAtlanta on the bonus interview with Bolton at the end of this podcast.
In the last two years, we've started seeing very localized online media sites emerge. There's a whole series of local sites owned by HometownTimes.com. Hometowndekalb.com, HometownCobb.com, you get the picture. There are about 10 sites around metro Atlanta.
Other great local examples include AccessAtlanta.com, the online version of the AJC's print version of the same name, AroundtheRings.com, an Olympic-focused web site created by Ed Hula, Atlanta's only full time Olympic reporter. Around the Rings is another that started as a fax and print product. GwinnettForum.com is another good one, thestoryatlanta.com, which used to be The Story newspaper, AtlantaBuzz.com, DailyCandy.com, and Decatur E-Life, elifemagazine.com. I'm sure I'm forgetting someone, so call me on it if I've forgotten something and I'll include it next time.
The latest buzzword online is what's called "Social Networking." The idea is that we're moving away from web sites where you simply read, listen or watch to get information. The new sites – like Facebook, Myspace, and YouTube -- are interactive. There's movement of information back and forth between users. I think a key aspect is the localization and personalization element.
There's that old expression, "All news is local." Many news sites have taken this to hear and created either specific sites – like the Hometown Cobb concept – where you choose a site based on its local news focus Sites like Kudzu.com and Angie's List offer the ability to find local business and services in your area, linked to reviews and comments from neighbors who've used those services. It's the newest version of "word of mouth."
If you'd like to learn more about online media in Atlanta, subscribe to my Leff's Atlanta Media web site. You'll get the most up to date database of Atlanta media contacts, plus templates for commonly used press materials. You can sign up online at www.leffsatlantamedia.com.
See you in two weeks for the next edition of Mitch's PR and Media podcast.
Welcome to Mitch's PR and Media Spotlight podcast ... where we talk a little about public relations and a little about Atlanta media twice a month.
This month we're going to talk about online media outlets here in Atlanta.
This year marks the 403rd anniversary of the world's first newspaper, published in Strassburg in 1605. For about 390 years, the basic concept of the newspaper remained: words on paper. The first newspaper went online actually in 1980, the Columbus Dispatch in partnership with the old CompuServe. But there wasn't much advance movement for many years.
In the 80s, CompuServe and then Prodigy were offering some news content online, but it was minimal, the download speeds were ridiculously slow and their graphics were ... let's just say "not great."
Then in the 1990s the Internet emerged as a general consumer tool and changed everything. Newspapers and magazines began placing some of their print content online. The first generation of online newspapers was simply the papers posting their print content verbatim online.
The second generation of online newspapers added original content in addition to what was in the print edition. In the last few years, we've seen blogs added to newspaper sites, audio podcasts, and as download speeds have increased, even streaming video.
Our own Business to Business magazine is a great example. The magazine existed for a decade as a print product. The web site was really just a place to find a few contacts and maybe some advertising information. A year or so back that changed dramatically. The web site morphed into a real companion to the print magazine. Not simply offering the same print stories that are in the magazine, the site provides additional content daily, allowing the editors to keep up with breaking news. There's also a video streaming feature, plus of course these fabulous blogs on topics, including PR and media, legal, technology, financial strategies, and executive coaching.
But in addition to media moving from print to the Internet, we've seen the birth of online only media outlets at the national level, like Salon.com and The Drudge Report. We've also seen the same thing at the local level here in Atlanta, with sites like www.hometowndekalb.com and www.decaturelife.net.
But one interesting thing we've seen is publications and services that have made the leap from print to solely online. I'm remembering two companies that started as fax products and moved online.
The first is what used to be the What's Up Fax Service. Richard Warner started the company almost 20 years ago. PR folks would send him information on press conferences, events, and issues, and he'd fax it out every morning to local media. The service for many years was THE way to get information to local media.
In 2005, Warner realized that the era of the fax as the best way to reach newsrooms had ended he migrated the concept to the Internet. The Daybook Network and Atlanta Daybook was born and now PR folks can deliver information to media online at www.atlantadaybook.com.
In 1993, Phil Bolton launched GlobalAtlanta, a fax newsletter focusing on international business in Atlanta. As with What's Up, Bolton moved GlobalAtlanta online and added video streaming features to his offering. You can learn more about GlobalAtlanta on the bonus interview with Bolton at the end of this podcast.
In the last two years, we've started seeing very localized online media sites emerge. There's a whole series of local sites owned by HometownTimes.com. Hometowndekalb.com, HometownCobb.com, you get the picture. There are about 10 sites around metro Atlanta.
Other great local examples include AccessAtlanta.com, the online version of the AJC's print version of the same name, AroundtheRings.com, an Olympic-focused web site created by Ed Hula, Atlanta's only full time Olympic reporter. Around the Rings is another that started as a fax and print product. GwinnettForum.com is another good one, thestoryatlanta.com, which used to be The Story newspaper, AtlantaBuzz.com, DailyCandy.com, and Decatur E-Life, elifemagazine.com. I'm sure I'm forgetting someone, so call me on it if I've forgotten something and I'll include it next time.
The latest buzzword online is what's called "Social Networking." The idea is that we're moving away from web sites where you simply read, listen or watch to get information. The new sites – like Facebook, Myspace, and YouTube -- are interactive. There's movement of information back and forth between users. I think a key aspect is the localization and personalization element.
There's that old expression, "All news is local." Many news sites have taken this to hear and created either specific sites – like the Hometown Cobb concept – where you choose a site based on its local news focus Sites like Kudzu.com and Angie's List offer the ability to find local business and services in your area, linked to reviews and comments from neighbors who've used those services. It's the newest version of "word of mouth."
If you'd like to learn more about online media in Atlanta, subscribe to my Leff's Atlanta Media web site. You'll get the most up to date database of Atlanta media contacts, plus templates for commonly used press materials. You can sign up online at www.leffsatlantamedia.com.
See you in two weeks for the next edition of Mitch's PR and Media podcast.
