Respected newspaper columnist Leonard Pitts Jr. recently had an epiphany about his business and the Internet. In a revealing column, he essentially threw in the towel over the issue of saving the newspaper industry, and said "We must blow it up instead." If that sounds a bit like Jason Calacanis' take on radio at our Summit two years ago ("Surrender"), keep reading.
Pitts, who has not been a major fan of the Internet, now concedes that digital is the only way out for newspapers. Consider these quotes, not just in terms of newspapers, but all traditional media that are now struggling for answers:
"We still tend to regard our Websites as ancillary to our primary mission of producing newspapers. But I submit that our primary mission is to report and comment on the news, and that it is the newspaper itself that has become ancillary.
So maybe we should regard the Internet not as an extra thing we do, but as the core thing we do. Maybe we should maximize the fact that we know our cities as no one else does. Maybe we should make our Websites not simply online re-creations of our papers, but entities in their own right, destination portals for those who want news and views from and about a given city, but also for those who want to find a good doctor in that city, or apply for a job in that city or reach the leaders of that city or research the history of that city."
The only difference between his industry and ours is that they are a bit further down the same road.
What's the digital strategy?
Jacobs Media has consistently walked the walk in the digital space, providing insights and guidance through its well-read national Techsurveys.
In 2008, jacapps was launched - a mobile apps company that has designed and built more than 1,300 apps for both the Apple and Android platforms. In 2013, the DASH Conference was created - a mashup of radio and automotive, designed to foster better understanding of the "connected car" and its impact.
Along with providing the creative and intellectual direction for the company, Fred consults many of Jacobs Media's commercial and public radio clients, in addition to media brands looking to thrive in the rapidly changing tech environment.
Fred was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 2018.
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