Here are a couple of quick thoughts on the two keynotes – from John Paton and Josh Cohen – at Editor & Publisher’s Interactive Media Conference in Las Vegas this week that are generating some buzz in the online journalism world:
E&P: John Paton kicked off E&P’s Interactive Media Conference with a wake-up call
Mr. Paton was named Editor of the Year in 2009 by E&P, but it will most likely be his keynote at the conference that will generate a buzz for him around the Web. Paton, CEO of the Journal Register Company, had a direct message for the conference’s attendees: “Digital First, Print Second”. He talked in a frank manner about the “new news economy” and how publishing companies have largely failed to adapt but need to find ways to do so. He also detailed various measures his company has taken which have left “blood on the floor” but were necessary to cut legacy costs and allow the company to transform into a multi-platform entity. His group is also now a minority investor in Canada’s Canwest media company, so Mr. Paton will continue to be an important voice in journalism.
E&P: In Vegas, Google’s Cohen Details Experiments with Newspapers
I thought Mr. Cohen, Business Product Manager for Google News, was very measured yet direct in his comments: Journalism doesn’t need to be saved because it will survive, but it needs to be transformed. He also made it clear that it is the job of the industry, not Google, to figure out how to best reinvent itself. Yet Google’s efforts to partner with news media organizations show it understands the value of the industry’s contributions to its business model. He also pointed out how Google itself has to continually fight off challenges in its industry as the leader, much like publishers are now facing. Google stays on top by constantly innovating and improving. The publishing industry will need to do the same; its very survival depends on it.
