Unjournalism

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Matthew Smith, a VP at News Broadcast Network Inc., a “broadcast public relations firm,” writes in today’s Bulldog Reporter “Barks and Bites” that he takes issue with the idea that “traditional media are no longer effective.” He says it’s all about using the right message that resonates with the audience, regardless of the medium.

I’m all for podcasts and blogs and the like, and I believe in addition to being cool, many of them are invaluable. At the same time, I agree with Smith: traditional media ain’t dead, nor will it be anytime soon.

Still, though, I must call bullshit on one point Smith makes in his article. He writes: “As of this writing, this month’s most watched video on Youtube.com has 2.7 million views. By way of contrast the average audience for all VNRs and b-roll in our current reporting cycle is 14 million impressions.” (See these links for explanations of VNRs and B-roll, if you’re not familiar.)

Interesting point, sure, but knowing the little bit that I do about how things like VNRs and B-roll work, I have to question how many of those reported 14 million “impressions” were actually realized? How many people actually watched the VNR/B-roll footage in question? I believe - and please correct me if I’m wrong - that this 14 million number is arrived at, at least in part, by adding up the audience numbers for news programs that carry the supplied footage. That math is dubious at best. Plus, how many of those people gave a damn?

In the case of YouTube’s 2.7 million, those views were, more likely than not, people actively seeking out or requesting that content. And they are a hell of a lot more likely to be actually watching that video, rather than just having the news on TV while they’re making dinner.

So for starters, Matt, you’re comparing apples and oranges. Actually, it’s more like “impressions” of content to, for lack of a better word, “requests” for content. And either way, this is getting away from your core point: that it’s the message, and ultimately the results, that matter. And you’re right on that.

Technorati Tags: Matthew Smith, News Broadcast Network, YouTube, traditional media, new media, message, medium

Tags: public relations //