Month: October 2012

Improve Vocabulary on Dictionary Day

Pages of dictionary

On Dictionary Day, why not look up a few new words?

Anathema, legerdemain and sanguine are words I randomly selected from the dictionary. Do you know what they mean?

If not, Tuesday is the perfect day to look them up because it’s Dictionary Day. The day honors Noah Webster, who is considered the Father of the American Dictionary. He was born on Oct. 16, 1758.

The day is intended to emphasize the importance of dictionary skills, and seeks to improve vocabulary.

Why not learn some new words today?

PS If you’re feeling lazy, here are the definitions of the words, all of which appear on the SAT:

Anathema: (n.) a cursed, detested person (I never want to see that murderer. He is an anathema to me.)

Legerdemain: (n.) deception, slight-of-hand (Smuggling the French plants through customs by claiming that they were fake was a remarkable bit of legerdemain.)

Sanguine: (adj.) optimistic, cheery (Polly reacted to any bad news with a sanguine smile and the chirpy cry, “When life hands you lemons, make lemonade!”)

Newspapers Aren’t Dead; New Era Beckons

My communications career began as a newspaper reporter so I will always have a great fondness for newspapers. I still receive mine each morning tossed in my.

Christofferson and Haddad

Brooke Christofferson and Richard Haddad discuss a new era for newspapers with NFPW. (Photo by Cynthia Price)

I’ve watched with sadness as reporters are laid off and newspapers fold. For years, it has been doom and gloom. During the NFPW 2012 Conference in Scottsdale, Ariz., I heard a different story – one that promises a new era for newspapers.

The focus is on community. “Gannett is producing content in local markets, embracing and being part of the community fabric,” said Brooke Christofferson, vice president of marketing and business development, Republic Media and Gannett West Group marketing director.

She noted that for years subscriptions only paid for the delivery cost. Today, newspapers are offering full access subscriptions that include the print newspaper and digital, which includes mobiles, tablet and desktop.

Christofferson said Gannett is investing in content and “how we tell our story.”

For now, individuals can go to Gannett newspaper website and view a limited number of pages. “Once they reach a certain point we want to have shown them the value of the content,” Christofferson said. “We want them to subscribe.”

She added, “The print product has an important place in society but to be viable we have to rethink our business model.”

Newspapers are valuable, echoed Richard Haddad, digital director of Western News & Information, because they remain the most trusted of the media. “Part of being trusted is being there,” he said.

“The news media needs to recognize the quality of what we do is worth paying for,” Haddad said. “It’s about credibility. It’s about reliability. It’s about trust.”

He is opposed to even offering free paragraphs to view online. He urged the use of compelling headlines to lure in readers. “We need to market our value and market our content better,” he said. “Your headlines are a promise to come in and deliver.”

Both stressed that content is king. And while I was encouraged about the future of newspapers, I am still waiting to hear when media companies are going to invest in the reporters.

Rolodex Missed as Office Tool

The other day I needed to find someone’s email address. The problem was that I couldn’t remember the person’s name. I could remember meeting her. I could remember exchanging business cards. I could even remember the unique colors of the card.

In the old days, I would simply have twirled my circular Rolodex until I found the uniquely colored business card because I always stapled business cards to the blank cards in the Rolodex. I would then see the person’s name and contact details.

Today, as soon as I receive a business card I enter it into my online contact list. I also add the person to my LinkedIn connections. Sometimes, if I recall the company name, I can search easily for the person. But when I don’t remember the company or the person’s name, I’m forced to scroll slowly through hundreds of contacts.

LinkedIn had a great infographic about five office trends and technologies that are disappearing. One of them was the Rolodex. For the most part, I won’t miss any of the items listed except when I can’t remember the name. Then, I miss the “good ol’ days.”

Want to Get Your Story Read? Write a Good Headline

“How many of you have written a really good story only to have an editor throw a headline on it that has no point?” It’s a question that Richard Haddad, digital director of Western News & Information, asked participants in his workshop at the 2012 NFPW Conference.

Without a good headline, your article is not likely to be read. Haddad noted that 8 out of 10 people will read a headline, but only 2 out of 10 will go on to read the content. Making that headline compelling is the key to having content read.

In Sunday’s blog, I shared Haddad’s five tips for writing great headlines. Today, I’ll share two additional approaches to headline writing.

Haddad says that when writing headlines, there are six questions we should ask about each headline.

  1. Does your headline offer the reader a promise?
  2. What specifics can you add for more intrigue?
  3. Does it trigger a strong actional emotion?
  4. Can it present a proposition that instantly engages the reader?
  5. Can you include a proposed transaction?
  6. What element of intrigue would drive the prospect into your opening copy?

If the answer is “no” to all of these, it’s best to rewrite the headline.

He also suggests using the “U Approach.” Is the headline useful to the reader? Does it provide a sense of urgency? Does the headline convey the benefit as unique? And finally, is the headline ultra specific? This refers back to avoiding the seven deadly flag words, which add no meaning to the headline.

Since the workshop, I spend considerably longer on my headlines. I usually start with the headline before I write my copy. It’s been a challenge, but the result is that, for the most part, my headlines are stronger.