5 Ways to Fix America's Nightly Network "News"

Network news - news programs shown on the original Big Three networks and other, newer, upstarts - is broken. Below are five examples, and what I believe they need to do to fix their news programs to better serve the American people:

More International Focus - A "world news" program that focuses solely on domestic news is not worthy of the name. And international celebrities getting into trouble or the latest plane crash overseas doesn't count as "news." Americans who are insular and insulated from the news of the world are suddenly surprised by trends both friendly and ferocious when they hit without warning. When that happens, that's a failure of the "world news" programs we watch. Network newscasts must rededicate themselves to covering the entire world.

More International Politics - Political trends are also vital to our full and complete awareness as voters and as citizens. It may not, at first glance, seem important that a new anti-American party is rising in the polls in a nation traditionally friendly to the USA, or that a certain governor was elected in a prefecture in Japan. But if that nation  turns hostile, or if that governor is more hostile to Americans remaining in a military base there than his predecessor, then that indeed is a problem that will have regional and international repercussions. Network newscasts should commit to covering international politics, because it's relevant.

The Weather Is NOT "news" - It's snowy in the winter in the Northern half of the United States. It's a fact. It's not, however, news. It's exciting to show cars skidding off the road, rivers frozen and, in other climes, wet summers, minor hurricanes and tornadoes. But aside from an in-depth analyses of how slowly the aid got there after the storm, or how we are adapting to changing weather patterns, it's not "news." Network newscasts should stop wasting time covering routine and expected weather, and blowing storms out of all proportion.

Less "Special Kid Plays On the Team" Stories - I love the stories in which a young person - who is disabled in some way or is a terminal patient - gets to play on their favorite professional sports team or on their high school team, especially when they actually score for the team! These stories (and there are many of them) are inspirational, interesting, heart-warming, and emotional. Note that none of those words are "news," and are not newsWORTHY. They should exist in a separate show, which I'm sure would get great ratings, but they should not be taking up time in the nightly newscast, crowding out actual news. Network newscasts should leave the "feel good" stories to other shows on the network.

Fewer YouTube Videos - What's truly shocking about today's American nightly "newscast" is the inclusion of actual YouTube videos. ABC News includes these (and the aforementioned "kids play on teams" videos) in its "Index" segment near the end of the program. It literally shows YouTube videos of animals doing funny things, near-miss car accidents and other hilarity, which we can see with better justification on shows like "America's Funniest Videos" or its cable show equivalents. The YouTubization (tm) of Network news must end. 

"If it bleeds, it leads" was the old saying about the nightly news and the local paper. National Network newscasts shouldn't fear though. There is plenty of blood in the political turmoil around the world to quench their viewers' hearts. Demonstrations, corruption, trade deals, hard-fought elections, coups and uprisings, and much of it with consequences for American voters and consumers.

That's one of the reasons why I founded "World Politics News," a news aggregation service that points American readers to the news they're missing on the nightly network newscasts.

American news organizations owe it to us to bring us the world, and to show us accurately and fairly what's happening THERE before it happens HERE. And if they begin to do this again, the nightly "World News" programs will once again be true to their names.

Stephen Abbott
Abbott Media Group
www.abbottmediagroup.com

Abbott Media Launches World Politics News MicroBlog

News Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Thursday, January 26, 2012

Contact: Stephen Abbott 603.341.0372; stephen(at)abbott-media.net

Abbott Media Launches World Politics News MicroBlog

Abbott Media, a New England-based company that innovates and inspires micro-businesses that serve others, has launched World Politics News (worldpoliticsnews.blogspot.com) a MicroBlog dedicated to expanding our knowledge of politics around the world.

Each day, World Politics News seeks out links to news stories that inform readers of the vital political and cultural stories that are shaping the world, but are under-reported (and sometimes completely ignored) by American media companies.

The site not only links to stories, in the format pioneered by Matt Drudge, but will feature short MicroStories^TM of up to 250 words or less that encapsulate vital world events and bring them to readers in a smart, efficient and easily understandable way.

Abbott Media founder Stephen Abbott, a former newspaper reporter and public relations consultant, will serve at the project’s administrator and chief editor. He says the project will fill important gaps in American news coverage.

“News media in the United States are dropping the ball by not delivering world news effectively and in a way that informs us about the political currents shaping our world,” he said. “These currents could, as they reach our shores, turn into tidal waves or Tsunamis that effect our quality of life. To be ill-informed about politics in Asia, Europe, Latin America or Africa is to be blind to what’s going to happen to us in the next decade, or even next week.”

Abbott says the project will seek out guest reporters and will accept advertising, grants and donations to fund a full-time staffing operation.

Abbott Media innovates and inspires micro-businesses that serve others in a positive way. Abbott Media is located online at www.abbott-media.net.

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Abbott Media: Four "A's" of Being a Great Micropreneur

Entrepreneurship is the way our economy grows, and becoming a "micropreneur" and running a small, one- or two-person business is the way many companies begin.

But how do you know that you are you cut out for a certain business? Before you launch your micro-business, you need to consider many factors. Among them are these five key factors that can help determine whether you can effectively do the job you’re considering:

Aptitude - Are you suited to this job? Do you have what it takes? This is no small matter. If you aren’t a good “fit” for a job, you’ll regret it, probably right away - hopefully. It would be a shame to discover, months or years into a job that you simply aren’t “cut out” for a job. Questions to ask yourself: Do I have the right skills for this job? If not, can I develop them? What are my best skills? Do they match THIS particular job?

Attitude - Are you willing to put your all into the job? Will you feel great about going to work (even if “going” to work means going to a spare bedroom)? If you can’t approach the job with a good attitude, you shouldn’t be doing it. Questions to ask yourself include: Do I feel good about doing this kind of work? Is this a “dream” job? Do I think it can it become a huge success, over time? Can I get up every morning “psyched” about this job?

Ambition - Do you want to achieve something great with this job? That’s an important, but often overlooked, question that few ask when considering a job or a new career. Ambition means more than wanting to dominate your field and be the pre-eminent practitioner of your career - but wanting to do that is a start! Ask yourself: Can I become the best in this field? Will I be able to earn the respect of my peers in this field?

Action Plan - Once you know what kind of business you’re going to pursue, having a plan is really the first step along the journey to success. If you start out without at least a basic roadmap, how will you know where you’re going? What goals can you reach without a plan? The likely answer to that question is “none.” If you fail to plan, you’re planning to fail. Even a short, one-page “mini” business plan, outlining factors such as your mission statement, your plans for financing, a marketing strategy and short-term goals can help you from veering off-course. Ask yourself: What do I want to be earning in six months, a year, and two years? Who are my customers going to be? How much will I charge for my products and services?

The eBook "37 Instant Businesses" by Abbott ePublishing describes 37 businesses with a great deal of information on each, including: how to set them up, basic target markets, legal and other pitfalls to avoid, estimated income, level of difficulty in setting up each business and other strategies for success. Check out http://sn.im/37inbiz for details. Abbott ePublishing is online at http://www.abbottepub.com.

At Abbott Media, we empower microbusinesses and encourage the micropreneurs who run them to embrace innovation with both new and old media to inform, inspire and serve. Find out more online at http://www.abbott-media.net

A Broadview of Banal Branding

On July 10, 1985, “Classic Coke” was introduced to much fanfare after a colossal failure of “New Coke” that Spring, after a huge public outcry.

One has to wonder whether the roll-out of the new name for Brink’s Home Security will be reversed in a few months, too, after much public confusion.

“We are now Broadview Security, the next generation of Brink’s Home Security.”

That’s the confusing message that welcomes people to the new Broadviewsecurity.com Website.

Boring, bland, banal, colorless, under-whelming, and a stupid pissing away of 150 years of brand equity.

This new name, announced by company officials June 30, 2009 and foisted onto the world by Ketchum, conveys nothing, other than perhaps weakness, blandness and dullness. Shame on the branding experts at Landor Associates, an otherwise top-tier branding agency, who were engaged to come up with this yawn-inducing substitute. Folks, you’ve got it wrong this time.

I feel very sorry for the Brink’s Home Security employees. They must be devastated.

I know a bad public relations move when I see one, and this could be a big one.

Ad Age Magazine’s June 30 issue quotes a real branding expert, Denise Lee Yohn, as saying, "Trying to transfer that trust from Brink's to a different name is particularly challenging [in a

bad economy.] People are looking for proven suppliers with reputable names."

No kidding. And not only is the name gone, the traditional Brink’s Badge logo will be replaced by a logo with two odd “boomerang-like” swoops that suggest an Internet ISP and seem lifted directly from credit card giant Citi, only rendered in light blue (a weak color.)

In-yard signage and window decals will look something like a white fingernail, or a real estate sign. Will would-be burglars fear a white fingernail-shaped real estate sign in the yard?

The Broadview Website explains that the company spun off from The Brink’s Company last October, and is now a separately traded company. They also reveal that The Brink's Company granted them a license to use the Brink's Home Security brand for up to three years after the spin-off.

So why not keep it until the last possible moment? Why not transition? Why not keep elements of the Brinks name, as some of the “Baby Bells” did after the Bell System broke up in 1984 (Bell Atlantic and BelSouth, to name two.)

Just because change must happen, that doesn’t mean you pick a crap name to replace a time-honored one. That means you try to continue a legacy that has served them for 150 years.

As part of my work with clients who engage me on retainer as a public relations consultant, I always undertake an audit of all materials - Website, printed matter, signage, the works - to ensure that branding is clear and consistent, and that it makes sense.

Most of the time, being vague is a business killer.

Something like “John Doe Enterprises” is a worthless name, because it tells customers exactly nothing about what John does. “Well, I’m trying to be all things to all people,” I’ve heard. Well, that’s not good enough. If you’re doing EVERYTHING, you’re doing few things well. And it’s not about you, it’s about perceptions about you by your past, present and future customers.

In 2006, Stephen Abbott Communications became Abbott Public Relations, in part because the old name sounded like it was a phone company, and PR was my major focus. In 2008, I launched Abbott Media, a company that writes and sells electronic books, explores New Media, news reporting and other writing ventures, because these had nothing to do with PR. That, I believe, is smart branding. [In 2015, Abbott Media and Abbott PR became Abbott Media Group.]

The Broadview Website claims the new name “represents our legacy, our future and our unchanged commitment to "Creating Customers for Life."

Legacy? Seriously? Broadview as a name is the OPPOSITE of building a legacy. But this is marketing-speak, not real English, meant to be understood.

I have no doubt the people at Landor are sincere, and smart. The work on their Website (which, tellingly perhaps, fails to mention Broadview) affirms they are an astoundingly capable firm. And granted, branding is not easy or an exact science. But like many re-brands, this one seems to have clearly come up desperately short in the common sense department.

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Six Possibly Better Names for Brink’s Home Security, off the Top of My Head:

• “ShieldHearth Security” - It even has a warm feeling when you say it, and you know immediately that it shields your home and hearth.
• “HomeSecure” - Again, blazingly obvious and quick to grasp what these folks do. (Although if the company seeks to reach into business security more, this may not be the best option.)
• “SecuriGuard” - Security and Guard. Simple. Direct. Too difficult to screw up.
• “Solidus Security” - From the Latin for solid. In English, it conjures up the same thing. SolidiShield would also help us envision solidity.
• “AmeriBrinks Security” - This one is admittedly tongue-in-cheek, but why didn’t they fight for the name?

TWEET THIS

Short link to this post: http://bit.ly/1McD2xY

Media Release: Launch of Abbott Resume Service

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Info Sheet:
The Launch of Abbott Resume Service
Tuesday, May 6, 2008

Contact: Stephen Abbott, owner, also president of Abbott Media. 603-785-7796; abbottmedia@comcast.net

The Story? The recently launched Abbott Resume Service offers the "21st Century Resume", a bold, two-column resume format with introductory boxes that set off topics to gain added attention - but in a dignified and professional manner. Prices start at $60. That undercuts other resume preparation services, which can charge up to $500 for an ordinary resume. The service will also prepare the standard, 20th Century format resume.

Why is this Newsworthy?: As the economy softens, more and more people are out of work. Job search stories are relevant, timely and important. Stories about resumes and job searches in general are important to your readers. This resume service offers a unique, two-column resume that isn’t offered by any other resume service.

Quotes:
"The launch of an innovative resume service was timed just right for the job market. The economy is in a bad place right now and there is a great need for affordable, effective resumes to help job-seekers. A bold resume that’s also complete and factual will be more likely to get results for those seeking fast re-employment or a second job." - Stephen Abbott, owner, Abbott Resume Service

Online:
www.21res.com and www.21stcenturyresume.com
www.abbott-media.net

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APR/Abbott Media Launches Resume Service

News Release
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Contact: Stephen Abbott 603.785.7796; abbottmedia@comcast.net

Abbott Media Launches Resume Service

Abbott Media, a Manchester, New Hampshire-based company dedicated to writing, reporting, and media, has launched the Abbott Resume Service.

The service offers innovative, 21st Century Resumes at affordable prices, according to owner Stephen Abbott.

The Abbott Resume Service’s 21st Century Resume differs from the 20th Century version, in part, by the use of a two column format and bold, shaded headers separating sections within the resume.

Abbott said the launch of an innovative resume service was timed just right for the job market.

"The economy is in a bad place right now and there is a great need for affordable, effective resumes to help job-seekers," he said. "A bold resume that’s also complete and factual will be more likely to get results for those seeking fast re-employment or a second job."

Prices start at just $60 for a 21st Century Resume. Many resume services charge many times that amount for an ordinary resume, said Abbott.

The Abbott Resume Service is located online at www.21stcenturyresume.com or www.21res.com.

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Day One for Abbott-Media.net

This is Day One.

This is the first official day of Abbott Media, a company designed to bring news and information to its intended audiences in creative, innovative ways that fully engage the consumer.

Abbott Media is about innovation, information, and inspiration.

Like other microbusinesses, Abbott Media seeks to embrace new ways of doing business, so we can survive and thrive in the new information marketplace of ideas.

Abbott Media seeks to bring news and information to its intended audiences in creative, innovative ways that fully engage the consumer.

Abbott Media seeks to inspire other micropreneurs - It is about empowering microbusinesses and the micropreneurs who run them to embrace innovation in both the new and old media.
We will grow our business by helping other microbusinesses - we seek to inspire and engage our customers, so they, and we, will be able to more quickly grow their businesses from their home office to a downtown office.

Micropreneurs need and deserve support. Abbott Media brings that support, and will bring together other micropreneurs to share their travails and successes.

As we look back boldly on this journey we're embarking on today and say, "we've been there," we will be willing to show others the way there, too.

Let’s go there together.

This is Day One.

Stephen Abbott http://www.abbott-media.net
March 17, 2008