Traditional media need some lessons in PR
Can’t we all just get along? As I read about AP’s actions over the last week I can’t help but think they need some good PR advice. After their attempt to force the popular news blog Drudge Retort to remove items containing quotes from AP articles, they have now retreated, saying they want to "set guidelines" for bloggers. You can read a story on this in the New York Times and the blogosphere is all abuzz about the issue.
I’m not going to argue the issue of U.S. copyright law and the exemption of fair use. The principle of fair use should allow bloggers the right to use portions of copyrighted material for commentary/criticism. But I do argue that when a news service starts charging $12.50 to publish 5 words from their stories, they have really lost the point. As a news agency made up of newspapers, television and radio stations, all struggling to remain relevant in a web dominated world, you would think AP would realize that having bloggers quote their stories or link to them is the biggest free marketing and PR tool they have at their disposal.
When bloggers quote AP articles or in fact any content from traditional media outlets, they are spreading the word to a network of contacts that spreads far. AP and its member outlets should be looking for ways to connect with bloggers, to comment and to converse with them about breaking news stories. This will allow their stories to be carried even further and reinforces brands that are diminishing in validity.
Don’t set guidelines arbitrarily, AP – talk to bloggers as real people and discuss how to work in harmony. You’ll reap the benefits from the process and maybe – for now – you can save yourself from irrelevance.
June 22nd, 2008 at 7:45 pm
Trying to set rules and laws for new mediums is fun!…especially when the medium is not fully understood yet. I can understand where the AP is coming from, because they have to make sure they are getting money that should be coming to them. Traditional news outlets have to pay a fee in order to access and use their content. Makes sense, because those outlets are utilizing AP content in lieu of spending money on their own coverage. If a blog is doing that same exact thing, they should have to pay for it also. However, if a blog is copying and pasting content with the intention of using it as background for commentary, or including a link to an AP article that lives somewhere else on the web as part of an aggregated list of stories, that’s a different thing.
Even further, a commentary blog that generates profit should be treated differently than one that doesn’t. It would be a shame if the AP imposed fees on blogs that are casually written by everyday people. However, it seems fair that blogs that make a profit should be charged for usage. If the AP puts enough open-minded manpower into this, they could definitely figure out a workable solution. Unfortunately, we live in a grand era of misinformation caused by soundbites and excerpts that are taken out of context. It’s better for the public to see an entire article rather than just a snipit, and the last people we want to discourage from publishing context are commentary bloggers who aren’t required to be held accountable for anything they say.
June 27th, 2008 at 5:40 pm
Danielle, You are dead on. I don’t contest that there are legal principles that are beyond my realm of knowledge, but this situation just smacks of traditional media not understanding the world they are operating in.
Social media is all about sharing and, like you said, quoting an AP article adds credibility to the AP. Bloggers go to painful lengths to make sure they attribute their sources in most cases.
The AP can take their ball and go home, but to stay relevant they are going to need to learn how to play nice with bloggers.