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Survey Shows Readers Won't Pay for Online News

2010-03-16T22:14:00Z

By Gina Cuclis

If I worked at the San Francisco Chronicle or the Santa Rosa Press Democrat I would be very concerned about the results of a survey conducted in January by the PEW Research Center's Project for Excellence in Journalism and its Internet & American Life Project.

Four in Five Don't Want to Pay

Pew's annual State of the News Media report released this week indicates newspapers' economic future will continue to be bleak. There is still no identified effective method for monetizing the growing online news audience. As stated in the report's overview, "... even among the most avid news consumers online, only about one in five at this point say they would be willing to pay, and this does not include less voracious news consumers."

What I find interesting is how the Internet has changed readers' expectations. News from print newspapers, with the exception of local entertainment tabloids, was never free. I've discussed this issue in previous posts, and received a lot of comments when I asked Sonoma County residents, Would you pay to read the Press Democrat online?

What's Next for the North Bays' Dailies?

The regions' daily papers keep getting smaller, with fewer pages and fewer people on staff. Even though the Press Democrat publishes a print edition each day, it's not unusual to read reports about meetings or situations that occurred several days earlier. More than once, I've read about something in the PD that I'd already learned about days prior via social media.

PD Trumps Itself with Twitter

On March 11 there was a tweet and numerous reteets from a PD reporter announcing that the FPPC had exonerated the nonprofit environmental group Sonoma County Conservation Action. The full story wasn't on the PD's website until three days later, and wasn't in print until March 15. In an era when we can get the latest news from around the world online 24 hours a day, it's taking days for local news to get reported.

My point is, as more people continue to migrate to getting their news online, and they don't want to pay for it, how is the Press Democrat going to keep up? I would appreciate your thoughts. Comments welcomed.

Should Your Business Be on Facebook - Part 2

2010-03-03T22:48:00Z

By Gina Cuclis - also meet Gina on LinkedIn

This is republished from Cuclis PR's March 2010 PR Tip of the Month. It is the last in a two-part series to help you decide if your organization should have a Facebook page. Part one is also republished on this blog.

As its name implies, social media is about relationships and engagement. It's about two-way communication and interaction. When people become Facebook "fans" of your business, they are publicly expressing they like your company and are interested in what it's doing. Nurturing relationships with your fans helps build customer loyalty. It can bring you new customers, as Facebook makes it easy for your fans to tell their friends about your page.

Are You Willing to Interact?

Setting up a Facebook page that sits static for months at a time won't be effective. You'll lose momentum in acquiring fans. Your existing fans will forget about your page. Being engaged with fans means providing them reasons to return to your page. A static page can also send a negative message about your organization. You don't want to look like you don't have your act together. For a Facebook page to work for your business or nonprofit, there should be someone in your organization enthusiastic about administering and maintaining it.

What Can You Do for Your Fans?

Before you set-up your Facebook page, you should develop a strategy for what you will do with it. Plan how you will respond after someone becomes a fan. Decide how you will keep in touch with your fans. What will you do to keep them coming back? For example: Can you provide your fans special offers or discounts, or links to beneficial information? How about sponsoring a contest or special event just for your Facebook fans? I also suggest deciding how often you plan to post status updates. Make a commitment to a minimum number a week.

More Information

Fortunately, there's a wealth of information online to learn more about Facebook. I recommend the blog All Facebook. Search through its archives for tips and instructions. I also recommend browsing through the archives of the most popular social media blog Mashable.

Friend Gina Cuclis on Facebook.

Please share your experience or ideas about using Facebook in the comment section below.

New Ownership Keeps Sonoma Valley Sun Newspaper Alive

2010-02-20T00:09:00Z

By Gina Cuclis

The announcement Thursday that four employees of the Sonoma Valley Sun have purchased the paper from founder and former publisher Bill Hammet signals hope for the financially struggling tabloid. Previous posts on this blog have discussed changes at the Sun and questioned whether two newspaper can survive in Sonoma Valley. The other paper is the Sonoma Index Tribune, which has existed since the 1800s. The Sonoma Valley Sun is less than six years old.

New corporation formed

The Sun's former corporate owner, Three House MultiMedia, Inc., has been dissolved. Its assets -- the weekly printed paper and its website -- have been purchased by the newly formed Sonoma Valley Sun, Inc. Sonoma Valley Sun, Inc.'s four owners are: the Sun's design director Barney LaHaye, advertising manager Kelly Magner, and news reporters/editors Jody Purdom and Val Robichaud.

In an editorial, the new owners indicate they plan to make changes. They say: "We look forward to continuing to serve this community, infusing the enterprise with more relevance to the way Sonoma Valley residents have come to live."

What that means is unclear. No specifics are given. However, I look forward to seeing how the weekly evolves. Not long ago Purdom was an intern at the Sun. Robichaud has worked there less than a year.

Good luck

Often when a group of employees buys a struggling business, it's because no one else is interested and the owner is willing to sell on reasonable terms. This sale is a lifeline for the Sun. Whether the new owners can make enough money to give themselves paychecks will be interesting to see. I wish them good luck. Sonoma Valley is better served by having two papers.

Please share your opinion about this new arrangement. If you live in Sonoma Valley, do you read both community papers regularly?

5 Twitter Tips for Local Political Candidates

2010-02-18T02:26:00Z

By Gina Cuclis

As June elections approach, 2010 has become the year Sonoma County political candidates discover Twitter. In 2008, local candidates barely knew what Twitter was. Petaluma City Councilwoman, then council candidate, Tiffany Renee was an exception. Read about how she uses Twitter.

If you're a candidate, are thinking about being a candidate, or support and work on campaigns, here are five tips to help you use Twitter effectively.

1) Create a Twitter account only if you plan to actively use it:

Your 20-something year-old campaign coordinator may insist you be on Twitter, but do so only if it interests you. You must be willing to stay with it and follow through. Twitter profiles appear in Google searches. A profile that lingers showing no tweets for weeks can create negative perceptions about you in the minds of voters who are active Twitter users.

2) Don't just Tweet about your campaign:

This may be listed second, but it's my #1 piece of advice. Experienced Twitter users know it's not about them, it's about the value they provide. You will gain followers and communicate what you care about by tweeting information relevant to people's lives, concerns and interests. Provide links to blog posts and newspaper articles. Share an interesting fact or anecdote you learned on the campaign trial. Tweet to help publicize a community event. In the process, you will also provide your supporters with information to retweet on your behalf.

3) Tweet everyday, but not all day:

Tweet at least once a day, preferably more, to stay current and get noticed. However, Twitter etiquette frowns on sending dozens of tweets throughout the day on matters that aren't urgent. Unless you are a restaurant reviewer, no one cares where you ate lunch.

4) Don't tweet attacks against your opponent:

The early Twitter adopters were rising professionals who used Twitter to promote their expertise and share information. The traditional media advertising strategy of going negative doesn't fit Twitter's culture. Plus, the real time nature of Twitter means your opponent can instantly fire back. If he or she has a lot of supportive followers who retweet the response, your reputation will be the one diminished. And don't use a surrogate to do your dirty work. It will only reflect poorly on you.

5) Identify on your profile if others are tweeting for you:

Voters expect transparency. It's unethical to not identify if others are posting your tweets. Describing your profile as the "So & So for X campaign" is O.K.

This list is to help candidates get started with Twitter. If you are a candidate or a campaign worker with a tip from your personal experience, please share.

Should Your Business Be on Facebook? - Part One

2010-02-03T23:17:00Z

By Gina Cuclis

This is republished from Cuclis PR's February 2010 PR Tip of the Month e-newsletter.

Roughly a third of the U.S. population, 103 million people, are registered Facebook users. Worldwide, Facebook has 350 million users. Up from 150 million a year ago. Facebook's COO, Sheryl Sandberg, recently told TechCrunch.com that 175 million users log onto Facebook every day. It's predicted that by this summer, half of all Internet users will visit Facebook each month.

Who's on Facebook

Facebook started as a social networking platform for college students. However, today, the largest percentage of Facebook users are 35-54 year olds, at 29%. And the fastest growing segment of Facebook users are people 55+. Although this age group currently makes up just 9.5% of Facebook users, their numbers have grown 922.7% in the last year. Meanwhile, 18-24 year olds currently make up 25.3% of Facebook users and 25-34 year olds comprise 24.8%.

Businesses Create Facebook Pages

Individuals establish themselves on Facebook by creating what are called "profiles." Businesses, nonprofits, and political candidates, instead, create "pages." Individuals on Facebook collect "friends." Businesses collect "fans."

The beauty of Facebook pages, from a technical standpoint, is they have gotten easier to create and maintain. You don't need a webmaster or technical expertise. Just the ability to read and follow simple directions. Facebook has instructions for how to create a page.

The Need to Maintain Your Facebook Page

Even though Facebook is technically easy to use, there's little point in having a page if you don't regularly update its content and provide your fans with a reason to return. Social media is about engagement and relationships. I'll have more on this subject and the benefit of having a Facebook page in next month's PR Tip of the Month.

Friend Gina on Facebook.

Would You Pay to Read the Press Democrat Online?

2010-01-21T01:22:00Z

By Gina Cuclis

NY Times to Charge for Frequent Access of Its Web Site

The New York Times announced today that it plans to charge frequent readers of its web site starting next year. The Times said readers will get a certain number of articles free each month, then be charged a flat fee for unlimited access. It didn't specify how many free articles a reader would be able to access. I can't help wonder what this may eventually mean for the NY Times Company's other newspapers, particularly the North Bay region's Santa Rosa Press Democrat.

Newspapers Need to Make Money to Survive

The question I asked in the heading is being asked in some fashion by every newspaper. The culture of the Internet has lead us to expect online content to be free. But newspapers can't survive by continuing to give all their content away. The professionals who research, write and organize the content need to make a living. Online advertising raises peanuts compared to what newspapers earn from print ads. Classified advertising used to be the bread and butter of newspaper revenue. Craig's List and other online classifieds have cost newspapers that revenue source.

News Still Originates with Traditional Media

PEW's Project for Excellence in Journalism recently published a study showing, even with the proliferation of online news sources, most original news reporting still comes from traditional media: newspapers, radio and television. The study showed "95% of stories with fresh information came from 'old media', and the vast majority of that from newspapers."

If newspapers die, who will do the work in our communities to find out and report what our institutions, businesses and government are doing? There's plenty of people online who will comment and respond to the news. (Yours truly, for example). But it takes traditional journalists to uncover the initial information.

What Would You Do?

If you read a daily newspaper online and don't subscribe to its print version, would you pay to keep accessing its web site? Would you pay if the paper stopped publishing a print edition? I'm interested in reading your response.

Sonoma Valley Sun Makes the Right Move

2010-01-12T19:54:00Z

By Gina Cuclis

Sun Returns to Publishing Print Edition on Thursdays

After experimenting with publishing twice a week, and then publishing once a week on Fridays, the Sonoma Sun marked Thanksgiving day by returning to its roots of publishing its print edition on Thursdays. I think this is a good move that will increase the Sun's readership and better serve the local market.

The tabloid Sonoma Sun launched in 2004 publishing once a week on Thursdays. It offered an alternative voice and information not found in the long established Sonoma Index Tribune. The IT publishes on Tuesdays and Fridays. In 2008, the Sun made the aggressive move of going head to head with the Index Tribune by also publishing twice a week on Tuesdays and Fridays. At the time, the chatter in the community among advertisers and readers questioned whether this was a good move.

Facing the Realities of the Newspaper Industry

By 2009, as the newspaper industry continued to tumble, it became questionable whether the Sun would keep printing two editions a week. Speculation fueled whether two newspapers could survive in Sonoma Valley. Both papers were scaling back and the Sun laid off several employees.

In March 2009, the Sun returned to being a weekly newspaper. However, instead of returning to its Thursday roots, It continued to compete directly with the Index Tribune, publishing on Fridays. I questioned the wisdom of this in a post on Wired Sonoma.

Sonomans Like Having Two Newspapers

I've lost track of how many times I've heard a Sonoma Valley resident say they like that we have two newspapers. I agree. There's a place for both. I hope by the Sun returning to Thursdays, we'll continue to have both voices. Please leave a comment sharing what you think about Sonoma Valley's newspapers.

Benefits of Starting the New Year with a Publicity Calendar

2010-01-06T16:47:00Z

By Gina Cuclis

This is republished from Cuclis PR's January 4, 2010 issue of PR Tip of the Month.

If you've been reading Cuclis PR's monthly tips or blog for awhile, you know I believe planning is key for an effective PR campaign.

How to write a communications plan is outlined in a previous "PR Tip of the Month." But if the idea of doing that involved a process overwhelms you, I encourage you to at least take a few minutes to write down publicity opportunities for the next 12 months.

Calendaring Prevents Missed Opportunities

Write down each month of the year using whatever method you prefer. Simple paper and pen is fine. Look at each month thinking about your business and marketing plan. Try to identify for each month something you think will happen that could be worthy of writing a press release or making an announcement to your customers. For example, will you be launching a product or service, hiring new employees, receiving a major donation or sponsoring an event? Will this be the year you start an e-newsletter or a Facebook page?

Don't worry if you can't come up with an idea for every month. The point is to get started. Review your calendar every week and fill in new ideas as the year progresses.

Follow the Big Story and Hook to It

The economy will continue to be among the biggest stories of the year. Indications are the news media will be looking for stories that demonstrate economic improvement.

For more ideas about how to be newsworthy, read the "PR Tip of the Month" issue, How to find your news angle.

Will First Woman Administative Officer Improve Sonoma County's Communication Style?

2009-12-16T17:56:00Z

By Gina Cuclis

While this post digresses somewhat from this blog's usual subject matter -- public relations and communications in the changing media environment -- the post is about communication.

Sonoma County Board of Supervisors Announces New Chief Administrative Officer

Sonoma County Supervisors yesterday announced they hired Veronica Ferguson, currently the assistant administrator for Solano County, to become Sonoma County's new CAO. When Ferguson starts her new job Feb. 1, she will be the first woman in the County of Sonoma's history to hold the top management job in county government.

According to a quote by Sonoma County Supervisor Mike Kerns, in today's print edition of the Santa Rosa Press Democrat, Ferguson is "a consensus builder and a very collaborative person."

Women Changing the Style of County Government

Collaborative is not how most Sonoma County government observers and county employees would describe former Sonoma County CAO Bob Deis. His approach was divisive. He reorganized county government to place more power and control in his office. He was confrontational with county employees and retirees.

Deis resigned in June due to growing discontent among Board members with his performance. It's no secret the two women on the Board, Supervisors Shirlee Zane and Valerie Brown, were particularly unhappy and were a driving force behind his exit.

Prior to January 2009, Supervisor Brown was the only woman on the Board. Supervisor Zane took office after being elected in November 2008 to replace the retiring Tim Smith. Smith was public with his opinion that he thought Deis did a great job.

Better Listening Ahead?

Sonoma County government right now needs management with the communication skills to improve relationships with its employees and the public. Collaboration is a communication style. Good collaborators are good listeners. Good listeners are good communicators. I hope we will see better days ahead for how Sonoma County government operates.

Can't Conclude Without Mentioning Twitter

I found out about the new Sonoma County CAO yesterday afternoon from my Twitter stream. Thanks to this tweet by Supervisor Zane.

If you have an opinion about male versus female management communication style, or the communication style of Sonoma County government, I would appreciate your comment.

Media Interview Transition Technique - The Flag

2009-12-11T00:51:00Z

By Gina Cuclis

This is republished from Cuclis PR's December 2009 issue of PR Tip of the Month.

This is the second of a two part series. Last month's "PR Tip of the Month" described how to use the technique called the bridge. The bridge and the flag are interview devices that enable you to transition youranswer to a question to deliver your key messages.

A Signal to Your Audience

Like waving a flag to get attention, a flag signals to your audience you are about to make a critical point. While this is an effective device, use it sparingly or it loses its impact. Once or twice in most interviews is usually enough.

Examples

"The most important fact for people to know is..."

"The biggest issue in this debate is...

"The critical issue is...

The important thing to remember is...

Twitter Helps Us Share Our Disgust

2009-12-02T17:15:00Z

By Gina Cuclis

Yesterday evening I was captivated by my Search Sonoma panel in TweetDeck, noticing the countless tweets and retweets about the appalling breaking news from Sonoma. The house of a family of four killed Saturday night in a car crash was ransacked Monday night by burglars. It's one of those stories that's so unbelievable, it's major news. Even a couple "dogs" tweeted the news.

Illustrates the "Social" of Social Media

I learned of the upsetting news when I glanced at my TweetDeck and noticed a tweet from a local plumber, which I retweeted. As I continued to look at my Twitter stream, I noticed tweet after tweet expressing disgust. Several different San Francisco Bay Area traditional news sites were cited, including my town's community newspaper, the Sonoma Index-Tribune.

Prior to the digital age, most of us would have learned about this tragic incident from our evening TV news, or from listening to drive time radio. Now, not only do we hear about it sooner, we have a means to instantly share and re-share how we feel about it with the world. Those following the story yesterday on Twitter didn't have to have someone nearby to share their emotions. In years past, those who like to share how they feel would have picked up the phone to call a friend or family member saying, "did you hear the awful news?"

I'm not judging whether this change is good or bad. I'm just noticing it's happening. Even in a small community, where everybody supposedly knows everybody else.

This Morning's Update

News on the Twitter stream today is that police in San Mateo arrested two people who had the Maloney family's stolen car.

If you have thoughts about how people are using Twitter or other social media to share their feelings about major news, please leave a comment.

Cotati Voters Recall a Councilman for Offensive Behavior

2009-11-19T00:17:00Z

By Gina Cuclis

This post illustrates how the digital age has altered the concept of "public behavior" by elected officials.

Voters don't like to be offended. They expect their local elected officials to behave professionally. Especially in small towns that have a sense of everyone knowing everyone else.

The Lesson from Cotati

Cotati is a small city in Sonoma County, north of San Francisco, with roughly 4,000 registered voters. Tuesday those voters ousted one of their city councilman, George Barich, who had been in office less than a year. Barich was elected in November 2008, winning by only five votes. More than 65 percent of those who cast ballots in the special election voted to recall him.

Barich's troubles began shortly after taking office. He used City letterhead without permission to send a personal letter to President Obama criticizing the economic stimulus package. He also used the City's logo, without authorization, on his personal web site. But what really outraged Cotati residents, was when Barich posted a photo of himself in black face with an Afro wig on his web site. (I searched the site. It appears to have been removed.)

Barich is a Republican who had been a long time council critic. Because registered Democrats outnumber Republicans roughly two to one in Cotati, Barich and his allies tried to claim the recall was an assault by liberals. Never mind that he failed to acknowledge how offensive his behavior was. Instead, he posted a black face photo of another individual on his web site.

The political parties did weigh in on the issue, with the Sonoma County Republican Party opposing the recall and the Sonoma County Democratic Party supporting it. However, I believe if the political parties had taken no positions, the election outcome would have been the same.

Do you live in Cotati? I would appreciate your comments.

Lessons From a Twittering City Councilmember

2009-11-13T20:50:00Z

By Gina Cuclis

Tiffany Renee is a Petaluma City Councilwoman elected in November 2008. She and I have been following each other on Twitter since early this year. Councilmember Renee started tweeting in Spring 2008 for her campaign.

Why Tweet?

I think Twitter can be an effective communications tool for elected officials and political candidates. It provides a vehicle for two-way communication with constituents. Constituents can get to know the official better. Twitter also provides a way for elected officials to hear from constituents who may not like attending, or can't attend, government meetings.

I asked Councilmember Renee what value she finds in using Twitter. She is also an active Facebook user.

She said: "Both of these networking tools have allowed me to uniquely connect with and meet people. I am unsure how many people I’ve met that are my constituents, but I have over 450 Facebook Friends and nearly 900 Twitter Followers from all over California and the US. Not many are on both networks. I also use LinkedIn, but much less.

"In regards to issues of council agendas, I mostly tweet informative ideas and information that I find useful in my decision-making process. I don’t do much personal reflection on council business. But I do share personal reflections on life to give my network an opportunity to know more about me and to keep it interesting (I hope). I try to write clearly, but that can be difficult in 140 characters. Occasionally I respond to other State or National political decisions like the budget or the health care debate with a bit of humor or color. I enjoy following other politicians that tweet themselves. I find those that are only tweeting for their campaign to be stale."

A sample of Councilmember Renee's tweets shows, as she said, she uses Twitter for her network to know more about her.

Councilmember Renee also said she feeds her Twitter updates to her campaign website, so that constituents not on Twitter or Facebook can see them.

Doesn't Blog

I'm an advocate of councilmembers blogging. But Councilmember Renee said she doesn't blog, because blogs tend to be opinion based content. She prefers to "remain fairly neutral on decisions until they are made."

Sonoma City Council

I've been trying to convince Sonoma City Councilwoman Laurie Gallian to get involved in the Twittersphere. My husband and I set her up with an account, but she hasn't done anything with it yet. Maybe if enough people follow her, she'll start tweeting. Currently the one other Sonoma councilmember on Twitter, Aug Sebastiani, hasn't tweeted since July 4.

What do you think about local elected officials who tweet? Do you wish those in your town did?

Deliver Your Key Messages with This Media Interview Technique

2009-11-04T00:36:00Z

By Gina Cuclis

This is republished from PR Tip of the Month. Cuclis PR's newsletter delivered on the first Monday of each month.,

This PR Tip of the Month is the first of two parts. The November and December issues will each describe an interview technique enabling you, when answering a question, to transition to deliver your key messages and move away from sensitive questions.

Bridging

Like a bridge over water that takes you from a point on one side to the other, the bridging technique uses a phrase that takes you from one point in the interview to the point you want to make. Instead of just answering a question and stopping, use a bridge to transition your answer to deliver your key messages. A bridge allows you to move away from a question upon which you don't want to focus.

Examples

"That's an interesting question, but the fact is…"

"That's a good point, but the key issue is…"

"In addition, we have (or we are)…"

"Not only have we accomplished X, but we have…"

In Next Month's Issue

December's PR Tip of the Month will describe the technique called "flagging."

More Media Interview Tips in Cuclis PR's Blog & PR Tip of the Month Newsletters

The Media Interview, Part One: Follow the Boy Scout's Motto

The Media Interview, Part Two: Answering Questions

How to Sound Your Best for a Phone Interview

The Traits of a Good Spokesperson

Can You Get Away with Not Answering Questions

The Myth of Off the Record

Being Seen and Heard: Tips for TV Interviews

Be a Great Guest: Tips for Talk Radio Inteviews

"No Comment", a No No

Gavin Newsom Uses the Family Excuse to Do What Had Been Speculated

2009-10-31T06:20:00Z

By Gina Cuclis

Democratic San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom today used the old political cover "family" excuse when announcing his withdrawal from the California Governor's race.

In a statement on Newsom's web site, which was also e-mailed to supporters, Newsom said: "With a young family and responsibilities at city hall, I have found it impossible to commit the time required to complete this effort the way it needs to — and should be — done."

The Real Story

Rumors about Newsom's future in the Governor's race had been circulating among Democratic activists for weeks. It was well-known his fundraising was going poorly, and he had been trailing in the polls against Attorney General Jerry Brown. A Field Poll conducted earlier this month showed Newsom polling 27 percent among Democratic voters to Brown's 47 percent. And Brown hasn't officially announced his candidacy yet.

Brown has also been way out front of Newsom in fundraising. At the end of the last campaign reporting period, June 30, Newsom had only $1.2 million in the bank to Brown's $7.4 million. Since then, Brown has raised another $1.3 million to Newsom's $709,000.

The 42-year-old mayor had stronger appeal with younger voters. The Field Poll showed Newsom with a 9 percentage point lead over Brown with Democratic voters age 18 to 39. Unfortunately, they are less likely to turn out on election day.

Politicians don't like to admit they are dropping out of a race because of lack of support. However, Newsom isn't fooling anybody about the real reasons he is ending his quest for Governor.

North Bay Newspaper Circulation Down Again, But Readership Isn't

2009-10-29T04:18:00Z

By Gina Cuclis

Double Digit Circulation Declines at SF Chronicle, Santa Rosa Press Democrat & Marin Independent Journal

Of the 379 U.S. dailies that reported April to September sales to the Audit Bureau of Circulations, the San Francisco Chronicle had the largest percentage drop in weekday circulation, 25.8 percent, compared to the same six-month period in 2008.

The Santa Rosa Press Democrat had a 10.5 percent decline in weekday circulation, which was on par with the industry average. The Marin Independent Journal's six-month weekday circulation decline of 10.7 percent was also about average. The national average decline was 10.6 percent, the largest six-month average percentage drop in ten years. Nationwide, daily newspapers sold about 44 million copies per weekday, the lowest total daily circulation since the 1940s.

Management's Reaction

The continued decline of newspapers' print editions certainly isn't a surprise, as increasing numbers of people are turning to online sources to get their news.

Santa Rosa Press Democrat publisher, Bruce Keyse, said in a PD article, "Our numbers reflect some of the dynamics visible elsewhere in the nation: We've increased the reach of our news through our online products and we've been forced to cut circulation in our more remote rural areas when the cost of delivery became prohibitive."

Newspaper analysts also credit the recent circulation plunge to subscription price increases. Many dailies have significantly increased subscription rates to offset the decline in advertising revenue. The SF Chronicle now charges $7.75 a week for home delivery. Three dollars a week more than last year.

SF Chronicle President Mark Adkins told the Associated Press, "bringing in more money from readers is now more important than trying to preserve circulation."

Marin IJ publisher Matthew Wilson said in an IJ article that "some of the IJ's circulation drop can be attributed to an increase in the price of papers in the stores and in racks to 75 cents and a decrease in papers distributed to schools through the Newspapers in Education program."

Decline in Newspaper Circulation Doesn't Mean a Decline in Readers

ABC circulation data reflect print readership only. Print circulation is often cited by people who want to proclaim newspapers are dead. However, circulation numbers don't tell the whole story. As Keyse states in the quote above, people are reading the PD online. Adkins told the San Francisco Business Times that focusing on circulation statistics is "sort of a myopic way to look at the business."

Chronicle executives this week did get some good news. Figures from the web analytics company Omniture SiteCatalyst show the growing popularity of the paper's online edition, SFGate.com. The site received 125 million page views in September -- a 36% increase over last year. And the number of unique visitors to the site grew by 15% to 12.1 million.

The Issue Is How to Be Profitable

As I've discussed in previous posts, the newspaper industry is struggling to find a profitable business model. Readers expect information online to be free. What newspapers earn from online advertising doesn't pay the bills. How much further newspapers can sustain circulation declines and continue to stay in business is the question.

If you have thoughts about the future of newspapers, please leave a comment.

Stanislaus River Documentary Looks at Protest's Impact 30 Years Later

2009-10-24T02:00:00Z

By Gina Cuclis

"Last River Lost" is a documentary in production about the struggle in the1970s and early 1980s to save the Stanislaus River in California's Sierra foothills from being flooded by the New Melones Reservoir. Although that fight involved many individuals, and spawned the creation of the national environmental organization Friends of the River, one man's act made the issue a national story.

In May of 1979, FOR co-director Mark Dubois chained himself to a rock as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers was preparing to fill New Melones. His location in the Stanislaus River canyon was a secret to all except one -- FOR's PR guy Don Briggs. When Army Corps officials first heard about Dubois' act, they thought it was just a stunt. Then Briggs arranged a midnight press interview. From the front page of the LA Times to the CBS Evening News, the stand-off between Dubois and the Army Corps became national news.

Dubois' act received the attention of Governor Jerry Brown and President Jimmy Carter, winning the river a reprieve. Ultimately, however, the Stanislaus River and those who loved it would lose.

This Example of How to Make National News Still Relevant Today

The Internet may have changed how we receive our news, but what makes a good story hasn't. Human drama, urgency, the David vs. Goliath theme. A man willing to put his life on the line for a place he loves. The difference between now and 1979 is that Twitter, and other digital media tools, would help spread the story faster.

"Last River Lost's" Sonoma County Connection

Santa Rosa resident Christian Kallen is the movie's writer and director. I am honored to share that I was interviewed for this movie, due to my active involvement with the issue. I would consider it a personal favor if you would please watch the trailer. Even if you don't consider yourself an environmentalist, there's a PR lesson in it. (You'll first see me just before 4:00)

Santa Barbara FOR Chapter 1978/79. Gina Cuclis third from the left standing.

Please share your comments. And if you like the message of the movie, please share the trailer with your friends. Thank you.

How to Use Twitter: A Business Example Worth Following

2009-10-14T21:06:00Z

By Gina Cuclis

This is a follow-up to last week's post, "Should Your Business Be on Twitter?" Offline comments and questions I received since, indicated it would be helpful to provide an example of how to use Twitter. I looked at Twitter profiles of a number of Sonoma Valley businesses searching for one whose Twitter use could be held up as a role model.

#1 Criteria for Effective Use of Twitter

I sought out businesses who understand that Twitter is a conversation. As I discussed in an August entry, What Small Businesses Need to Know About Twitter, followers aren't interested in sales pitches. Twitter is a vehicle to engage with customers in between sales. Followers expect relevant, interesting information. When used effectively, Twitter humanizes a business giving it voice.

My Pick of a Twitter User to Emulate

Not surprising, Twitter is catching on with wineries. I checked roughly two dozen Sonoma Valley winery Twitter profiles. I thought several were doing a respectable job. However, I was most impressed with the stream of tweets from St. Francis Winery's winemaker, Heather Artisan.

What Impresses Me

Heather truly understands how to be conversational and personal, while being informative. She also appears to have a gift for descriptive writing that draws in the reader.

Most winery tweets about harvest tend to be to bland statements suchas, crews up early picking X grapes. The following tweets, however, providea sense of the grape picking experience. A follower is also more likelyto click on a photo link if the tweet is compelling. The combination oftweets and photos helps build the relationship between customer andbrand.

Effective Use of @Replies

A pet peeve of mine is reply tweets of which I have no idea what the person is talking about, because I didn't see the original tweet. When you reply to a tweet, all your followers receive the response. I often think reply is used when a direct message would be more appropriate. A direct message is how to communicate with an individual follower. (I think most of the thank you reply tweets I see are irrelevant to anyone except the person being thanked.)

Writing replies in 140 characters, which are relevant to all or most of one's followers, is challenging. This is another reason why I'm impressed with Heather. She writes compelling replies that make sense without seeing the original tweets.

Another Business to Learn From

The lesson in this example is relevant to any type of business. However, with all the foodies living and visiting Sonoma Valley, I suggest checking out how The Girl & the Fig's Sondra Bernstein @girlfig uses Twitter. She follows the principles discussed here.

Using Twitter effectively takes skill. Some of you will be naturally gifted at it. Others may decide the time required to learn how to use Twitter wouldn't be worth it. The answer to the question, "Should your business be on Twitter?," depends on your willingness to spend time learning how to use it.

If you have recommendations of businesses using Twitter effectively, please leave a comment telling us about them.

Should Your Business Be on Twitter?

2009-10-06T16:32:00Z

By Gina Cuclis

This is republished from Cuclis PR's October 5, 2009 "PR Tip of the Month." Visit www.cuclispr.com to read back issues or subscribe.

Twitter has been receiving lots of publicity. I'm frequently asked if I think it's a legitimate marketing and communications tool, or just a fad. I don't think Twitter is merely a fad. However, as with choosing any marketing or communications tactic, deciding whether Twitter is right for your business depends on your customers. Who are you trying to reach? Are they on Twitter?

What Is Twitter?

Twitter is a micro blogging platform that limits messages to 140 characters or less. People who receive your Twitter messages, or tweets, have chosen to follow you.

Stats About Who Is Using Twitter

Studies show Twitter usage is growing among every demographic group. The number of Twitter users in 2009 will increase 200% Current estimates are that 11% - 13% of Internet users now use Twitter.

Initially, Twitter defied the typical social media early adopter model. Most users were between 35 and 54, followed by the 25-34 age group. Now, however, the fastest growth is among people under 25. 66% of all Twitter users are between 15 and 24. 15% are between 25 and 29. People over 55 make up only 1% of Twitter users. 53% of Twitter users are women.

Deciding If Twitter Makes Sense for You

Stats alone shouldn't be your determining factor about Twitter. For Twitter to work for you, you must invest time learning how to use it. From a technical standpoint, Twitter is very easy to use. The challenge is deciding what to tweet. Signing up for a Twitter account, and then rarely using it, won't get you anywhere.

Online Resources About Twitter

For more information, I recommend the "Newbie's Guide to Twitter," "17 Ways You Can Use Twitter,"or watch this YouTube video.

Please Leave Your Recommendations

My suggestions above are to help people not yet on Twitter get started. If you have other recommendations for newbies, intermediate or advanced users, please share by posting a comment. Thanks!

Two Stories in Today's Santa Rosa Newspaper Happened Three Days Ago

2009-10-02T21:31:00Z

By Gina Cuclis

It used to be unheard of for a daily newspaper to wait more than a day before publishing reports about actions taken by local government, such as city councils or boards of supervisors. If an editor thought a newsworthy decision was made at a city council meeting, and the paper had a reporter at the meeting, an article about the decision would be in the next day's paper. Not two or more days later. So what I saw in today's Santa Rosa Press Democrat surprised me.

News Three Days Late

Today's (Friday, Oct. 2) Santa Rosa newspaper has two articles about actions taken at Tuesday's Sonoma County Board of Supervisors' meeting. I was very surprised that one of these three-day-old stories is on the front page -- "No bottled water for county workers." The other is on the front of the Empire News section -- "Supervisors OK 20-year North Bay garbage contract." Both the articles appeared on the paper's website late yesterday afternoon -- two days after the meeting.

This week's Board of Supervisors' agenda had more than the typical one or two items of high interest. An article about the most controversial action of meeting -- a decision to sell the county landfill -- ran on Wednesday's front page, and appeared on the Press Democrat's website Tuesday evening.

Why the Delay

I suspect this is another result of the Press Democrat's decline in staff and its number of printed pages. With fewer employees to cover local news, and less room to publish local stories, someone made a decision to run the two other board of supervisors stories later in the week. I believe this is also the result of the lack of competition. With no other daily news media covering the Board of Supervisors, the Press Democrat knows no one will beat it in reporting those stories. This illustrates the issue I raised in my inaugural blog post. Are we being well served in the North Bay when the number of news media covering county government, and Sonoma County in general, is declining?