Hearst at 125

Given my past history with newspapers and magazines, I've always been fascinated with the Hearst family. Hearst Corp. celebrates its 125th anniversary this week.
It's grown from its first publication (the San Francisco Examiner) to a worldwide empire that includes newspapers, digital marketing services, magazines, TV stations, cable networks, online businesses, real estate and more – including my former employer Elle Decor. That's 200 businesses in over 100 countries.

This September, Hearst will publish a commemorative book to celebrate the anniversary. Meanwhile, here are some titles about the founder, William Randolph Hearst, to keep you entertained:

Playing to Your Strengths

Yesterday I pulled out the local paper. Well I guess first I need to clarify that...we have three "local" papers. So the one I was reading at that moment is the smallest of the three.

As I read, I counted the number of articles written by reporters employed at the paper, rather than the "Associated Press" byline that is becoming a little too familiar. Total count for local reporters? Five. Wow.
Many of you know that I am a journalism major. I'm crazy about the printed word, whether it's printed on paper, a computer screen, or papyrus. I am a fan of newspapers and have been impacted personally by their demise. However, like a lot of others, I don't think the Internet killed newspapers. I think newspaper publishers are doing that all by themselves.
I know it's hard to compete against the flood of news online. There's always someone who will get that big national story faster, or a blogger who will scoop everyone else. So how do you compete against that? You don't.
Local news outlets need to remember where they are. Their best way to compete is to cover what none of those online competitors will, and that's local news. And I'm talking to you, too, local TV stations. Stop telling me the news I've just heard on NPR and am about to hear again on the national news. How about telling me what just happened down the street? That's news I really can use.
I have an aunt who owns a newspaper in small Virginia community. She does a great job of keeping the news focused on her community. That's her core readership and her core competency. She doesn't need a "World News" section or even a "National" section. She doesn't ignore major news stories, but rather gives them a local twist. How will that big story impact the small community?
Instead of making the size of the physical newspaper smaller, rather than showing 20 minutes of commercials in a 30-minute newscast, cut back on your syndication and licensing costs. Spend more on local reporters and less on wire reports.
Play to your (local) strengths.

Monday Bites

It's Monday, least favorite day of the week. Let's avoid the unpleasantness by talking about something much more fun - books. Here are some quick takes on books I read recently, and highly recommend:

Star Island

by Carl Hiaasen
It's a familiar tale - famous young singer is snorting and drinking her way through her fortune while her family looks the other way so they can continue to use her as an ATM. But with his usual satirical slant, Hiaasen adds a twist in the form of a smart body double hired as a stand-in for the singer when she's too tanked to be seen in public. Set in Hiassen's favorite Florida venue, the hilarious story includes a kidnapping, a former governor with a serious taste for roadkill, a bodyguard with a weed whacker for a hand, and the singer's own retinue of self-serving crazies. (2010 - Grand Central Publishing Edition)


The Imperfectionists
by Tom Rachman
Here is something you're going to learn about me in this blog: If a book is super-popular and/or has the critics buzzing, I will avoid it. I've been burned too many times. And yes, I am aware that I will occasionally miss a good book along the way, but so be it. I almost missed this one, as a matter of fact, because it had the book world all a-twitter (literally). I decided to read it for the simple fact that it was about a newsroom and I have a newspaper background. It is a unique type of person (now fast vanishing) that chooses to work in a newsroom for, let's face it, very little money. Rachman perfectly captures the quirky personalities, petty jealousies, and heady atmosphere of the news biz. Despite the fact that his English-language newspaper is based in Rome, anyone who has worked for an American newspaper will laugh out loud in recognition of the old-school print world, and will wince in empathy as the reporters and editors face the new digital era. (2010 - Random House)

The Bolter
by Frances Osborne
Idina Sackville was part of the very blue-bloods in England and could trace her family to William the Conquerer's day. She was also the inspiration for writers, artists, poets, and fashion houses, as she lived life to the fullest in an endless cycle of parties and champagne. Idina pushed against the restrictions of pre-War society in the early 1900s, driving fast cars, smoking cigars, and taking any lover she liked. She impulsively married anyone she loved (five total) and "bolted" from those she tired of. One of Idina's bolts took her to Africa, where she continued her upperclass parties against a more exotic backdrop. As the "gay world" spun out of control, Idina's own life turned darker and more chaotic, finally ending in addiction, betrayal, and murder. The story of this fascinating woman is told by her own great-granddaughter, Frances Osborne, who meticulously researched the story through her family's letters, diaries, and memories. (2010 - Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group)

Nourishing Reads

Many years ago, my friend Julie and I started a newsletter called Nourishing Reads ― a pre-blog blog. It combined our two favorite things ― books and food. The basic premise was that we would provide book reviews paired with recipes inspired by the book that was being reviewed.
The newsletter was an instant hit and, most importantly, was a lot of fun for both of us. We soon had readers all over the country who wanted the newsletter mailed to them. Yes, mailed. It was that long ago.
Recently I decided that a blog would be the perfect place to revive the concept of Nourishing Reads. That's the genesis for this blog. Julie will be in an advisory capacity for now ― but I will continue to pester her to be involved sooner or later. I'll wear her down.
Meanwhile, I've set up a general schedule that hits the highlights of what our readers really liked about NR:

• Mondays ―I'll serve up short bites of books with quick recommendations
• Tuesdays ―The business of words will be on tap, including items about newspapers, magazines, and blogs.
• Wednesdays ―A mid-week special that will focus only on cookbooks.
• Thursdays ―Thoughts (and maybe a couple of rants) about reading and books.
• Fridays ―The blue-plate special day with a full book review and a recipe inspired by the book.

I probably won't read a lot of romance novels or sci-fi, so if that's your genre, this won't be for you.
I may throw in a couple of interviews and inspirations, but that's the general gist of the blog. I hope you enjoy it ― feel free to let me know what you think. And pass the link to the blog along to anyone else who might like it. That's how Nourishing Reads grew so rapidly, by appealing to like-minded people. To me, that's the best thing about blogs and social media, too.