Poynter Online Romenesko

Biz Buzz: Michelle Obama on 'Better Homes' cover

Better Homes and Gardens will feature First Lady Michelle Obama on the cover of its August issue - the first public figure to grace the cover of the magazine in 48 years.

Obama will be the subject of an article on healthy eating for children. The issue will be on newsstands July 19.

The editors of the magazine, owned by monks based Meredith Corp., and the first lady co-hosted a picnic in May to DC fifth graders. The magazine features photos of the picnic and an interview with Barack Obama's efforts to promote healthy habits.

As part of the issue, Meredith created a "Veggie Love" cookbook app, plus a free online cookbook and vegetable garden plan at www.bhg.com/whitehouse .

The last celebrity to appear on the cover? Actor Cliff Robertson, in 1963. He penned a column in that issue titled "He Cooks," the magazine said.

Tongue-lashing? If you've let your Better Homes subscription lapse, you might have gotten a scolding. That will change, Meredith promises.

The company told the Poynter Foundation's Jim Romenesko that it is "changing the process and package notifying customers regarding their subscription expirations."

That's after the company was called out by Romenesko and another media blogger, the Grumpy Editor by Hal Morris. The Grumpy Editor said the notices "border on something that would originate from the IRS or a collection agency."

Morris had chosen not to renew his subscription, yet he received notices that he owed $12.97. "As you know, we have been very patient, but your bill is now seriously delinquent. We fully expect you to resolve this situation as honorably as you began it ... please pay your debt now," the notices read.

"Bottom line: Would a normal subscriber renew after those tongue-lashings?" the Grumpy Editor asked.

Jerry Crawford trivia: Here are some tidbits about the 61-year-old Des Moines lawyer who advises Democratic presidents and who put together nonpartisan syndicates that own the race horse Paddy O'Prado and the Iowa Energy basketball team.

Crawford was interviewed recently by Thoroughbred Times Today for an article that appeared July 5.

Most of the question-and-answer format centered on Crawford's favorite this and best that.

Favorite movie: "The Doors." "Although I'm always afraid that is maybe too much of a peek into my soul.

Poynter Online - Romenesko - ITZ Publishing

May 8, 2009

To: MediaNews Group Employees
From: Dean Singleton, Jody Lodovic
Re: Interactive Strategic Summit

Two weeks ago, 22 executives from across the company, including Publishers, Editors, and Interactive leaders, met to discuss MediaNews Group�s interactive strategy. While our websites attract a significant audience and drive considerable page views, we face three daunting challenges that needed to be addressed. First, we continue to do an injustice to our print subscribers and create perceptions that our content has no value by putting all of our print content online for free.Not only does this undermine our print circulation, it devalues ​​the heart of our business - the great local journalism, we (and ourselves) produce on a daily basis. Second, our growth has slowed interactive because it was too closely linked to our printing classified, who suffered with the advent of Craigslist and other free online classified opportunities. Finally, we are not to extend significantly the scope of our audience, our products online too similar to the newspaper, and therefore can not truly reach the next generation of readers.

This interactive summit was meant to address these issues head-on; to build a strategic plan that places a value on our content, protects our core print business, extends the reach of our audience, and creates new revenue opportunities online. We cannot continue to give all of our content away for free; we must consider, create and deploy new products and sites that both decouple our interactive revenue from our classified business and offer a compelling new experience for a younger (non-newspaper buying) demographic. From this conference, we have built consensus on a three pronged approach to enhance our business moving forward:

* We will begin to move away from putting all of our newspaper content online for free. Instead, we will explore a variety of premium offerings that apply real value to our print content. We are not trying to invent new premium products, but instead tell our existing print readers that what they are buying has real value, and to our online audience (who don�t buy the print edition), that if you want access to all online content, you are going to have to register, and/or pay. If a non-subscriber wants the newspaper content in its entirety online, they will be directed to some sort of registration or pay vehicle (and if they are a print subscriber, they will have full access at no charge). To be clear, the brand value proposition to the consumer is that the newspaper is a product, whether in print or online, which must be paid for.

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