Oh, So Much to Write About

by Roger Pynn

Big Brother the lifetime journalist made a point I’ll not forget when he said he used to tell researchers “I don’t want to know what people say they want to see in their newspaper because that restricts them to thinking of newspapers.  Instead, I want to know what they want to know.”

Then I saw Orlando Sentinel Technology Writer Etan Horowitz tweet about Bill Wyman’s SpliceToday.com article (http://www.splicetoday.com/politics-and-media/five-key-reasons-why-newspapers-are-failing) Five Key Reasons Why Newspapers Are Failing … and why they don’t get talked about.

Wyman takes darned near forever to tell you stuff you already knew.  It is history.  Nothing more … until he gets to the bitter end and offers up nine things he would do if put in charge of a chain of newspapers.

And there you will find out the real reason why newspapers are failing:  you shouldn’t put newspaper people in charge of papers.  I should know.  I was one.  But, I got out and learned how to run a business.

Despite what self-appointed cultural critic Wyman has to say, newspapers are far more than “shoppers” – those annoying freebies containing classified ads and awful excuses for display advertising.

Newspapers are advertising vehicles that made money because people wanted to know something … and rather than worrying about who else was supplying that information, they worked tirelessly to inform.

Unfortunately, as my brother obviously knew, readers’ perception of what made news was clearly shaped by their medium of choice.  As new media emerged, Troglodytes could no longer hide from pulp alternatives and it was only a matter of time until they realized that what they wanted to know was actually at TMZ.com (http://www.tmz.com/) where today’s EXCLUSIVE lead story is that according to Paula Abdul, “‘Idol’ Ain’t So Bad After All!”

Dillin Award

by Dan Ward

Early in my career, I had the pleasure of meeting Lt. Col. John W. Dillin, a public relations pioneer who founded the Florida Public Relations Association more than 50 years ago.  I was struck not just by his famous mischievousness, but also by his willingness to spend time with a young pro still trying to find his way.

Last week, I was reminded of that meeting while watching my friend, mentor and business partner, Roger Pynn, accept an award bearing Dillin’s name, the highest honor FPRA bestows.

The John W. Dillin Award recognizes outstanding contributions both to FPRA and to the practice of public relations, and on both counts Roger is well deserving of the honor.  His service to the association and to the profession has long been recognized in Central Florida, and I’m glad to see him gaining the recognition he deserves on a statewide level.

Upon accepting the award, Roger shared with the crowd his vision for the profession and commitment to ethics, stating “John Dillin was a visionary.  I am just a practitioner.  My vision is of a profession that stands for honor, candor and loyalty … one that guides its employers and clients to think strategically and – above all else – to do the right thing.”

By honoring Roger Pynn with the Dillin Award, FPRA certainly did the right thing.