THE TRIBUNE COMPANY IN THE MIDST OF A FINANCIAL CRISIS

It’s relatively easy (especially when dealing with a large conglomerate like The Tribune Company) to find information for its investors (or prospective investors) online.   A quick glance at this link and their impressive portfolio is viewable:

http://corporate.tribune.com/pressroom/?page_id=2655

Yet, as they say, timing is everything; and that seems to be particularly true in regards to this week’s blog.  Issues have been percolating of late in regards to the Tribune Company as they have been in the throes of bankruptcy (for quite some time, actually...though it seems to be getting worse of late).   This sort of predicament can prove to be bad press for any company or organization, but what happens when the company IS the press?

Last Saturday, the Los Angeles Times (do I still need to mention that they are owned by The Tribune Company?) ran an article going into detail of some of the ugliness of Tribune’s bankruptcy case.  In particular, they touched upon how some investors and shareholders may in fact have to return money.  See for yourself: http://articles.latimes.com/2011/nov/26/business/la-fi-tribune-stockholders-20111126

And while this is more of a matter of the press running a story that they feel needs to be told, there is that inevitable feeling of the Los Angeles Times biting the hand that feeds them. 

A visit to www.Tribune.com, however, makes everything look as though it is business as usual, until you scroll to the bottom of the homepage.  First, one would need to look through other information that is deemed more important (or perhaps less embarrassing) like San Diego’s Fox 5 television program “San Diego’s Most Wanted”, or a lovely (and timely!) piece on how the WPIX-11 Yule Log will celebrate its 45^th anniversary this Christmas (That sounds familiar…Didn’t I blog about that over a month ago?!). 

Once you have read through all of that “breaking news”, there’s a little bit of information regarding the Tribune Company’s current financial crisis.  And while I can’t necessarily blame them for not wanting to put such a large emphasis on their bankruptcy woes, I would imagine that some worried and paranoid investors and Tribune employees would be frustrated having to first sort through information regarding crime on the San Diego streets and a yule log that burns for 24 hours while Perry Como Christmas carols play, just to get through information about what is an ugly predicament.  Even the way the financial crisis is addressed (“Roundup of Recent Coverage of Our Chapter 11 Process”) sounds almost a little too lighthearted.  I particularly enjoyed the colorful photo to the right of the aforementioned “roundup”, which advertises the upcoming Los Angeles Times Travel Show.  The caption reads “Getting away never got so good”, and I’d imagine that many Tribune investors would love to get away right about now (provided they aren’t completely broke).

This is perhaps an example of when an internal blog could be effectively utilized.   I would think that a blog (or any sort of information directly targeting investors) would be apropos in the midst of a crisis of this sort.  Something that would of course require a password and not be accessible to the general public would be key in this situation.  Perhaps something like that does exist and it’s a simple matter of the average person not being able to stumble upon it.

David spoke at great length in class last Tuesday about the importance of communication during a crisis situation, using examples of major corporations who found themselves in messy situations (BP, Enron, etc.), or celebrities who had committed a much-publicized faux pas (Tom Cruise jumping up and down on Oprah’s couch).   An important fact that was stressed is that in the midst of a crisis, the situation should be addressed appropriately and not ignored.  And while I don’t feel that the Tribune Company is by any means ignoring their current bankruptcy crisis, I do feel they could be handling it in a better, more serious manner for their investors and employees.   

INTERNAL AFFAIRS

In searching for information about internal blogging for publications and various media outlets affiliated with The Tribune Company, I came across this rather interesting article from The Baltimore Sun (owned by The Tribune Company), and dating all the way back to 2003 (remember ’03? George W. Bush, Outkast, Three-button suits?).  Anyway, it’s an interesting article that was written during a time when blogging- like Outkast- seemed to be everywhere, and the term “microblogging” didn’t even exist.  Check it out: http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2003-09-07/business/0309070390_1_blogs-workplace-online-diaries

The article presents an interesting predicament that a reporter for The Hartford Courant (yes, also owned by The Tribune Company) found himself in back in ’03.  This reporter was keeping an online diary of sorts (affiliated with and connected to The Hartford Courant) in which he “kept a personal online diary”.  Apparently, the powers-that-be at The Hartford Courant got wind of this and were not too happy,; so he quickly was forced to shut down the blog. 

This has always been an issue with blogging, in my opinion.   It’s almost too easy to do, with far less parameters and guidelines than, say, writing an article for a daily publication or writing a research paper for a college course.  It’s easy for one to get carried away with a blog, and start typing endless details of their personal life as though it were a diary, and quickly forget that this could be read by countless others out there in cyberspace. 

I did also stumble upon an interesting internal blog directly targeting employees of The Tribune Company and their various affiliates: http://www.tribuneemployeetalk.blogspot.com/   While it seems like it was a good concept in theory, it hasn’t been updated in close to three years, and several of the last posts wrote of various bankruptcy issues the company was facing in the chaos that was post-September 2008.

I found the internal blog for union workers at The Baltimore Sun (once again, owned by The Tribune Company) who posted a rather telling blog in 2009 that was a true sign of the times: http://newsofthesun.blogspot.com/.  It’s as though they’re throwing their hands up and saying “OK, OK…. We get it- blogging is dead.  Here’s the link to follow us on Twitter”.  They also get rather cheeky and post an email address for what they call “private rants and news tips”. 

I do think Twitter is the better way to go for internal communications and networking within companies.  Rather than put everything out there on cyberspace in the form of a blog (though some blogs do require a password for readers to have access to it), the idea of tweets being protected would probably put far more minds at ease.  Employees of a particular organization would have to request to follow the Twitter page and hope to be given that access.   The tweets could directly relate to all matters important to people within the company and organization (details about open enrollment every November for their medical benefits, updates about changing to summer hours in May, etc.) and could be written by somebody in HR.

In looking at the aforementioned article from 2003, it’s amazing to see the shift and advancements made over the course of the last eight or so years.  There was in fact a time when blogging seemed to incredibly cutting-edge and new (yet also so simple).  Then again, during that time Outkast was also in the Top 40.  So here we are In 2011 and blogging seems to be a thing of the past, especially when compared to the even more simplistic microblogging of Twitter.   Could internal communications get even simpler in the coming years?  We’ll find out. 

THE EVER-CHANGING L.A. TIMES

Once again faced with the decision of which Tribune Company publication or television station to focus on for a blog post, I opted for one of their largest, most widely-read dailies: the venerable Los Angeles Times.  It is in fact the second largest newspaper in circulation in the United States (http://www.answers.com/topic/los-angeles-times), so one would automatically assume their media relations information would be cutting-edge and easily accessible.  I found this to be true, and I was quite impressed with the information that is made readily available.

It took me all of ninety seconds of skimming the Los Angeles Times website to stumble upon the link for their communications department: http://www.latimes.com/about/mediagroup/press/. All of the information presented there is fairly standard and simple to read.  Those interested in submitting press releases are encouraged to directly contact one of a handful of different publications owned by and/or affiliated with the Los Angeles Times, such as The Times Community News (who owns The Pasadena Sun, that upstart publication I wrote of last week) and Hoy, a very popular publication that targets the vast Latino population of the greater Los Angeles area. 

I admire the fact that the Los Angeles Times is promoting all of the publications in their purview, and helping to point a publicist (or someone from a PR agency) in the right direction.     So if a publicist were to, say, wish to submit a press release for a rather small-scale fundraising event happening in the Pasadena area, then they may have more luck (and a better likelihood of coverage), if the press release were submitted to The Times Community News instead of the Los Angeles Times.  Or if perhaps a small church just outside of Downtown Los Angeles with a strong Latino contingent wanted some coverage for an event that they were organizing, perhaps Hoy would be the better option for them and their readers. 

I also think it’s in keeping with the overarching branding theme of the larger publications within The Tribune Company to help out the smaller ones in any which way they can.  From my own recollections of my time at a medium-sized weekly that was a Tribune subsidiary, I can recall the larger daily in the family, The Hartford Courant, assisting us in terms of publicity, advertising leads, training, etc.

There is also a link that lists all of the recent press releases done internally by the Los Angeles Times: http://www.latimes.com/about/mediagroup/press/releases/  . From this link one can find a variety of different press releases about events sponsored by the publication, significant changes in senior staffing, or recent expansions in distribution and circulation.

I was perhaps most impressed by the Twitter page exclusive to the communications department of the Los Angeles Times: twitter.com/LATimesFreshInk.  Unlike the main Twitter page for the Los Angeles Times, FreshInk consists of “news, tidbits and spin” directly from those within the communications department at the paper.  And while they aren’t even close to the main Los Angeles Times Twitter page in terms of followers, the Tweets from FreshInk consist of an eclectic mix of different topics (recent Tweets include some thoughts on the “Occupy LA” movement as well as the untimely passing of rapper, Heavy D).  

All in all, I admire the media relations strategies and tactics used by the communications department of the Los Angeles Times.  While it may be odd for some to think of posting all necessary information (contact name, address, email, etc.) on a website as “traditional”, having a simple and basic page on the company’s website is the norm these days.  Still, I think it’s a progressive and wise idea for them to utilize a social networking site like Twitter to give a “voice” of sorts to their communications department. 

SOME OF TRIBUNE'S SOCIAL MEDIA EFFORTS ON BOTH COASTS

It goes without saying that an organization like The Tribune Company is going to utilize various forms of social media.  For a major media conglomerate of this size and scope, it would look rather odd if they did not take advantage of each and every social media and social networking tool made available to them.  Still, with so many different types of publications and television stations in their purview, it’s inevitable that the range and types of social media (not to mention the amount of people they reach) will differ. 

For example, when taking a look at WPIX - a television station owned by Tribune in the largest market in the country (Manhattan), and a television station I grew up with- one can quickly notice the many different types of social media they are involved with.  A quick look at the blog section of their website (http://www.wpix.com/news/blogs/) will reveal the different blogs belonging to newscasters and other WPIX “celebrities”.   They’re all over Twitter, and they recently even tweeted pictures of WPIX newsroom staffers (via Photobucket) dressed-up in Halloween costumes.

It should of course come as no surprise that a television station like WPIX in a market such as New York City would take advantage of any and all social media outlets available.  But what happens when we instead focus on a newspaper in a much smaller market? 

The Pasadena Sun (owned by the Los Angeles Times, who is owned by The Tribune Company) is a weekly publication that made its debut this past August.  Obviously, given the fact that it is still in its infancy, it may not yet have the depth of social media endeavors as WPIX.  And let’s face it, a blog penned by a newscaster from New York City is probably going to have far more engaging content and a much larger following than one written by a journalist for a weekly paper in the San Gabriel Valley.  Still, one has to admire the efforts of The Pasadena Sun.  They do have blogs, but the blogging is much more simple and direct. 

A quick visit to Twitter shows a vast difference in the number of followers; The Pasadena Sun has 319 followers as of today (and unlike WPIX, they don’t appear to utilize any photosharing), and the main Twitter page for WPIX has over 8000 followers.  While that’s far more than The Pasadena Sun, I’m actually somewhat surprised that WPIX doesn’t have more followers.  Though not one of the major networks, WPIX is still a strong CW-affiliate in a huge market.  And consider this: the official Twitter page for The Chicago Tribune has over 63,000 followers.

WPIX has an impressive YouTube channel, with the obvious content consisting of recent segments from news telecasts as well as promos for CW shows like Gossip Girl.  And, as is often the case, there are plenty of online video "shrines"  on YouTube that is devoted WPIX nostalgia.  Anyone who grew up in the tri-state area is no doubt familiar with the Christmas Yule Log that “glows” for 24 hours every year starting on Christmas Eve.  And while it’s not yet Thanksgiving, here’s an example of what I mean to help get you into the holiday spirit:

Again, I’m comparing apples and oranges to a certain extent, but it’s interesting regardless to see the contrast in social media efforts made by a television station based out of The Big Apple versus a small weekly publication on the West Coast.  Still, it will be interesting to see how The Pasadena Sun might increase their social media efforts as they become more established.   They will certainly want to do this as they continue to try to increase their presence and build a loyal following. 

TRIBUNE BROADCASTNG PAYS HOMAGE TO TELEVISION PROGRAMS OF YESTERYEAR

These days it seems that it's all the rage for networks to produce original television programming that takes the viewer back to another time and another place.  No doubt, the catalyst for much of this was AMC's incredibly successful Mad Men, and it was just a matter of time before other networks tried to cash-in on this craze.  Just two months ago, ABC premiered Pan-Am to somewhat favorable reviews, and NBC rolled-out The Playboy Club, which was disastrous.  Both shows, like Mad Men, are set in the 1960s and try their best to take the viewers back in time.  Even the cable network, Starz, is set to air Magic City- a drama set in 1959 Miami Beach- early next year. 
In their own way, Tribune Broadcasting (owned by The Tribune Company) also debuted their answer to the retro-television craze.  On January 1, 2011, Antenna TV went on the air.  Rather than airing original content, the goal of Antenna TV is devote 24 hours a day to television programming from decades ago.  As I type this, All in the Family is on, and Maude will air next.  It's like being stuck in 1975.
One look at the logo for Antenna TV (above) or at their website (ANTENNA TV), and it's easy to see what the personality of this channel is.  In a time when everyone talks of HDTVs and the difference from 720 to 1080, the idea of Antenna TV appeals to those who simply wish to watch television programming from a simpler time (complete with grainy quality, acting that is often times hokey, and strange fashion trends). Even the voice of the Antenna TV spokesperson (you'll hear him greet you when visiting the website) has a booming timber that sounds as though he could be narrating a trailer during the coming attractions at a movie theater in the 1970s or 1980s. 
There's of course nothing unique about a television network airing reruns of programs that are thirty or more years old (TV Land has been doing this for years), but Antenna TV is different in the sense that it is made up entirely of this type of programming; they seem to have no desire in producing original programming.  Of course, the irony in watching these programs now is that one doesn't mind missing an episode of something thanks to that modern invention, the DVR (just in case you aren't awake at 1:00 am to watch Alfred Hitchcock Presents, why not set the DVR to record it?).
Personally, there are few television shows from back in the day that I would actually care to watch, but there is certainly a market for Antenna TV these days.   It's likability factor is tremendous I would think, and much of it is thanks to the "retro-craze" that we see in popular culture and, of course, in some of the aforementioned television programs that embrace what our country was like fifty years ago.  There are those who would love to go back in time, and while Antenna TV is by no means a time-machine, it can provide some with a brief, nostalgic getaway.
I also think that much of the modus operandi of Antenna TV is in keeping with the traditional values that the more conservative, right-wing faction of the Tribune Company represent.  One can almost hear those who complain about the incessant violence, sex and language in modern television programs singing the praises of the type of shows aired on Antenna TV and how they weren't nearly as graphic as what is on television these days (Alfred Hitchcock Presents may have had moments of violence, but it's nothing compared to bodies being dismembered on Dexter).
Kudos to Tribune Broadcasting for knowing their audience and having an idea for what the public wants.  And while much of the Tribune "brand" prides itself on being on the cutting-edge of multimedia (let's not forget this is the same company that owns dozens of popular websites that see millions of viewers every month), it's a wise move for them to embrace the past and create another outlet that caters to a specific demographic. 

THE TRIBUNE COMPANY: AN AMERICAN MULTIMEDIA GIANT

Of all the different companies I could have chosen for the catalyst and inspiration of this blog, I have opted for one of the world's largest multimedia conglomerate, The Tribune Company.  There are a few different reasons for my doing so. 
For starters, CM 502 and the MACOMM program is about the ever-changing world of media (and many other things).  So what better type of company to focus on than one that has a stronghold on a variety of different types of media?  With 23 television channels and 10 daily newspapers in its saddlebag, The Tribune Company has a tremendous reach.  Along with outside partners, they also own percentages of such notable websites as CareerBuilder and Apartments.com.
I also chose The Tribune Company for I was once an employee of a weekly publication that they owned (albeit quite indirectly...the publication for which I worked was owned by The Hartford Courant, which is owned by The Tribune Company) shortly after graduating college.  While I would love to write that I was incredibly well paid and held a large position within the publication (perhaps as a publisher), I was an advertising account executive responsible for filling the pages of the weekly publication with advertisements of local bars, restaurants, nightclubs, etc.   In addition to going out and knocking on doors, hoping to get business owners to sign a contract to run ads on a weekly basis, I was a liaison to the graphic design department as I provided them with the text and content for the ads they would eventually create. 
Business was generally good, and while my salary was mediocre (the result of me being a sometimes lackluster and uninspired salesman), there was a handsome 401k and profit sharing plan thanks to the folks at Tribune.  This was long before the disastrous stock market crash of 2008, and even before 9/11.  It was a much different world.
It's interesting to note the wide range of different types of publications and media outlets that the Tribune Company either owns or has had a stake in since they were founded in 1847.  They represent a variety of different cultures, opinions and beliefs.   In addition to the aforementioned Hartford Courant and their flagship publication, The Chicago Tribune, The Tribune Company owns other notable daily publications like The Los Angeles Times and The Orlando Sentinel.  They have an impressive television presence as they own stations in most major US cities (Chicago, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Miami, Dallas, WPIX in New York, and others).  They even own 31% of The Food Network.
With a such a large presence across a variety of different outlets and cities, it's often hard to pinpoint or pigeonhole the values and target audience of The Tribune Company.  The Chicago Tribune has been known in the past as being conservative in their political beliefs and received plenty of flack from bloggers and angry emails from readers when they endorsed George W. Bush for reelection in 2004 (read a snippet of that endorsement).  In 2008, they shifted gears drastically by endorsing Chicago's native son, Senator Barack Obama, for president .  This was their first ever endorsement of a democratic presidential candidate. 
Interestingly enough, the publication for which I worked from 2000-2002 had an ultra-liberal take on things.  And while they were very much a low publication on the giant totem poll that is The Tribune Company, their editorial and beliefs were in such sharp contrast to those of publications like The Chicago Tribune. 
What changed for this publication (and for me as an advertising account executive) were the events on September 11th 2001, and the sudden rise in much-needed patriotism nationwide.  Our offices were located a mere 45 minutes from Manhattan, and I remember driving home on I-95 early that afternoon, seeing caravans of emergency responders driving in the other direction.  In the days and weeks that followed 9/11, this publication ran articles and editorials covering the events.  Some of them stated that the attacks should have been expected and one went as far as to unfortunately insinuate that the attacks were warranted on some level.  This was enough to make many advertisers decide to pull their ads, and prospective advertisers to decide against running ads with the publication. 
The paper's proximity to the World Trade Center and their circulation meant that many readers were affected on some level by the events.  I saw the writing on the wall as my weekly commission started to dwindle, and by April 2002 I left.
The publication went through a rough stretch for a couple of years, but has managed to survive (despite significant lay-offs over the last year or so) but not necessarily thrive.  And while many blame the paper's struggles (and recent lay-offs) on the The Tribune Company (read a little about it here), I can't help but feel that the paper has survived thanks largely to being backed and owned by such a large media powerhouse with incredibly deep pockets.