8. Today’s assumptions
Talking about corporate / client
communications
Covering content marketing / social
spaces
Exceptions to every rule
SPEAKEASY
9. What brand journalism can learn from
(the best of) traditional journalism
Accuracy
Speed
Precision
Originality
Good ledes
Transparency
Persistence
Impartiality (really!)
SPEAKEASY
10. What brand journalism should avoid from
(the weaknesses of) traditional journalism
Format blindness
Arrogance
Creator bias
Faux objectivity
Top-down ethos
Community
disengagement
SPEAKEASY
18. 5.) There’s a fine line
between stupid and clever
SPEAKEASY
19. Editorial Lapse of Judgment
BEST: Our July cover featuring Kay Bailey Hutchison’s head and a local
model’s body.
WORST: In an April story on the mayor’s race, we sent former city
councilman Max Goldblatt to an early grave. As his lengthy response
proved, Max is very much alive, and we hope he stays that way.
SPEAKEASY
23. Pegasus News humor guidelines (2006)
Making fun of the arrogant and powerful is always funny.
Making fun of the weak and powerless is not.
The misfortunes of innocents are never funny.
If we can’t laugh at ourselves, we can’t laugh at anyone.
Death is almost never funny.
Small towns aren’t rinky-dink. If they
were, we wouldn’t spend so much time
covering them.
Hypocrisy is always funny.
Offbeat humor is best when it is
on-topic.
Inside jokes are good when used
sparingly.
SPEAKEASY
35. A fight you can’t win
Options (in order):
1. Be transparent; respond; be polite
and self-deprecating.
2. Keep quiet on the topic but drown out
with positive message.
3. Argue with people who hate you and
people who pay you money.
4. Get off the field.
SPEAKEASY
