A look at the world of magazine media - Issue #30
In his epic, "The Wasteland", the poet T.S. Elliot begins with this line:
“April is the cruelest month, breeding
Lilacs out of the dead land,”
The land out here on the prairie by the lake certainly looks dead in January. If the temperatures remain below freezing and it snows, everything is white for twenty-four hours before turning a slushy grey. Through it all, the boys in shorts show up. Yep, we've got lads who wear shorts 24/7/365. Even when the temps drop well below freezing they're out there with their lower legs bare to the frozen wind.
Maybe out this way, January is the cruelest month?
Well, enough ruminating. Turn up the space heater by your desk, unlimber your fingers and start typing. Let’s check on the news.
#1 Retail Dive: 10 Retail Trends to Watch in 2022
10 retail trends to watch in 2022 | Retail Dive — www.retaildive.com Retail industry news, voices and jobs. Optimized for your mobile phone.
From my perspective the most important part of this article is the opening which starts with an exhortation to invest in the supply chain. No kidding.
Years ago, some accountant made the bright suggestion that "just in time" instead of a warehouse stacked with supplies "just in case" made more sense to the bottom line. Clearly they weren't considering the possibility that the supply chain on the other side of the globe just might be impacted by a global pandemic.
Me? I like to err on the side of caution. Just saying.
The other important developments that were made apparent to the observant during the pandemic? The relationship with your workers (Who knew?), how to deal with inflation, selling your services to other clients, the development of private labels.
#2 From Forbes: HBO has Impressive Gain in Subscribers
HBO And HBO Max Reel In 73.8 Million Subscribers For 2021, Topping Own Forecasts — www.forbes.com HBO and HBO Max ended 2021 with nearly 74 million subscribers combined, beating the company's own forecasts as it moves beyond a botched 2020 launch early in the pandemic.
When I think about what the written word is up against, especially the ink on paper written word, this is what I think about: HBO, Netflix, Prime, Hulu.
What's really helping these media platforms? The simple fact that they have really great content for their subscribers.
#3 Former New Republic & Atlantic Freelancer sues The Atlantic for $1 Million Charging Defamation
Ruth Shalit Barrett sues Atlantic for $1 million over retraction of viral article, allegations of inaccuracies — www.washingtonpost.com Barrett, who wrote about "Ivy League-obsessed parents" pushing kids into niche sports, said the Atlantic had "destroyed her reputation and career" after the 2020 retraction.
Freelance writer Barrett sues The Atlantic for $1M over article retraction | TheHill — thehill.com Freelance writer Ruth Shalit Barrett filed a lawsuit against The Atlantic for $1 million after she claims the outlet smeared her in its retraction of her article.
The author, Barrett, was a former New Republic editor who had been removed from that job after charges of plagiarism. The Atlantic says they chose to give her the story assignment because 20 years had elapsed since her “troubles.”
That’s nice, but I wonder about some of these second chances. Shalit has a sister who is a writer and author. She is married to tech exec who has also worked a both Yahoo and Hearst.
To me, the right question here should be: “If you’re well connected, is it impossible to fail?”
If Ruth Shalit Barrett, formerly of The New Republic and GQ and The Atlantic, was Ruth Shalit Jackson of The Chicago Sun Times and Chicago Bride Magazine, would she have gotten a second chance from anyone?
Kinda doubt it.
I'm sorry to have to say this but when there's something "made up" in a news story, it pretty much discredits the entire thing. Barrett had the distinct privilege of writting in The New Republic, GQ and was submitting an article to The Atlantic. The Atlantic! And she made stuff up.
Shame on you.
#4 How'd you do with "National Clean Off Your Desk Day?"
National Clean Off Your Desk Day in 2022/2023 - When, Where, Why, How is Celebrated? — www.holidayscalendar.com Just about anyone who works at a desk knows how hard it is to keep it clean. Pictures of loved ones, pens and pencils, and papers can clutter up a desk fast. That’s why many people are going to want to take advantage of National Clean Off Your Desk Day. This is a holiday in […]
It was yesterday. How'd I do? Well.......
#5 Local News Rebirth in Chicago: "More Exciting Than It's Ever Been"
Local News Rebirth in Chicago: ‘More Exciting Than It’s Ever Been’ | Local News Initiative — localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu Chicago journalism is undergoing a dramatic restructuring that has turned the nation’s third-largest media market into a center for news experimentation.
This article, from Northwestern University, put together a lot of pieces that I've been privileged to see with my own eyes. The most exciting part of it all may be the purchase of the Sun-Times newspaper by public radio station WBEZ.
Scroll down for some coverage of the non-profit news site “Block Club Chicago”. They are, I think, the most interesting local news reads out there.
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That’s it! That’s all we’ve got so get back at it! May your work week be filled with very short meetings, even shorter emails, and Slacks filled with nothing but funny memes!