The Media Professional

American newspapers, anxious to lower their costs, have outsourced many of their production functions to countries, such as India, where costs are lower. Indians aren’t necessarily better artists than the American artists they replace. Their labor is simply less expensive to purchase…today.

The ready supply of available workers in India allows their costs to be low.

But, as soon as the demand for those production workers outstrips their availability, the price for their labor will rise. In fact, the cost for Indian labor is already rising in response to the changed markets for certain types of labor.

So, when Indian firms, whether newspapers or service bureaus, eventually need to trim their own costs, they may well emulate their American friends and outsource Indian jobs to other countries.

Won’t that be something to watch?

J.David Knepper

Tags: Advertising by admin
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If someone asks about Digital vs. Print Media, I guess we’re all supposed to say that digital is the most environmentally responsible choice for distributing information today.

Actually, it depends upon the communication itself.

Look at companies whose internal communications are converted to digital for environmental reasons. No more paper memos, they say. We’re saving trees. We’re saving thousands of dollars in printing costs at the same time. “We’re Green. We’re Green,” they chant proudly.

Problem is, the electronically-distributed information is still needed on a paper base for portability, markup, and collaboration. Hence, employees simply print the documents at their desks.

Consequently, enterprise-wide, wastebaskets overflow with misprinted materials. Ink jet cartridges are purchased by the pallet, printer paper by the car load. Every employee is a part-time printer.

No study is ever commissioned to measure the environmental damage and increased costs of such ill planned Green efforts.

Same with mass marketing efforts. If your printed communication is so poorly written and designed that nearly every recipient will simply trash it unread, go digital. There are environmental savings whenever someone can hit “Delete” instead of physically putting paper into the waste stream. And you’ll also be able to boast about the trees you’re saving.

However, nothing electronic can replace the texture, feel and effectiveness of well written, carefully designed, and skillfully crafted printed materials.

And once such materials are produced, they can be enjoyed again and again with no adverse effect on the environment.

J.David Knepper

Tags: Advertising by admin
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Newbies left DINFOS as productive team members within a few short weeks from a standing start. I saw Infantrymen and Marines become working Journalists, Airmen and Seamen become functional Broadcasters in the concentrated courses offered. Many graduates of four-year schools would be expected to work as interns before real employment offers could be made. DINFOS graduates were expected to be productive immediately upon graduation.

DINFOS on an applicant’s resumé impresses those of us who attended the school.

We Reservists spent a fair amount of time pitching reporters on the merits of covering what our Citizen Soldiers were doing. We then spent more time trying to get those reporters to cover the events without showing their anti-military biases. Public Relations or Public Affairs? Who cares? We were trying to put forth a positive message about our client, the Army.

The Public Information Office provided very good training for media people, for public relations people, for advertising people, for news people. I’m glad I had the opportunity to serve in the 372nd Public Information Detachment, USAR.

I learned much and use what I learned every day.

J.David Knepper

Tags: Major Media, New Media by admin
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