Navigating the Wild, Wild West that is the internet
The John Lennon song “Nobody Told Me,” released in 1984, begins with the line, “Well, everybody’s talking and no one says a word.”
Sounds a lot like social media these days, right?
Everybody’s indeed talking, or tweeting, or “X”ing, or TikToking, or Instagramming, whatever you want to call it.
It’s fun for the most part. Consuming at times.
But there’s a maddening component to it as well. See, here at Wheelhouse Creative our jobs are to help businesses navigate – and, yes, profit from – the landscape.
Yet as a former sports journalist I’ve also seen the deterioration of credible news sources within that landscape – which is indeed maddening.
Much of that has to do with the downturn of the newspaper industry. As someone who spent 38 years in that industry it hurts my heart to see the struggles. As a kid I used to run to the front porch in the mornings to read the latest edition. I read. I learned. I think that aspect has been largely overlooked. Newspapers weren’t just sports, Dear Abby and comic strips. They were history lessons.
Of course, an initial failure to co-exist with the internet and integrate profitably was devastating. Many newspapers have gone out of business – and trained journalists have found themselves unemployed. I tweeted the other day that’s going to come back and bite our country in the butt – if it hasn’t already.
Now, we’re mostly left with a social media version of the “Wild, Wild West.” It’s tough to know who to follow or believe when it comes to news. We saw a major network recently pay nearly $800 million to avert a trial. Political takes sometimes supersede straight news.
Regarding sports, I dip my toe in the arena occasionally. I know many key figures across the country and when I run across a scoop or a clarification, I’ll throw it out there. Remaining relevant helps our clients at Wheelhouse. It helps Wheelhouse. To read this, you saw the company’s name. It’s just good business.
The key is to be accurate. I see so many pseudo-journalists out there simply throwing darts to see if one hits.
My suggestion? Track those folks. Are they just throwing darts? If they miss, do they say so? Or do they just let it wash away in the ever-rushing waters that are the internet?
Earlier in the week I had a chance to speak with Oliver Luck, the former WVU QB and athletic director. I went to school with him back in the day. I work with him from time to time now because he and Ken Kendrick are co-founders of Country Roads Trust, clients of ours here at Wheelhouse.
Anyway, a reporter emailed me and asked if Luck was still involved with Country Roads Trust now that he’s helping what’s left of the Pac-12. The answer is yes, as Stephen Ford and his staff take care of the day-to-day business. But Luck also told me that, to clarify, his clients were Oregon State and Washington State, not the league or other two schools. I asked if I could put that on Twitter (“X” will always be Twitter to me), and he said, “I don’t know if it matters, but sure.”
I stunningly received pushback – even though I’d just hung up from talking to the man.
Craziness. Beware of the craziness, folks. Yes, sometimes things go sideways. A kid can commit to a school and then reverse field. It happens. But follow those that consistently give you the facts and follow-ups.
The others? I joke with Joni that they are “for entertainment purposes only.” I suggest you see them the same way.
Have a great weekend, folks.
+ + +
Mitch Vingle covered sports in West Virginia for 38 years. Follow Mitch on Twitter at @MitchVingle and be sure to check out the rest of Wheelhouse Creative’s website for your marketing and advertising needs. If interested, call us at 304-905-6005.