You Can Trust the Established Media, I Guarantee It!

I try to watch the Sunday morning politically oriented talk shows before I go to church and if I cannot, I try to catch the reruns later in the day. One of the more surprising discussions I heard was Dana Milbank's moratorium on covering Sarah Palin and asking other journalists to not cover her. Dana Milbank is a writer for the Washington Post.  Milbank wrote "I feel powerless to control my obsession, even though it cheapens and demeans me."  I cannot exactly tell if his article is a satire or if it was serious. If it is a serious column, then he is incredibly self-centered. If it is satire, then it is in very poor taste. 

Interesting comment.  I find it discouraging that a DC Beltway reporter has decided he thinks he is a less than stellar reporter because he has written numerous stories about Gov. Palin. And it somehow makes him less intelligent and by his reasoning us less intelligent because we want to read about her and read her comments. 

Further in Milbank's article he writes "Palin clearly isn't going away: "I am not going to sit down. I'm not going to shut up," she on Monday. But if we treat her a little less like a major political figure and a little more like Ann Coulter -- a calculating individual who says shocking things to attract media attention -- it won't matter."

I am shocked and offended at this section of his column.  He compares a columnist (one who writes to provoke) to a former elected official with a vast following and one who appears to have little regard or use for established news outlets.  Just consider this, the columnist’s primary audience is found on college campus. The former governor has a tremendous following that cuts across almost all demographics.  Gov. Palin ran in a primary against an incumbent and beat him. She ran for Alaska governor against a formidable former two term governor and won. She convinced a majority of the voters twice she was a superior candidate.  I would not be fair if I did point out two similarities. Both are accomplished females and both are bestselling authors. Frankly, I found this comment by Mr. Milbank shallow and beneath his other stories.

In all honesty, this whole episode reminds me of why I stopped reading and watching most "established" news outlets. Yes, a long time ago I let my subscription to Time lapse, quit buying Newsweek and stopped going to the Washington Post and New York Times websites. Mr. Milbank symbolizes what is wrong with the established media.  He thinks he knows what is best for us and we should trust his instincts and what he considers his obvious superior intellect.  You see, we need him to help us figure out what we need to know.  And we need him to tell us what to ignore.

My take is different. The establishment media is witnessing a steep decline in viewership and readership. Perhaps most importantly, I think a vast plurality (perhaps majority) do not entirely trust established media.  The public benefits greatly from other sources, many free and on the internet. It was only 30 years ago we had three major networks and one cable news channel to choose from.  You either put up with the bias or did not get your message out. It is far different today. We have numerous media outlets to choose from and several publications that we can tap to be better informed.

I think it really upsets Mr. Milbank and his establishment media friends that Gov. Palin has millions of followers and admirers, regardless how he tries to undermine the former governor. It must gall him and his establishment friends that we do not need him or his friends to follow Gov. Palin. We can go directly to the source; we can read her and other tweets, look on Facebook, blogs, CSPAN, think tank websites, and other sources.  Most importantly, it must really irk him and his friends that Gov. Palin does not need him or his establishment friends to talk to her supporters and followers. Finally, I think it must anger Mr. Milbank and his friends that they need Gov. Palin far more than she needs him and his friends.  It must be hard for Mr. Milbank to finally accept that he gets more irrelevant every day.  In case you think I am wrong, how much was Newsweek sold for? 
Postscript - March 8, 2011

I am somewhat confused. We, the public, experienced Charlie Sheen’s meltdowns, incoherence, rants, and raves again and again and again as the actor appeared on network after network. It is this what Mr. Milbank means by an obsessed establishment media? If so, he may actually have a valid point.  Perhaps Mr. Milbank should concentrate his proposed moratorium on stories (or non-stories) like this.

Final Flights of the Space Shuttle: End of an Era

The shuttle Discovery blasted off on her final mission yesterday. I watched it on CSPAN.  Yes, I watch CSPAN. 

Just a side note and probably largely forgotten by many people is that the first shuttle was the Enterprise. It was a prototype and did not travel into space. 

The shuttle was and still is a remarkable vehicle. The ships constructed for space travel was five, Columbia, Challenger, Endeavor, Discovery and Atlantis.  Most of the shuttles were built during the late 70s and early 80s.   A shuttle is the first reusable launch system ever designed, developed and implemented.  These five ships are workhorses.  We have the international space station, satellites orbiting the planet, rovers exploring other planets in our solar system and a far better understanding of the universe because of these ships and the people of NASA.  The shuttle program has served the U.S. well for decades.

As with any flight program, this one had risks. Two of the five ships were lost, Challenger in 1986 and Columbia in 2003.  These were tragic days, but few questioned the continued value of space exploration. It is testament to the U.S. people that we mourned the loss of brave astronauts, tried to learn from any mistakes, and resumed shuttle launches. 

Humans are naturally curious. We want to know what is at the bottom of the ocean, what is beyond that mountain, what is beyond those stars.  We spend fortunes, invest in new technology, and take great risks to find out. I think we are looking for answers and new sources of, well, just about everything up to and including new life, raw materials, energy, spices, you get the idea. It truly separates humans from all other animal forms on the planet. We are not only curious, we try to figure better and safer ways to explore.

Endeavor's last flight is planned for April 19th.  Atlantis' last flight is tentatively scheduled for June 28th, but has not been funded.

This is the end of an era.  For people around my age, we learned about the space missions of the 60s, we may remember the moon landing in 1969, studied space travel in school during the 70s and truly experienced space travel with the shuttle in the 80s.

Since the beginning of the shuttle program, we have seen over 130 launches.  Please do not get the idea I have watched every one, but I have watched a few. However, this year I will try and watch the final flight of Endeavor and Atlantis, just like I watched Columbia take off 30 years ago.  I will experience a thrill as I listen to the countdown.  My heart will beat faster as the engines start right before takeoff. I will celebrate at the first sign of liftoff. I will watch in awe as the shuttle heads into space and the planet gets smaller.  I will smile as the screen changes to a shot of NASA control.  I will bow my head and say a small prayer for a safe journey. I will marvel at the shuttle. And finally, I will be sad knowing that the shuttle flights are swiftly coming to an end. 

It was beautiful.  First you listen to the countdown. As you listen, you are reminded of the substantial infrastructure needed to launch a shuttle. Second, you got to watch it lift off. Discovery climbed into the atmosphere. From the attached cameras you could see the planet get smaller and smaller.  The ship rotates and then the booster tank is ejected. Off it goes on yet another mission. One we somewhat take for granted.  The first shuttle took off over 30 years ago.

A Pioneer Passes

Ken Olsen, cofounder of Digital Equipment Corp (DEC), died today. He was an entrepreneur. His contributions to the technology and computer industries were substantial and long lasting.  DEC was a high tech leader in building computers with (at the time) unheard of computing power and speed.  At one point, DEC had 125,000 employees.  He, along with others, helped create the infamous Massachusetts Route 128 also known as the High Tech Corridor. DEC was started in 1957 and purchased in 1998 by Compaq.  Mr. Olsen earned his degree at MIT and worked for the Office of Naval Intelligence He was part of the team at the Office of Naval Intelligence that developed a flight simulator.  It is worth taking a moment to remember a giant of the high tech industry and the long lasting impact of his work.

The Fundamentals of a Business Expansion Program - DRAFT

First, allow me to begin by saying the word “retention” in the phrase Business Retention and Expansion (BR&E) program is a major thorn in my side.  It is the overall context of “retention” within name of the program that gives me trouble. Retention implies old, tired businesses that we are trying to save.  It implies that the community actually has programs and resources to “retain” jobs, to respond to companies with incentives when they threaten to relocate or shut down, and to repeatedly reward those companies that decide to stay for staying put.  We all experienced situations when it is necessary to customize a solution to “retain” a company.  In this case retention means the community’s economic survival hinges on keeping the company, but those events are rare.  I think the types of economic development programs that serve local business and industry should be called Business Expansion Programs (BEP).   The term “Business Expansion Program” communicates that the locality has a program for existing business and industry that their growth plans.  

BEP programs remind me of car insurance.  Everyone knows it is necessary, but it is not always appreciated until it is needed.  This is unfortunate; it can translate into a minimum effort with meager results.  Sometimes local industry executives are incorrectly perceived as complainers. So why makethe effort.  In addition, I suspect it is because existing industry executives could give economic developers lessons on operating a business in the area.  That may be information an economic development professional does not want to hear.

Most economic development board members do not know what to expect or why a vigorous BEP program is needed. The impression is that an industry call program is good because you visit existing customers, but board members cannot really tell you what they expect or the results they hope to achieve.  The best case scenario is expansion announcement.  It comes down to managing expectations.

The second component is that it takes more work than non ED professionals and ED board members realize.  It takes far more time than simply meeting with an existing company.  The follow-up and researching issues raised by local company executives can take 2 or 3 times longer than the actual meeting/interview.

On the other side, when you call on an existing industry, no matter how much prep work the ED professional does, the local industry executive is still wary for the reason of the call.   It is understandable.  It is not uncommon for existing industry executives to think the request for a meeting is a fundraising request or some other issue non-germane to the business operations.

A BEP good program requires the following:

·                     ED staff must have a general understanding about the basics of business.

·                     Calling on local executives at their facility is a fundamental requirement.

·                     An open ended questionnaire is preferred. The more the client talks, the more you learn.

·                     Follow-up is critical to the future relationship and the reputation of the program. 

·                     It takes perseverance to address a client’s concerns and challenges. 

·                     Patience is essential.

·                     ED staff should consider themselves an extension of the company’s staff.

·                     A confidentiality agreement may be requested by the company.  Take it as a good sign.

·                     Contrary to popular belief, “I don’t know” is an acceptable answer, IF it is followed up by a timely response to the question or issue.

·                     No is an acceptable answer if you can tell the industry executive why.  It helps if you can offer alternatives.

Economic development professionals walk a fine line when working with existing industry.  A confidentiality request must be handled with the greatest respect.  A break in confidence can result in rumors or worse, articles in the local newspaper or nightly news.  The company executive team has an internal process to work through and it usually takes time. 

The basic goal of a BEP is to begin building a relationship with existing industry executives. As the relationship grows you will be able to gain valuable economic trend data and primary intelligence.  In addition, as you interact more with your local company executives you will be able to bring to their attention programs and resources they may not be aware of.  Only through this type of effort can you build a successful program.  With every communication to an existing industry executive ask yourself am I adding value to their operation?

Resources

An economic development professional has two main organizations and two service providers to help build a viable business expansion program.  The list of associations is not by any means comprehensive, many state economic development organizations have active programs.

National Associations

Business Retention & Expansion International (BREI)

P.O. Box 3212

Bismarck, ND 58502-1852

(800) 677-9930

http://www.brei.org

International Economic Development Council (IEDC)

734 15th Street NW, Suite 900

Washington, DC  20005

(202) 223-7800

http://www.iedconline.org

Service Providers

Blane, Canada Ltd.

1506 Cadet Ct., Suite 100

Wheaton, IL  60189-7380

(630) 462-9222

http://www.blanecanada.com/

ExecutivePulse, Inc.

11 East Fourth Street

Erie, PA  16507-1439

(866) 397-8573

http://www.executivepulse.com/

Background Assistance

University of Minnesota Extension Service

http://www.extension.umn.edu/BusinessRetention/index.html