Associations following Newspapers? It's
Talk v. Action
Two-dimensional thinking by newspapers has put them in a precarious spot. They aren't the first industry to be in this same spot. In fact, they have reported on the many before them. They have in some cases even predicted the situation to come. And yet, they watched smugly by.
One of my very favorite association thinkers, Bruce Butterfield of The Forbes Group, reminds us that our industry - associations - is patterning itself after the newspapers. Maddie Grant, another of my fav thinkers, captured Bruce Butterfield's latest thoughts in a post with the intention of getting us talking. Will talk help?
In December, ASAE hosted its Big Idea Month on Acronym. About half-way through, Shannon Otto asked what's going to happen with all the talk.
A number of years ago, I attended a leadership meeting at ASAE and we talked about creating a incubator for associations to create the future model. We urged ASAE to create a safe haven for associations to explore.The project hasn't (yet?) reached the light of day. But this would take the talk to action.
Today, I am working with two associations that are venturing out of the safe world to create a new future. They are finding the path unmarked. They are gambling with resources. They are fielding questions and jabs. They are the brave ones though. They may be the survivors too.
So, read Bruce's comments and the growing number of replies. Add you own. But don't stop there. Talk didn't save the Rocky Mountain News or the hundreds of others shuttered in 2009.
Always in search of ideas.
Thanks for chiming in all.
@Maddie, we can get that incubator going and I think that @lisa can connect us to some good points.
@shannon I know there are good examples of papers surviving but the clamour of the failures mute that - we need to look at those and dissect, yes?
Peggy, thank you so much for this post! I'd love to hear more about those two associations you're working with--maybe we could connect offline?
Your post raised one issue in my mind, and I wanted to make sure your readers know--Acronym's Big Ideas Month was something our staff bloggers organized because we thought it would fit well into Acronym's mission to question the conventional wisdom of association management, spotlight
innovation and excellence both inside and outside the association
world, and explore new possibilities for the future of associations. It wasn't organized by the ASAE & The Center's leadership or senior staff--just those of us who work on the blog. Acronym is like Associations Now in that it's an editorial product for and about the profession, rather than a vehicle for or about ASAE & The Center, and our bloggers' opinions aren't necessarily those of the larger organization.
All of that said, have you heard about the Association of the Future project? It might be close to the incubator program you wonder about in your post. It just launched recently, so there isn't a lot to report as of yet, but I'd be happy to provide you with more info if you'd like. Just let me know.
Thank you again for this post and for pushing all of us to turn talk into action!
This conversation is near and dear to my heart. As a journalism major in school, I worked at the student newspaper for three of the best years of my life. Although most original reporting still does originate at newspaper now, their business model is utterly failing. I'm hoping associations don't go the way of newspapers. Perhaps the ones who experiment, take chances and gamble will be the successful ones.
Thanks for posting this! I tend to agree that we are all talk. What can we do about that?
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