Credit: Jayme Soulati
By now, you’ve seen the Fast Company cover story, with tongue in cheek and not in check, about social media being “kinda” sexy. It’s the tonality and a few other things in question for me. If you’re late to the party; it’s not too late to see it here.
I wrote about this Monday and wasn’t happy or unsurprised that PR is getting short shrift at the mahogany table (said Barrett Rossie in blog comments) by others in the digital space AND Fast Company.
What gave me pause when reading the story start to finish was the entire tonality of the piece as well as one word choice in particular by a Fast Company staff writer, I presume (there are no bylines for the featured tips and secrets).
In comments Monday, Geoff Reiner, of Clarity for The Boss, and I were chatting about the disappointment with that kind of sub-quality wording, IMHO.
People who read Red Head Writing know and expect her to use this language in all of her post, something I’d never do and gasp upon reading a blog like the link provided. If you don’t like it, “her house, her rules,” as she always shares.
While it doesn’t sit well with me ALL the time (I’ve been known to use the f-bomb for emphasis in an adjectival sense), what bothered me about Fast Company was my stupid expectation, the props I ALWAYS give that publication, and subsequent let down as a result.
Fast Company Poor Editing
Here’s the passage; you can be the editorial judge:
“So how does a brand be intimate with a person? It’s a major mindfucker. Brands want Facebook ads to look more like the rest of their stuff; to put this new thing in an old shape.” (Fast Company, Insider’s Secret No. 2, Facebook to Ad Creatives: Help! Please!, September 2012)
So, the crux of the matter is the following, and Jenn Whinnem also raised a great point about journos and bloggers related to respectability and credibility:
Should nationally published magazines be upheld to greater standards than professional bloggers? Is the tone of this cover piece the way Fast Company itself gets invited to the table as a content marketer/blogger (thanks Ralph Dopping for that thought)?
I laud this publication every week in blog posts because I relish its content for its ability to generate blog fodder and mojo for me as a professional blogger. This cover piece on social media, although providing great inspiration for many a blogger, isn’t what I had in mind.
What say you?
Hey Jayme,
I first want to commend you for taking personal responsibility. In your post above, you mentioned how your disappointment with Fast Company came from your “stupid expectation.” Sharon at clarityfortheboss.com wrote an excellent blog post about assumptions, expectation gaps, and how to close these gaps. I recommend you have a read (https://bit.ly/RW1erY) as it’s incredibly relevant to this conversation.
Now regarding your question, I think nationally published magazines should be held to greater standards than professional bloggers. My assumption is that nationally published magazines have much more structure, guidelines, red tape, and hierarchy to monitor the quality of work published. My expectation is that when I visit a site or read a magazine, there’s consistency in the quality and product being published.
Professional bloggers are their own brands and take personal responsibility.
I would expect pro bloggers to hold themselves to a higher standard for the purpose of growing their brand and being credible. However, they have the flexibility to do what they want, and many pride themselves in stirring up the pot. As long as they are consistent and authentic, readers will know what to expect. It’s all about expectation. This blog post is about an expectation gap. People want to know what they’re getting – they want their expectations to be met!
Should magazines be held to high standards? Absolutely heck-yeah! Especially if they want an audience of professionals and businesspeople – if they want people to buy their rag, and companies to advertise. Bloggers may have other goals. Everyone earns their own level of credibility. For me, I try to write about stuff I know, which seems to be less and less these days. But if I don’t know it, I write from that perspective. I hope.
It’s interesting for me as a former ad guy to see how PR professionals take offense at “worst practices.” When companies abuse their freedom of speech rights in ads with misleading claims, or miss the mark so entirely with their communication as to put the advertising community in disrepute, I boil. So I know where you’re coming from.
@barrettrossie There are those of us in PR who do uphold ethics and standards in our profession. If you follow the PR bloggers, though, you’ll fast find a small percentage of the profession is oriented to that — perhaps it’s the seasoned practitioners.
Former ad guy? Now what are you up to?
@Soulati | B2B Social Media Marketing Former ad guy who can still do ads in a pinch. 🙂 Mostly interested in building overall marketing strategies for B2Bs, with emphasis on key messages… is that kind of a PR thing?
@Soulati | B2B Social Media Marketing Former ad guy who can still do ads in a pinch. 🙂 Mostly interested in building overall marketing strategies for B2Bs, with emphasis on key messages… is that kind of a PR thing?
@barrettrossie Uhmm, yep. You’re playing right on my team. Methinks you’ve crossed to the dark side.
On the other hand – I don’t know if you’ve seen this story, but it’s made me mad.
https://www.onthemedia.org/blogs/on-the-media/2012/aug/15/stfu-gate/
I think the issue within this particular story is NOT about using foul language in the NY Times – it’s that the NYT did not provide attribution to the site’s quotation. The Senior Editor Greg Brock, to whom I also wrote, and from whom I received the same response as the blog author, claims that the NYT did not identify the blog _from which it pulled a quotation_ because of the name of the blog. Their argument falls down when you realize that they do not apply this rule consistently across the NYT.
I think the notion of obscenity is a hot one in the US, and you won’t get consensus anywhere on that. But I think US citizens for the most part agree that Stealing is Bad. Poor @shakirahdawud and @suddenlyjamie had to deal with my angry tweets about this. Can we agree that if the NYT didn’t want to cite a controversially-named source, it should not have quoted that source w/o attribution?
An F-Bomb or expletive is usually used for emphasis. That passage just looks like crude thinking and sloppy editing, or maybe checking the thesaurus was just too much work.
@SteelToad Thanks for saying that, Ray. That passage is not even needed; delete.
My shock over that word is because there are no other words like that anywhere else in the whole cover story. In addition, I have never even used that word nor would’ve I spelled it like that.
So, it was enough to push me to write on it after the comments from earlier this week.
The profanity debate isn’t going anywhere; part of it has to do with morals and standards, part is because it is used as a ‘crutch’ for the appearance of cool. I curse; sometimes include salty language in what I write – when it makes a point, adds humor, and when I’m so compelled to not seeing another way.
But much of what’s written – not talking about interview quotes, letting them run unedited – you’re correct about the tone. Not sure I have a sense of the FC mindset; seeing profanity in Rolling Stone wouldn’t shock me. But in the context of this sentiment, it wasn’t necessary, didn’t add to the story or the author’s style. IDK Social and blogging have contributed to it but really, we’ve evolved. People curse and do drugs and have sex and all manor of things (always have, always will) – once upon a time, we pretended it didn’t happen, that it hurt our delicate sensibilities, hypocritically did it all anyway. Now we’re dropping the pretense, in magazines and on TV and in the boardroom. Is it unprofessional? Depends, everyone’s MMV. FWIW.
@3HatsComm Well said; agree. Have you watched any of Downton Abbey? Just started watching season one on Netflix on iPad, and this whole discussion reminds me of the aristocracy and the servants. What the upper, upper class observe in every day life is balanced by the bawdy servants’ kitchen and their own respect for their status in life.
Fast Company’s attempt to wear servants’ garb didn’t work.
I’m not a prude, but i also generally don’t cuss. I generally don’t find it professional, and I’ve actually decided not to work with various vendors and individuals because of their looseness with profanity on platforms like Twitter. It just doesn’t sit well with me. Some call it authenticity, I think it often smacks of putting yourself first and perhaps even being lazy. We often assume that everyone else thinks like us because we live in our own little community bubbles.
Social media can be informal, but doesn’t have to be crass. I liken it to comedians. There are very few comedians that I find funny anymore, and in many cases they rely on foul language (a lot) in order to get the laugh. You know what? I think it’s harder to be funny without profanity than it is with profanity.
For me, it just doesn’t ad any value, and in most cases detracts.
@KenMueller I like where you’re coming from, and here’s a story. I have absolutely adored Robin Williams in every movie, especially his funniest with mimic. When I snatched up his one-act comedy, I was shocked with his profanity and truly disgusted.
I am not a prude; in fact, I like to drop the f bomb as an adjective and for emphasis; but I use “flippin” and not the true word. I should do that less; but no one is policing me.
The boundaries have certainly become invisible. Thanks for stopping over Ken; great having you!
I had a major knips*(@ over the cover. I just think the whole issue was off, whether you come at social from PR or the marketing side. Just another example of the old media not getting the new media.
@geoffliving Great observation. At first I was like, cool! Can’t wait to read this; then phhhft, saw the subheads.
I hope the editors are reading these comments and blog posts; wonder if they care? I should go to their FB page and post these two this week. Think I will. Thanks for the idea, Geoff Living! And, so glad you are!
I’m a subscriber, but I haven’t read the piece yet. I am a bit shocked at that type of comment from this magazine and I really find it inappropriate. Thanks for the heads up, I will read it with an extra discerning eye now.
@KellyLux Hi, Kelly. Great having you here! Thanks for stopping in.
What’s so odd to me is this language is not apparent elsewhere in the coverage, and it’s lengthy. How could that slip an editor’s eye/discretion when it was so glaring to me?
Again, I am no angel with my language; I relish the emphasis of “flippin” as an adjective, but rarely use the actual. In a professional publication the likes of this quality brand…well, you can be the judge. (Sometimes I think I’m being too petty, but all of you here bring me back to centric thinking!)
What were they thinking? It just doesn’t make good sense on any level… A bad judgment call for sure.
@Mark_Harai Now I’m all set since you weighed in on my side of the camera!! LOL…how are you, BFF?
@Soulati | B2B Social Media Marketing All good beautiful friend… Have been on the road the last couple of weeks… (I want to go home!)
I’ve been a bit hit & miss on the social scene, but back at it soon : )
I just reblogged one of Dino’s articles on my blog… I finally got it working – LOL!
Let’s chat about it soon ; )
Happy Friday to you!
@Mark_Harai Travel safe, Mistah!
Lol, “in an adjectival sense.” Good question at the end. But hey, Jayme, it got you talking, didn’t it? The goal is always more readers for a magazine no matter how great it already is, and this was probably an experiment. We’ll see whether they get to the mahogany table. If not, they’ll probably try something else.
Isn’t it THEIR house?
The one thing that might be true is that Social Media is so new that everyone is peeing on the fire hydrant from their corner to stake their claim. So, FC got “all ya all” all fired up with their take on it, huh?
You know what, whenever they write about innovative architecture or design we Architect types have the same reaction if someone drops an F-Bomb or makes a bullshit claim. How crass. Is that language necessary? Do they know what they’re talking about? Do I?
It burns my socks.
Thanks for the mention BTW. Loving youuuuuuu………
@rdopping And, hit my post today; somehow or other, you’re featured there, too! I think I’m spoiling you. Kissing and making up…I’m done with all that! LOL!
I wrote a post how more bloggers should hold themselves up to our journalistic counterparts. Not as a replacement for news, but to gain some creditably and to give good information. It is kind of weird seeing big publication slide the other way.
I am about to have a backlash on the term content marketing. That is a whole argument I do not want to get into in the comment section right now. I think I will be talking about it next week in context with Google.