Applying Newspaper Best Practices To New Media - An Interview With Tom Foremski
Tom Foremski is the founder of Silicon Valley Watcher (SWV) — a popular news blog reporting on the business of the Silicon Valley, Calif. He's formerly a staff writer for the Financial Times of London where he wrote on high-tech companies such as Oracle and Microsoft for the San Francisco bureau. In an interview Foremski discusses the state of new versus traditional media and how SVW consistently breaks the news.
Silicon Valley Watcher has grown exponentially since founded. Why are you so popular?
We like using newspaper best practices. This means using non-sensationalist headlines that resonate with people, writing headlines consistent with what is actually covered in the blog. People retweeting our posts helps too because often they tweaked what's best and most relevant to them personally. Often, this might inspire me to rework a blog because their angle is stronger than what I had. It’s important to learn from your followers [on Twitter].
How do you generate your blog and article ideas?
I generate stories the traditional way by going directly to the source, by talking to people and by going to events. I don't sit for too long at my desk and I prefer coming up with something original, not just rewriting something I've read. I also like looking at what people share on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. This might lead me to a sleeper story. I also receive leads from public relations people who pitch me ideas.
Silicon Valley Watcher is great at breaking technology and business news. How do you do it?
Mostly by looking where others aren't really looking. Sometimes the news is buried in Google's financial report or as a mention in a news article. Breaking news first is not easy, but it's very satisfying. It goes back to traditional newspaper practices — getting a scoop is not rehashing a press release before a competitor. That's what writers in new media often get wrong.
As a former journalist for a prestigious global newspaper how do you feel about new media?
I loved working for the Financial Times because the stories there made more sense —having said that, now is a very exciting time to be in the media. The business model for online versus traditional media is very different and while traditional media is getting smarter about finding profit, it's not there yet. The Bay Area News Project for example, whereby a wealthy philanthropist gave $5 million to help produce local news for the Bay Area, is a real mistake. Journalism must stand on its own two feet. Media is how society thinks of things. If we have crappy media, we will make crappy decisions. We must develop a vibrant, sustainable business model for a new system. I believe we will get there, it just will take time.