Selling content: Memphis Editor Admits Fed Ex Sponsorship Idea a Mistake

[DeepModem Mom]

Editor&Publisher: Memphis Editor Admits Fed Ex Sponsorship Idea a Mistake
By Joe Strupp
Published: October 18, 2007

NEW YORK Editor Chris Peck of the Memphis Commercial Appeal says the paper ventured into "treacherous ground" when it considered having Federal Express sponsor a six-part series that will likely include reporting on the cargo company. But he stressed that no deal was ever finalized, and the sponsorship fell through after editors opposed it.

"I went to our publisher and said we have probably gone half a step more than we should have gone on this project," Peck told E&P Thursday. "It is treacherous ground when you start talking about having an advertiser in a section that has them in the reporting."

At issue is the pending series "Memphis and the World," set to run over six Sundays starting in November with stories about how the Tennessee city has linked to other parts of the globe. The series came about at the same time the paper has sought new approaches to advertising, including finding sponsors for specific columns and coverage areas. In a September memo to staff, Peck used the phrase "monetizing content" to explain the idea of selling around news and content....

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As the advertising pursuit continued and reporting for the story occurred, Peck said the top reporter and editor on the project were concerned that Fed Ex could be seen as a conflict since the company would likely appear in the series.

The concerns sparked meetings between advertising and editorial staffers, and even a petition opposing the idea, which sparked a staff meeting on Wednesday. The alt-weekly Memphis Flyer weighed in with a story Wednesday that stated editors had contacted the Poynter Institute for advice and that the controversy was "sending a shockwave through the newsroom." In the end, Peck said the paper decided the series would run as a special section without advertising....

http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003660204

[angstlessk]

1. This is indeed new(s)...selling news to the highest bidder?

now THAT is scary!