BBC layoffs and site closures

That bastion of British media, the BBC, has announced spending cuts to its interactive division leading to layoffs and possible site closures.

Reported in the Media Guardian this week, the BBC's new media director Ashley Highfield announced plans to cut £6m from the budget for the next financial year.

Around 100 web staff will lose their jobs as a result of the decision, and while the Guardian article stated there has been no decision on which sites will suffer, a piece in The Register suggests that 'areas fingered for the job losses include interactive Factual & Learning, interactive Development & Services (new media central) and Radio & Music interactive'.

International Journal on Media Management: call for papers

The International Journal on Media Management is calling for papers for its volume 5, no 2, 2003 edition focusing on Company Leadersip in the Media Sector.

"Media enterprises are confronted by significant challenges due to convergence, globalization, the entry of new content providers and instability in established media markets. In this uncertain environment, leadership is critical in guiding firms and success and failure of media enterprises."

Deadline for submission is 30th March 2003.

Tridion moves to help government streamline

In a very clever move by content management vendor Tridion, the company has set up a special 'public sector taskforce' to help government bodies create clear, content-rich websites.

With so many government and public sector websites receiving a slating in reports like the Interactive Bureau's Report into Key Government Web Sites published in November 2002, Tridion is clearly looking to position itself as a specialist in a market sorely needing some guidance.

Microsoft's role in paid content

Today's E-media Tidbits from Poynter points to an announcement by Microsoft that the company is looking to capture a piece of the paid content publishing scene (now there's a surprise!). Their new 'research window' to be included in all Office 2003 programs gives users the ability to search for content supplied by a range of publishers.

Rich Gordon comments in the article that this could mean Microsoft becomes "the equivalent of the cable company for paid online content", and that the reach of the product could mean that anyone wanting to sell content online will really need to make it available through this service to be viable.

Storytelling in Business

Moving from a 'service' economy to an 'experience' economy drives the central points of this Europemedia.net article which suggests businesses should be telling their customers a story.

Not a 'story' in the form of a fabricated fantasy tale, but presenting their products and services by more effectively communicating with the public. Engaging with your audience is, of course, one of the tenets of good commercial writing - indeed any writing, and the message from this article is clear: businesses need to really engage with customers, rather than just sell at them.