When I was the editor at my college newspaper, I got tons of hate mail. (OK, most of it wasn’t directed at me personally, but at a particular news story or — more often — an opinion column or editorial.) I sometimes had to write retractions or corrections, and they appeared in both the print version of the newspaper and online.

When I was the opinions editor at the same newspaper, I received even more “hate” mail. The Opinions section was one of the most widely read sections (second to Sports) and it was also a pretty polarizing one. My university was home to 35,000 students with diverse opinions and backgrounds, and often a column or editorial would stir up the masses. It was always my goal to publish columns on both sides of an issue, and I loved having point-counterpoint columns on the Opinions page.

Opinions columns are similar to blog posts; they share the author’s opinion with facts to back it up, but not every reader has to agree with every word.

Because of this background, I was extremely interested in Tuesday’s Association Chat (#assnchat on Twitter), which discussed the Acronym blog’s decision to remove a post from last week titled “Consultant Wasteland.” (Check out the transcript here.)

Just like you can’t delete something from a newspaper once it’s been put into print, you can never truly delete something from the Internet once it’s been posted. You can, however, publish an official apology, a column (or blog post) reflecting a different viewpoint or letters to the editor (blog comments) disagreeing with the original post.

I always made an effort to publish letters disagreeing with columns (yes, even columns I had written), or columns responding to previous ones. It creates a dialogue in the community, pure and simple. It lets people know their opinions are appreciated and their contributions are welcome.

Of course, at the top of every opinions page, there was a disclaimer: “The views expressed here do not represent the views of the newspaper.” Although not all readers understood that and I often got letters asking how I could publish certain columns and if the newspaper had any standards, there was nothing I loved more than starting a good healthy discussion on a controversial topic.

However, the Internet allows everyone to be a columnist and espouse views on whatever they’d like. Now more than ever, it’s crucial to allow a dialogue and conversation to take place. By deleting the post about consultants, ASAE unintentionally conveyed that it is not willing to stand by what it publishes. Will people think twice now before submitting a comment or blog post? Perhaps.

I hate to use ASAE as an example because I truly think the Acronym blog is a wonderful resource for everyone in the association community. And I don’t know the conversations that took place in its offices or all of the complaints they received about the posts. But I do know that now, after the post has been deleted, even more people are talking about it, and not in a good way. I’m willing to bet that wasn’t the intent when the post was deleted.

Like the true journalism geek that I am, I have a bumper sticker from the Newseum (located in Washington, D.C.) on my car that reads, “Talk is cheap. Free speech isn’t.” Some may say that’s just the idealistic journalist in me, but I don’t want to live in a world where we can’t speak out freely and (politely) disagree with others in an intelligent conversation.

What do you think? How would you handle criticism of a blog post? Or, how have you handled criticism in the past?

Once in awhile, I’ll read a blog post that particularly inspires me to contribute to the conversation. In this case, Bruce Hammond’s “Saving Your Job By Doing Something New” really struck a chord with me.

By training I’m a journalist, and I’ve written before about how I still have a soft spot for newspapers. Many of my friends work for newspapers, and as you no doubt know, that particular industry is in especially dire straits right now.

Because of that, I was so thrilled when my friend, a page designer, told me she was the unofficial Tweeter and “social media expert” at her newspaper. She’s also the fill-in sports editor and go-to travel editor. Although she was hired as a page designer, she used her social media know-how and interest in sports to make herself indispensable to the organization.

Stand out from the crowd

Association executives can do the same thing. The whole “that’s not in my job description” just doesn’t cut it anymore. It’s career suicide, especially in this economic environment. What other interests, hobbies or talents do you have that you can contribute to the organization?

Perhaps you’re a CPA who loves sports. Organize a March Madness bracket for your members. Although this may not help the “bottom line,” it engages members and fosters a sense of community, and — let’s face it — it’s fun.

Or maybe you’re a membership coordinator who loves to read. Could you contribute a book review to your organization’s newsletter?

This post was also inspired by Seth Godin’s newest book, “Linchpin: Are You Indispensable?”. In the book, Godin writes that everyone who does emotional, passionate work is an artist, and that doing so will make you irreplaceable to your organization, no matter which industry you area  part of.

We all have different interests and unique talents that we can apply to our professional lives. How can you cultivate your interests and talents to stand out from the crowd and help your association prosper?

Image source

There have been a few posts around the community lately about two-dimensional thinking and comparing newspapers to associations. And I’ve gotta say, it’s not such a stretch.

If you’ve been following Splash for a while, you might recall I studied journalism in college and I spent many, many hours in the newsroom at our student paper. Newspapers are near and dear to my heart, and I still love settling into Sunday brunch with the newspaper and a huge cup of coffee.

What does this have to do with associations, you might ask. See, newspapers and associations have a lot in common. Both are struggling with how the Internet affects their business model, among other things.

To be honest, reading the newspaper and clipping coupons leaves me with a feeling of nostalgia. It’s so much easier to find coupons for specific products I want using the Internet, and I’m definitely guilty of eating breakfast and sipping my morning coffee with my trusty MacBook in front of me.

I still love newspapers, though, and here’s a big reason why: Studies have shown that the most original reporting comes from traditional media sources.

It makes sense. How often do you see the same old content repurposed on blogs? Maybe it’s true that anyone can be a reporter, but professional journalists are able to provide news analyses, which are sort of a cross-breed of news stories and editorials. They’re intended to help readers fully understand the implications of a certain story and are written from different, less-explored angles.

Finally! Some association stuff…

Do you want your members to feel nostalgic when they participate in your organization? (I hope not.) Should your meetings feel antiquated and leave your members searching for another way to get the information? (No.)

It’s true that talk alone won’t save associations, just like it couldn’t save newspapers. The newspapers that have a specific focus, such as smaller local papers, are the survivors so far. It’s the larger, less specialized publications that are in danger. Sound familiar?

A step in the right direction could involve changing your communication strategy, experimenting with micro-pricing and other business models or targeting more niche groups.  So what are you going to do to make sure your (old) members don’t talk fondly about “the days when associations used to exist?”

(Image via Flickr.)

Newspaper ads are now down 29 percent, as reported earlier this week. Circulation has been declining for awhile, and Rupert Murdoch is trying to figure out if he can charge people for online content.

What does this have to do with associations?

Actually, a lot.

The business model for print media is changing. The business model for associations should be changing.

I love newspapers. Love them. But to be honest, I don’t read them in print form anymore. I hate myself a little for it (I was a journalism major and practically lived in my college newspaper’s newsroom), but I can find news so much faster online — and it’s real-time. Newspapers are outdated the minute they hit the presses. And if associations aren’t careful, the same thing could happen to them.

Associations can’t simply rely on snail mail (or even e-mail) for information distribution. Smartphones aren’t just for CEOs anymore — iPhones and BlackBerrys (and even Palm Pres) are commonplace. Most people are available practically 24/7 (whether they like it or not) and are able to get news updates on-the-go.

It is crucial to distribute trade journals and news electronically. It’s cheaper, it’s more timely and it’s more efficient all-around.

Don’t end up like the print media industry — in a downward freefall wondering which newspaper is going to close up shop next. Times are definitely tough, but moving online can conserve tons of resources for associations.

Members should be connecting electronically (and not just through list-servs) via Facebook and Twitter. Real-time interaction is vital. Put the focus back on your members and ask them for feedback — what does the association provide that members can’t get anywhere else?

I discussed virtual attendance at meetings and conferences last week, and it’s definitely a cost-effective option for associations. Real-life attendance might be down, but there’s no reason other members still can’t get some (if not all) of the information.

Webinars are a growing trend in many industries. They can be free, or come at a cost. They can video, audio or both. There are tons of options, and they’re a great way for members to interact and receive information electronically.

Associations have got to stay relevant to their members. Getting feedback from them and upping the ante on your communication and PR efforts are vital, especially as technology keeps evolving.

The information newspapers provide could be relevant — if they expounded on the news and provided more valuable commentary. Most people love newspapers for their sentimental value, but I’m afraid they won’t be financially sustainable in the very near future. Don’t let a similar fate befall your association.

(This topic was inspired by this post from Cooperative Intelligence.)