This is probably the most interesting section from ESPN's new social media policy, given the news over the past few months. pic.twitter.com/Sl5S5kGKjy

— Steven Shepard (@Politico_Steve) November 2, 2017

After the Janelle Hill suspension, ESPN released new social media policy that forbids people that work for ESPN breaking news on social streams to break the news on social streams.

https://www.espnfrontrow.com/2017/11/espns-social-media-guidelines/

If you want to waste your time reading the whole release, you can, but the tweet from Steven Shepard has the meat you need for this shitty corporate sandwich.

Every employee’s tweet including one’s breaking trades, signings, news, etc. have to be vetted before they press send.  This allows other companies that “get it” to beat you to it every time.  Brilliant.

In case you were wondering why it has nothing to do with taking the high road and everything to do with trying to exert control over a dying medium and the personalities on which it was built.

The corporate mandate from ALL MSM has evolved into knee-jerk policy to appease a board of directors and their legal dickheaded friends to show shareholders they are on top of shit.   This is the systemic issue with media outlets and is driven by their complete inability to evolve with how people consume information.   A flailing effort to homogenize an industry into a safe playpen to operate.

COURAGE?

There’s a reason podcast’s, and on-demand opinionated plain speak content is kicking the shit out of the ESPN’s, along with EVERY media corp in North America.

Its the same reason newspapers have disappeared, radio stations have become irrelevant, and TV is dead.  Relying on the history of current delivery systems in the age of the smartphone and instant REAL content is a 70’s backwoods, head in the sand approach in the age we live in.

Companies like Barstool Sports, Deadspin, etc. know that and have not only driven a wedge into how people access original content, but they know no one in a pool of 99 percent of the world’s population struggling to get, by can relate with corporate bullshit from morons like John Skipper.   The realization that people want to rally around ordinary human beings and original content they can identify and connect too.

Representing both sides of any argument is dead.  Millenials and the almighty dollar demanded with dumb down everything and stood for nothing because we have somehow lost the courage to dream in color.  We have lost the courage to stand up and start a movement or plain speak in common sense.

In Canada, it’s worse.  The CBSC and CRTC have sucked the life out of media while Gov’t Run CBC gets to drop N-words because it’s “ART.”  Companies that deliver content have demanded their people follow the same outdated safe approach.  TV and Radio specifically have castrated themselves out of fear of possible PR and legal repercussions instead of growing a spine and pushing back.  Until they do there is no policy related solution to relevance.   In fact, plans like ESPN’s new social media policy makes them LESS relevant than ever and works directly against people they have hired to be relevant.  It’s literally like beating the horse you are trying to win the race with or worse, not even allowing the horse to run because you’re scared of losing.

NOW WHAT?

The shame of this communist approach to content is brand death.   It’s not just happening; it’s happened.  Digital delivery and freedom to access and consume content on demand of your choosing are in your pocket, and it has destroyed MSM.  Radio revenue has declined 50% in major markets.  TV and print have gone through headcount bloodbaths over the last five years.  Time Magazine doesn’t exist in print.   70% of North American Newspapers have disappeared.

The dearth in this business has a tipping point.  That happens when one significant media company decides to employ “if you can’t beat em, join em” mentality and aggressively pursues the ability to evolve their ideology to:

A) Not give a shit about ass faced overprotective public opinion

B) Hire and empower the best people in YOUR INDUSTRY to get their brand to funnel into your business plan and build around them.

C) Get proactive making your industry a “digital first” venture.   Pushing your content “web-out” returning those people reciprocally BACK to your property and your original material.

D) Be RELENTLESS in your pursuit of whats next.

F) Protect your employees by getting behind them and giving them the tools to make them succesful.  That’s who YOU work for.  not sponsors or clients, readers or listeners.  Your people are your currency.  Devaluing them not only devalues you, but it also makes the ESPN’s of the world old, passive bullies instead of a destination.

If you need any help with it, call me.  I’ll do it for free for two years.  Then pay me when it works.