This comes by way of Paul Grabowicz, the Jschool's own Sam Zell:

"If you haven't watched it already - Sam Zell's speech to Tribune workers:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/columnists/sam-zell-chicago-tribune,0,4817994.column

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LDy7vn7-LX4

And while you're at it, Howard Owens' "Maybe it’s journalism itself that is the problem:"

http://www.howardowens.com/2008/maybe-its-journalism-itself-that-is-the-problem/

But shouldn’t Zell be making the decision about what to focus on and what the strategy is? Seems like a cry for help/support from his associates which he isn’t getting? But what is he going to do about that? He obviously needs the Tribune Co to focus on something different, but what? Revenue? Journalists don’t focus on revenue obviously. Who was he referring to for help? He doesn’t have any ideas yet?

The problem seems to be what a news organization should be. Nobody has defined that very well. Why doesn’t the Tribune have a tv show? Why can’t I just go to tribune.com and have 3 buttons. TV, Radio and Print? I should just get the news in a simple straightforward way. Ad placement just needs some basic editing so it’s well placed. They need to come up with a workflow that suits their editors (journalists) and the profits will come. Well that’s one possibility.

The thing that urks me about those videos is how all the good stuff, the conversation that happened there is edited out. This is a pretty good symbol for the closed model. It’s a good example of “lesser” usage of internet video too, from the Tribune. The video player is pretty horrible as well. When ad placement begins to tear up your layout then it’s bad placement.

If revenue needs are so dire there is no reason there can’t be:

• one video on the screen preferably a higher quality is available with ads everywhere else on the screen.
• every square inch would be fine. As long as that video is front and center and it’s enticing and the ads don’t overpower the content.

Think of a picture with a frame around it. The frame is made of advertising, kind of like an arena at a football game. A print button next to the video would be nice if I wanted the transcript or comments. But they definitely got my attention. It’s great. The more hits the video gets the more people will bid for that placement.

I want more from the tribune’s own content … that “story” could have been a great opportunity for them to bring their ideas forward. So what if other companies learn from it. It builds momentum if more companies follow because you found a model people can latch on to! Companies are just made of people anyway so…