Thursday, December 16, 2010

Tech 101 | Brevard wins first place 'BUD' award

A Gannett Blogger forwarded a memo that ContentOne Vice President Tara Connell apparently sent yesterday to U.S. newspapers and other sites, about an award for use of the "Dashboard" software for newsrooms. Florida Today won the $500 first place prize.

As I understand the concept, Dashboard is a tool that lets newsrooms to see what other newspapers are producing in real time, in order to coordinate coverage across multiple worksites. In other words, it would create a unified news "budget." That's in keeping with Corporate's overall push to create a more seamless and less costly network of content production. Question: Do advertising departments have access to Dashboards?

Following is the memo's top; here's the full text.

Subject: BUD Awards (Best Use of the Dashboard)

From: Connell, Tara
Sent: Wednesday, December 15, 2010 4:57 PM

All: I am pleased to announce the winners of the Best Use of the Dashboard (BUD) Award. Thank you all for your submissions. More importantly, thank you for the creative, collaborative and enthusiastic work you’ve done to adopt the Dashboard.

Got a memo? Please post your replies in the comments section, below. To e-mail confidentially, write jimhopkins[at]gmail[dot-com]; see Tipsters Anonymous Policy in the rail, upper right.

7 comments:

  1. This is almost as bad as USA Weekend awarding its own staffers up to $2,000 for in-house contests. Almost.

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  2. Until now, I've resisted the temptation to ask whether the prize is also named for something you drink -- or smoke. ;)

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  3. Good grief, paying people to use their tools. To be followed with prizes for best mouse user, best keyboard user, best chair adjuster and best coffee drinker, too. How ridiculous and what a waste.

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  4. You'd think Tara would know better. She was once an actual journalist. This proves her transformation is complete. What's next? Matching Foundation money for her school? Tara! Don't you see the folly in this?

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  5. Tara long ago gave up her credentials as a journalist and became just one more corporate lackey.

    Consider all the calls from Gannett Blog that she didn't return. Just like any other flack weighing what they have to gain or lose. Good ones, though, return calls.

    I wonder if Tara was advising Tiger Woods after his mishap?

    "You just stay low Tiger and the whole thing will blow over!"

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  6. USA Weekend hands out four-figure awards for its own in-house contests? You gotta be kidding me!

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  7. No, Advertising departments do not have access to these Dashboards.

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