ATTENTION YOUNG JOURNALISTS - BE YOUR OWN BRAND

Journalism has obviously been a cyclical profession and is reflected in journalism school enrollments (1), especially since I started my career in the mid-1970's. When I left the University of Missouri-Columbia J-school in 1979, jobs and good pay were plentiful, especially in local TV news where I worked as a reporter/photographer in Missouri, Kansas, Texas and Florida.

One thing I've learned since then - you will be penalized by journalism employers for growing older and being more expert at what you do, especially in TV news. I also learned that with such a nomadic and volatile employment environment, it's best to have additional non-journalism skills that can serve as a back-up "day job". That's why I morphed in the mid-1980's into corporate TV production, public relations, movie and network TV production. Now, I am on a path to teach middle and high school history and am attending college again.

Today, compared to the 1970's and 1980's, young people with a journalism degree have so many more opportunities to do what they love because of the dramatically increased numbers of ways they can reach a news audience - print, "radio", magazine, TV - as a result of the Internet and wireless device revolution. The medium is no longer the message (sorry Marshall McLuhan), the CONTENT is now finally the message.

You Tube, podcasts, blogs, Internet radio channels and networks (iTunes, IHeartRadio, etc.) and other ways of connecting with an audience proliferate now. Back when I started as a journalist, there were local TV, radio and newspapers to work for and to gain experience with, and of course the big national newspapers and network television news programs were there for a select few achievers to join. No CNN or Fox News, no Yahoo News. The opportunities were limited.

Porter Versfelt III in the Florida Everglades working for 

WCKT-TV (NBC) in 1981. The station news helicopter is on the left.

I and my young colleagues back then would have killed to have so many ways to distribute our work. Today I believe, if you are a good journalist and writer, and perhaps also have a good on-camera presence (video), you are in control and do not have to be dependent on working for a news organization. I urge you to freelance, BE your own brand. There are no limits to your future. You are now in the age of Free-agent Journalism.

(1) Anderson, Monica, Pew Research Center: "The Job Market Tightens, But New Journalism Grads Remain Upbeat" (06 August 2014) Source: Journalism Enrollment Study

Copyright 2014, Porter Versfelt III

Attention To Detail

Attention to detail.

You learned it in school.

Your grandfather taught you about attention to detail in his workshop.

You learned about it the hard way when your college professor gave your A+ term paper a "D" because of its many typos.

Attention To Detail is a core belief and central part of our culture here at Versfelt Communications Group.

At other television public relations agencies ... not so much.

Google Chrome is a big deal. It certainly was for Google, but its ad agency didn't pay full attention to detail in this 2011 full-page print ad for Google Chrome in the New York Times.

Look at how Chrome is spelled where the ad states "Download Google Chome" ... what ? !

The agency misspelled it's client's name!

We see this happening more often today than in decades past. But not in our shop. Not on our watch.

At Versfelt Communications Group, we pay attention to detail.

http://www.businessinsider.com/huge-typo-in-googles-campaign-for-the-chrome-browser-2012-4?nr_email_referer=1&utm_source=Triggermail&utm_medium=email&utm_term=Advertising+Select&utm_campaign=Advertising+Select+Mondays+2012-04-16

Please Support Political Cartooning

I have enjoyed the political cartoons from the very talented A.F. Branco over the last year or so. I believe that, no matter what your political leanings or beliefs are, it is healthy for Americans to laugh at ourselves, and perhaps think a little more deeply about important national issues. This is why political cartoons are so valuable to the public discussion.

If you can help spread the word about his work, advertise on his web site or encourage your local newspaper to publish his cartoons that would be wonderful, thank you.

Porter Versfelt III




This message is from A.F. Branco:

"Dear Friends

First of all thank you for sharing my Political cartoons and your thoughts. It has been an honor to serve with you as a fellow patriot.

For approximately 2 years I've devoted my self passionately (Full Time) to getting the conservative message out through my cartoon art work for little to no income at all. Although I originally didn't do this for the money or to retire wealthy to an island somewhere in the Bahamas, I had hoped at some point I could turn this into enough financially that it would allow me to continue my passion into the future, but hard times have hit us all.

I'm a better artist than I am a Businessman. but for the next few days I'm going to try to sell myself a little better so that I can stay in the game. The next few weeks will decide my political cartoon fate.

(THIS IS WHERE I COULD USE YOUR HELP) I'm going to start selling add space at the bottom of each cartoon, and increase local and national news paper subscribers. (Subscribers will not have the add on their cartoon).

If you like the cartoons please contact your local NEWS PAPER and ask that they subscribe to A.F.Branco's cartoons at

If you know someone who would like to run an ad at the bottom of my cartoon viewed by thousand daily, please have them contact me at

Your participation will be very appreciated and may determine if I can continue in the future

Thank you.

A.F.Branco"