Writers should not sit on your editorial committee. They are too likely to suggest articles they'll want to write.

The Editorial Committee (if your association has one) should consist of people who are knowledgeable about the industry or profession and can identify topics that members want to read about. Writers should simply write what they are told to (or asked to) write about.

Audience needs, not author desires, should be the priority.

"A new medium doesn't necessasrily displace an existing one," states ESPN The Magazine. "An established medium can continue to flourish so long as it continues to offer a unique experience."

During the 12-year life of Google, the mag claims, magazine readership actually increased 11 percent. In fact, magazine readership enjoyed its greatest increase among higher income readers.

Like we've said before, one venue does not always replace another. It may simply offer users another choice.

If you publish a print magazine, always include basic contact information on your masthead or in another prominent location in the publication - physical location, mailing address, telephone, email, and web site.

It's a good idea to drive people to your web site, where they can obtain far more information than they would in print. But don't force them to go there for basic info - like your physical location.

If you are a virtual association (or business) post the physical location where you are incorporated, so people can easily check you out, if they wish.

P.S. Include all of the contact info on your web site, too.

A magazine editor suggested improving the visual quality of a customer's advertisement.

The ad was cluttered, unfocused, and unprofessional in appearance. The customer said the ad brought in a lot of business. The editor predicted a cleaner looking ad would bring in even more.

The new ad ran in the following edition and the customer did not receive a single call.

The old ad was reinstated the following month and the customer reported a flood of calls. He knew what would attract people to his business.

Don't assume that your way is always the right way. Yes, it may be more professionally sound and commonly practiced in the workplace. You may even think it's the way of the future. But it may not always be the best way for that association or customer.

Ask your audiences what they want and provide it to them, even if you think they should want something else.

When Chicago Area Runners Association published Chicago Runner magazine, we did not promote company products.

Companies would often claim that our members wanted to know about their new products. That may have been true. But we refused to be a commercial mouthpiece.

Companies could purchase advertising space to communicate with members, if they wished. (What they really wanted, though, was free editorial support).

Editorial copy should not be influenced by commercial interests.

Not too long ago, I lamented the seemingly low number of members who opened the semi-monthly newsletter of the Association of Running Event Directors. I was surprised to find many associations experiencing even lower rates.

During the past year, slightly more than 50% of its members opened the newsletter and about 33% of prospects opened the abbreviated version sent as a teaser. While the rate of prospect-to-member conversion was low, prospects did attend educational sessions and generated positive word-of-mouth about the association.

Just because members don't open the e-newsletter doesn't mean they don't want to receive it. Maybe, they just don't want to read it. The member contact, though, is important.

Also, many members have restricted e-mail use at work, where they receive association communications, and can't always open documents from unapproved sources. That is especially true if the association is not work-related.

(At Chicago Area Runners Association, fewer than half of the participants in one of its Chicago Marathon training programs opened a congratulatory e-post card sent to them immediately after the race).

All members don't want the same benefits from every association. Their needs may differ and their preferences may change over time. They may enjoy the choices the group offers, though, even if they don't opt for the benefits you think should be important to them.

So, don't fret if people don't open the newsletters, alerts, post cards, and other items you send electronically. It doesn't mean they don't care about the organization and it doesn't mean they don't value their membership.

If you want to know what they do value and care about (and you should), ask them.

Some members of the American Copy Editors Society have lost their jobs as print publications fired copy editors to save money.

Here's a headline from today's Chicago Tribune: "Evanston adopts green building ordinace"

As errors like this increase in number, people may get used to them. That's too bad - and not just for the copy editors.

It bothers me when I can't tell the difference between editorial copy and advertising copy in a printed magazine (or anywhere else, for that matter).

Making editorial look like it's not editorial just makes me skip it. I generally ignore ads, unless they are visually compelling. Even then, I observe them for their marketing impact, not their relevance to my needs.

While reading the April issue of Associations NOW, I almost skipped Kevin Holland's two-page spread: Unspoken Truths of Association Leadership. It looked like an ad (but not on this link), so I wasn't interested.

As I was about to turn the page (I like being able to turn pages), I noticed the header that indicated it was a regular feature. So, I looked at it again, and realized what it was.

I also don't like graphics and copy superimposed over each other (like it is on page 26). Some people may think it looks cool. I find it distracting and difficult to read.

People can't be tricked into viewing advertising. Effective ads draw readers to them (like the Baltimore ad inserted before page 33). Editorial copy doesn't become more interesting or useful if images are splashed across the words.

Different types of copy have different purposes. Each should be easily identifiable so users can acquire what they need and not waste time on what they don't.

"Workshops Blog Continues Gorwth," was the title of the posting.

We all make mistakes, but we shouldn't make this one.

As print media fold or shift to online delivery, nursing home residents are among those who are likely to be left behind.

Print media and television are the only connections many of these folks have to the wider community. Their isolation will be even more severe as these connections are lost.

The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) is helping local nursing home residents learn how to surf the web. For most residents, though, computers are not the answer - even if they could learn how to use them.

Few nursing homes can or will provide computers for residents. Those relying on Medicaid aren't likely to pay for anything that isn't mandated by law.

More than half of all nursing home residents have no families or visitors. Many (usually women) were caretakers of now-deceased spouses. They are confined to their facilities, generally due to physical limitations. They have no privacy (bathrooms don't even have locks), are told when to eat and sleep, and cannot leave the premises without supervision (which is rarely available).

For many, newspapers are often their only informational outlet and the only source for mental stimulation. They can discuss, opine, and form their own opinions about world issues.

The UIUC program is creative and necessary. Those hailing the demise of print media ought to think of ways for nursing home residents (and others without computers) to avoid being further isolated and cut off from news about local, national, and world events.