Reinventing Associations: Part I

We are witnessing (and helping create) a transformation change in the availability and transfer of information and knowledge. It is a chance not seen since we moved from an agrarian society to the industrial society (which Putnam defines as the "Gilded Age" and "Progressive Era").

The "poster child" for this transformation? The decline in influence and profitability of "legacy news media" (newspapers, radio and television). So far this year:

105 newspapers have been shuttered.

10,000 newspaper jobs have been lost.

Print ad sales fell 30% in Q1 '09.

23 of the top 25 newspapers reported circulation declines between 7% and 20%.

Up front disclosure: This blog post has been influenced by several excellent sources I’ve read over the last 12 months. Key among them are:
Clay Shirky's Here Comes Everybody
Chris Anderson's The Long Tail and (soon to be released) FREE: The Future of a Radical Price
Charlene Li and Josh Bernoff's Groundswell
Robert Putnam’s Bowling Alone
Joe Pulizzi’s content marketing blogs at Junta42
Seth Godin's daily blog FeedBlitz
Joe Water's blog Selfish Giving

Three key elements highlight the transformation:

1) Anyone can be a "publisher."
We have moved from an era where news and information came to us from a "publisher" who owned the printing press or broadcast tower. Because of cost, the rest of us couldn’t afford to be "publishers." The internet, Web sites, blogs and social media tools (such as Twitter) have changed the definition and speed of news and information. Anyone with access to the Internet (wired, wifi or mobile) can be a publisher. Recent examples: A plane crashes in the Hudson. Someone on a nearby ferry snaps a photo and links it to the world (and legacy media) via TwitPic. Tweets, YouTube videos and Facebook photos from a rally for freedom in Iran sparks worldwide interest despite the government’s restrictions on "foreign journalists."

2) Everyone can find everything.
Wherever information is (Websites, blogs, YouTube, Flickr, Twitter or print), Google, Bing and other search engines mean that we can discover nearly anything ever published, posted, photographed or videoed. And, we can find it fast. We create it. We share it. We own it. As a result, we are no long totally dependent on a "publisher" with exclusive control of information and knowledge.

3) It’s FREE!
We can access almost all of this information and knowledge at no cost (other than our time). The search engines are free. The software is free. And, it is changing the business model of all who were able to sell information and knowledge. Craigslist’s free services have assumed classified and want ads that were once a huge profit center of newspapers. eHarmony "stole" the personal ads, another money maker. And, Free blogs and "e-letters" from individuals and companies are replacing newspapers and professional journals.

Some manifestations of the change: The American Newspaper Editors Association has changed its named, dropping "paper" and now is the American News Editors Association. The Christian Science Monitor drops its printed editions. The Detroit News/Free Press drops home delivery two days a week. A CBS radio station ends a news report saying "for more details, see our Twitter feed on our web site." News out of Iran’s election projects flooded the world even through the traditional media was shut off. Tweets announced the death of Michael Jackson 37 minutes before CNN announced it. Valuable information from MarketingProfs.com that used to be exclusive information for members of the American Marketing Association.

As an association professional, I am both excited and worried about the impact of the transformation on trade associations, professional societies and charitable foundations.

Why?

Because our model resembles that of publishers/owners of legacy media.

For more than 100 years, trade associations and professional societies have been knowledge centers exclusive for their members. Since we controlled the information and delivery mechanisms, we could restrict it to those who paid member dues to belong. The association’s printed newspaper and/or magazine and/or journal and/or convention served as a major benefit of joining your trade association or professional society.

The high cost of "publishing" content made it virtually impossible for others to provide knowledge reduced the chance of competition. The result drove membership and permitted associations and societies to charge dues (subscriptions) for the content and knowledge.

As the news media establishment has discovered, that model has changed.

Today’s members and potential members can find "our" information fast and free from a multitude of sources.

What's an association to do?

That’s the subject of Part II.