Know Each Other: The Pacific Daily Times and Information Age

For Gary deBock, Michael Perry,

And Enoch Olson whom they succeeded

Table of Contents

For Gary deBock, Michael Perry, and Enoch whom they succeeded

Introduction

The Know Each Other Sector

Editing: A Broad Skill Set

Future of Media and How News Gets Delivered

Advertising and Subscription News

Networks: SEO, Phone Books & Markets

Social Marketing

Freebook vs Freemium

Technology and Renaissance

Helping Contributors

New Digital Style Guides

Ink by the Barrel

Eras within History

Five Millennial Movement Trends

Emergent Church

The Off-Center Zodiac

The Premillennial Era

In the Generation Jesus Returns

Kooks and Conspiracies

Premillennial Era: The Pacific Worldview

True Conservatism and Political Marketing

The ‘Make Money’ Movement

Establishment Meltdown

The Myth of ‘Non-Biased’ Journalism

Scripts

Political Correctness, Stereotypes, and Prejudice

Faux News

Victim Culture

Adventures

History of the Pacific Daily Times

About the Author

Introduction

Things change at every stage of history, but the trend is for them to change faster and faster. If the trend continues, we’ll see as much change as has happened over the last two centuries happen within a single decade, then even more change in the decade that follows. When that era comes, it might be best called the Era of Eras or the Age of Ages—not superlative, but plural. That wouldn’t happen until after Christ reigns on the Earth.

One of the greatest barriers prior to the 21st century was the Pacific Ocean. Before we enjoyed Internet and translation helps, people depended on ships, airlines, a much more limited mass media, and professional translators to bridge the Pacific void. Digital media and mobile technology are bringing people together. The Pacific left a watermark and there is much catching-up to do.

Old tools don’t fade quietly, but they still fade or nichify; some even pass away. Those who change with the times thrive. Change is easier for those who can see the future before it becomes history—and they along with it.

I may refer to Pacific Daily Times as the Times. This is more of a habit than anything else. But, so as not to confuse you, I’ll always use a capital T when I do.

The topic of news itself brings up many secondary topics. This book tries to touch on the areas that relate to and stem from digital media. I made the chapters small for this reason. If you don’t enjoy a chapter, it’s okay to skip it. The book is not tightly sequential, but does read somewhat like a progressing set of opinion columns. Some concepts do build chapter to chapter, such as Premillennial Era, but not too much. I even find some of the chapters boring, but they are necessary in order to serve the purpose behind the book.

Of course, if you want to write a review about this book, you will need to read the whole book first. That’s part of good reporting. Many problems in our world come from people critiquing each other, but who don’t know each other. Ironically, Judging without listening is a big problem across the world, but particularly in America. Of all, Christians are best at this, even with all the Bible passages that teach against gossip. One can easily see why I named this book just as I did.

It is difficult to discuss the changing and passing of the times without problems from the old guard surfacing now and again. By definition, Establishments always struggle to change with the times. So, this book uses the term Establishment more than once. This creates a problem because of the need for consistent definitions.

What does the term Establishment mean, anyway? I capitalize it when used this way, just for clarity. Still, someone will probably object, most likely from the old guard. Institutions create subcultures and ruts that are difficult to escape, especially for old dogs who have no interest in learning, even to save their own bones. That’s the Establishment.

So, to those who cynically say, I just don’t know what you’re referring to, I answer, Oh, yes you do. That’s why you object.

Establishments lack foresight and gratitude. An Establishment sees itself as entitled rather than indebted to its base—whether an audience, readers, subscribers, members, customers, fans, donors, voters, or other supporters. From their attitude of entitlement, they think their base is indebted to them. This is why many pastors and politicians have trouble listening.

After all, does god take advice from mere mortals? The God with a capital G does.

By contrast, even Jesus rules not because he is entitled, but because he is worthy; he is the Lamb who was slain. Never despise Jesus for the sins of any Establishment, even an Establishment that plagiarizes his name. That would misreport the facts.

Jesus is anything but Establishment. I created the Times to be a news source and info hub that was worthy of him. This is no small chore, which is partially why I named it after the world’s largest ocean—partially.

The feeling of entitlement and pride blinds Establishment leaders. It makes them weak and puts them in danger. They are like ships at sea that give orders to lighthouses and are insulted by buoys. In the same turn, they fear all the people they shouldn’t and can’t stand up for the things that they need in order to survive.

The mismatched priorities of Establishments are too often seen as a nuisance when we should see the weakness for what it is—Establishments are neither as powerful nor as popular as they are in their own eyes. Neither fear nor spite nor argue nor fight any Establishment. Stay sharp, keep informed, do what’s right in your own sphere, and put your neighborhood’s Establishment out of business.

Don’t complain. Just get busy. And always take the time to know each other.

Singapore is a fabulous example of the wealth and happiness that can be created by an anti-Establishment. While much more could be said of the small country than can go into a large book, its government says it all. Spitting on streets is illegal and they beat criminals with sticks. Singapore is a small, yet independent and sovereign, nation with its own standing military. They are anything but politically correct. Since the beginning, Singapore’s people have elected the same family to lead the country, like a king who is re-crowned term after term. The day that family feels entitled, Singapore will become history.

The Know Each Other Sector

When I was very young, my grandmother would always tell me, Jesse, talk to old people. They have wisdom. The term old people is not something I would use today, but that was the word my grandmother knew a young child would understand. She told me to learn from them, so I did.

Our seniors carry living history. Black Ebonics uses the term Original Gangsta’ (OG). They were there in the day. The struggles of their youth shaped the struggles we have in ours, for better and worse. Whenever I come across an OG, I learn as much as I can. This is why I have many of the perspectives, opinions, and well-trained, unusual biases that I do. I enjoyed seeking people out just so I could listen to them. It wasn’t until many years later, shortly after I stared the Times, that I realized this is the basic work of journalism: to know each other. Unknowingly, I have done the work of journalism all my life. My grandmother taught me to.

In college, when I took a required class called Introduction to Mass Communications, I first thought it was off-topic. Our department head led the class, most of which was discussion. We had a thick book that addressed a wide array of subjects. Much of it was about how to know each other. I didn’t realize it at the time, but the class was right on topic.

I’ve also come to realize that it is not just mass-communications—many fields of expertise relate to the same thing, including marketing, PR, press office, mass comm companies, staff meetings, advertising, and even an open door policy at an organization… These different fields are a topic of ongoing mystery to many experts because these fields are not viewed as being one-in-the-same. So much that we do, we do simply to know each other.

Raising general awareness helps people know each other. In the corporate world of administration, people will always say, talk to the right person. But not even the man at the top can’t make the right decision for the company unless people throughout the company know that decision is a good idea.

Many problems don’t arise from lack of talking to the decision maker, but lack of collective understanding. Even bad leaders are able to rise to power in the first place because of general unawareness about those leaders’ capabilities and which abilities they need. Knowing each other helps teams grow stronger. Healthy teams are better equipped to stop problems before they get out of control. This is another reason why it can be a good idea to allow employees to discuss ideas in the absence of management, even while on the clock.

It’s interesting that business leaders are starting to advise companies to remove managers, view a thorough article and quotes from Peter Drucker, here where business managers seemed to emerge alongside the same pages of history as Communism. Dust on the horizon—especially with digital age, individual craftsmen, and freelancers—indicates a foreseeable trend to eliminate managers.

While we’re on the topic, as an editor linking to external articles, I feel compelled to add that the double hyphen -- rather than the em dash — may be used on many blogs, but we prefer the em dash — it at the Times. Confusing them is a mistake of novice writers. I was surprised to see it in Krauthammer’s columns.

My father might add that we are often surprised at things that indicate that we shouldn’t be surprised at the things that surprise us. Or he might just say that we shouldn’t be surprised as often as we are. To which I would add: if we know each other.

Whether in organizing people or proselytizing the evangel of em dash—raising awareness throughout an organization or industry causes discussion. This leads to brainstorming and creativity. Ideas become better. Then, leaders have a lens to see which issues are important in their statistic research and feedback reports. We have better ideas because of open-source idea development. Consumers will want to use a product or service if they understand how it can be useful. Then, it’s easier for the right person to make the right decision.

In this sense, all press is good press. All reporting is an endorsement of a topic, even if the reporting describes something as being bad. Slam and smear articles often have a reverse effect. Pop musician Eminem provoked the media into smearing him, a tactic for free advertising. Readers pay more attention to headlines than to the ads next to them. As ideas spread, people think about them, reinterpret them, improve on them, and pass those ideas along to others.

Polished marketing and spin aren’t as powerful as management often thinks they are. Cutting-edge leaders (not managers) see that tone changes nothing nor is it sustainable for the long-term when working with the masses. A kind tone of voice can’t change the tide nor does it repair the damage of a lie. A rumor or false information may mislead the masses for a short time, but once the public knows the truth, the spin artists will have a very heavy price to pay.

Some unethical people think that they may be able to get their quick snake oil sales and take over the world fast enough so that, when the public finally learns the truth, it will be too late. They vainly hope to have their position already solidified by that time so that, even armed with the truth, the public can’t wrest them from power. But visionaries know that this has never happened because it can’t happen. Sooner or later, all liars meet their end. That’s why I stick with the truth rather than spin. I don’t bother with smear campaigns, neither to start them or fight them.

As for tone of voice: It’s not what you say, nor how you say it, but why you say it. People know if you rebuke them from love. Kind words, when used to mask hatred, feel like venom.

While I’m in media myself, I don’t confuse smoke n’ mirrors with reality. People can see through spin because everyone spins their own stories with their friends on a daily basis. The idea that all press is good press is easier to accept and understand if one merely gives credit to the masses. For me, marketing is just another name for know each other. The more accurate, the better.

Open-source licenses are another way that we can know each other. It is naturally human to share with each other, free of charge. We charge for some things, of course, but other things we enjoy sharing because it is the pleasure of fellowship. Neighbors share the products of their kitchens, farms, and workshops because sharing is part of what makes it fun to work.

Web and software developers cooperate through forums constantly. Discussion and sharing makes up a significant portion of the web—communication is arguably the the purpose of using the Internet. Sites like GitHub and SourceForge organize ways for programmers to give each other code to easily test, change, improve, and distribute software. Development forums are another tool to help people know each other.

Wikipedia has many contributors. Its transparency makes it easier to have our knowledge pooled and fact-checked. Humanity has engaged in Wikipedia-like activity all through human history. MediaWiki and other forum software merely