My Two Cents: VideoAge Gets A Trampoline To Launch Its Editorial To Higher
Standards
By Dom Serafini
We at VideoAge are
in the process of establishing an Editorial Review Board, a committee
that will analyze the quality of our editorial coverage, give a critique
of what articles said and what they missed, and suggest future editorial
coverage. The Board’s reviews will also cover what the publication
has failed to report, as well as conflict of interest issues.
This Board is especially important now due to the changing nature of the
entertainment business and the new attitude toward the press. A lack of critical
input, combined with dwindling sources of direct information and reluctance from
executives to be candid on or off the record, will, in the long run, affect the
quality and usefulness of any publication. However, we want to avoid these pitfalls
and create a remedy in our usual innovative form.
The business of television (VideoAge’s tag line since its inception) used
to be straightforward; one could have even reduced it to a simple equation: advertising+production+hardware=television.
Today, instead, this equation has become like that of an algorithm for high definition
video compression with interactive features.
For all of these reasons, we at VideoAge are recognizing early on the
need to have a panel of distinguished entertainment executives who do not have
special interests to protect, who know the business, and who can guide us toward
maintaining our editorial integrity and quality by using the following “Mission
Statement” as a measure of reference:
VideoAge wants to be the industry’s indispensable tool: an all-encompassing
instrument with which entertainment executives the world over will
be challenged to think outside the box, and also stimulated to bring
a new dimension to their business - a dimension that, ultimately, will
translate into more and better business.
VideoAge reporters and editors recognize that our readers know
more about the business than we do (not having, as journalists, performed
any of their duties), but as observers we want to be their third eye.
VideoAge also wants to be a mirror: a reflection of what’s out
there. Like the Roman philosopher and dramatist Seneca said, “Mirrors
have been invented so that man can know himself.”
VideoAge wants to be timely, accurate and in-depth, to inform
in a balanced and comprehensive way, and to be proud of its editorial
integrity while striving for excellence. VideoAge wants to be
analytical and critical, yet constructive and, above all, to work for
the good of the industry.
The distinguished members of VideoAge’s Editorial Review Board are
indicated below. Their bios will soon be available on our Web site, www.VideoAge.org.
Jean-Louis Bironne, France
John Cuddihy, Latin America
Charles Falzon, Canada
Douglas Friedman, U.S.
Alan Howden, U.K.
Peter Hughes, U.S.
Russ Kagan, U.S.
Glen Kinging, Australia
James Marrinan, U.S.
Fiorella Massa, U.S. and Italy
Rita Scarfone, U.S.
Arthur Weinthal, Canada and U.S.
An internal document with
rules and regulations will govern the Editorial Review Board, whose
members will also be encouraged to monitor VideoAge at various trade
shows. To facilitate this, we will petition market organizers for the privilege
to accredit them as members of the press should any of them choose to review VideoAge operations
in the field.
Dom Serafini
