"Content is King" and Other New Media Myths

I've discovered a little secret about that well-worn, well-meaning digital trope, "content is king."

Namely: If you have to say it, it's probably because you're not showing it in what you do.

I've worked for a decade in newspapers and magazines and, before moving into the digital world, I swear I never once heard one person utter the phrase "content is king." You know why? It never needed to be said. What we did all day made it obvious.

Which makes me wonder: when did it come to this? When did we get so off-track that we all needed to be reminded, often and via a cliched alliterative phrase, that people don't come to your website for its sweet CSS or awesome forms? (Treading on dangerous ground here, as I am married to an amazing web designer.)

When did we lose track of the idea that what you say and how is the most important thing?

It's a serious bummer that "content is king" ever needs to be said, and a frustrating oddity -- as strange to me as if there were televised reminders to encourage everyone to wear pants each day. Why isn't this obvious?

But there are encouraging signs. I find hope in the upstart industry of content strategy, led by the whipsmart Kristina Halvorson at Brain Traffic. I'm excited about the upcoming book Content Rules.

Here in Nashville, folks like Laura Creekmore and the incomparable Kidd Redd are beacons of light for quality web content with purpose, and I've been lucky enough to cross paths with them enough to stay hopeful.

And of course my old friends at The Tennessean are breaking new ground with web content all the time, even though they're more likely to call it by its older monikers: writing, editing and reporting.

Content isn't king on the web, not yet. Not as long as we're still paying it lip service and leaving it there, while lorem ipsums hog the page for too long and content farms hog the underemployed writers for too long.

But I have a good feeling. I predict 2011 will be the year content gets its due. It's just inevitable.

But really, it can happen anytime. When you're ready to stop the lip service and get to the good stuff, get in touch. I know some people.

Update: This great post by Redhead Writing does a lot to sum up my feelings. Um, with more F-bombs. Cause that's her thing, I think.