Page Six is one of the most powerful directories on the internet. Because the industries which fall within Page Six is vast crosshairs are often so dependent upon creating buzz, they require the Page much more than the Page requires them. This creates a severe imbalance of power which the wrong (or right) individual can easily exploit. This article will explain why Page Six is such a powerhouse for SEO.
There have been many occasions where I have come across an interesting piece of news. And I can truthfully say that this has often proved to be a highly coveted bookmark for my readers. For example, just the other day I came across the following story. An entertainer had recently come under fire for posting comments on Facebook about a story she had commented on, which was subsequently picked up and promoted by Fox News. In her post, she had included some derogatory comments about Fox, and this news story was therefore Page Six, and hence very popular.
What struck me as unusual about this story was that the Page Six editors, who evidently did not feel the need to mention that the post was a publicity stunt were quick to point out that it was not true. It made me think about the difference between PR and gossip in the traditional sense. For a PR or corporate entity, their goal is to create a positive PR and build trust. A gossip story is usually meant to serve as entertainment, although some Page Six editors do put in content which is informative and/or which backs up their own stories: they are not trying to turn Page Six into a source of gossip.
So why should Page Six be any different? It seems to me that most large news organizations, which are often seen as the purveyors of ‘hard news’, have an interest in turning Page Six into just that: entertainment. After all, the goal of any newspaper is to find ways to attract new readers. The Page Six editors understand this well, and if anything, this situation seems to confirm this fact. They know that most people who read the paper will see nothing more than the fluff and that they will therefore likely ignore the stories that come up.
However, a quick look at the history of Page Six reveals that its editorial policy hasn’t changed all that much in recent years. Brady is adept at inserting snippets of information that can be considered current; however, the entire piece is never truly informative. As an example, a few years back, Brady wrote an article about the death of Bob Marley; he included a quote from his famous album, but the article didn’t bring anything more than a trivial reference to the singer’s demise. Brady realized that he had gone too far in this fashion, and he eventually decided to refer to the singer’s passing instead.
This seems to be an example of where Page Six has fallen short of its goals. The Daily News has long been considered the ultimate “go to” place for breaking news, and it has successfully cornered the market on news stories. Brady realized that he had to find a way to create a reading experience that was more interesting than the current formula for success. He wanted his rag to be a cross between a police blotter and a gossip rag, but he also wanted it to be entertaining. To achieve this, he made every effort to stay away from celebrity gossip as best he could, and to instead concentrate on stories that were relevant to the daily news.
The end result is that Page Six now features news stories chosen by its freelance editor based on reader feedback. Whether or not the story is interesting enough to warrant a featured spot on the front-page can largely be determined by how well the editor chooses to present the material. Brady admits that his personal preferences have played a role in his editorial decision making, as well as what stories are the favorites of others in the market. In addition to picking stories that will likely attract a particular set of readers, the editor must also ensure that they meet his overall guidelines for good journalism. He has made this easier by laying down specific guidelines before starting the process.
Whether you agree with him or not, you can’t deny that Page Six has truly revolutionized the way newspapers get their news. Gone are the days of the back-page and, in its place, a fast-paced front-page read. No longer will readers have to wait for the end of another day in order to see the latest development in a story. No longer will there be the waste of time reading unnecessarily. Instead, when you pick up your morning paper, you’ll be greeted with a fast paced headline, colorful photographs and a wide variety of potential information. As Page Six continues to grow in popularity, other publications will surely follow suit, and so the era of the newspaper-and the newspaper industry itself-will continue to change.