Journalist, Brand Thyself

So says Roy Peter Clark over at the Poynter Institute in a column posted today.

And, he’s right. (I almost typed, “write” .. honest.) To quote:

Do you believe in what you do? Does your work reflect a noble mission and purpose? Then it is not enough, oh author, to create it. You must do everything in your power to spread the word about your words.

With the fracturing of media and the advent of the search engine drop-in, our well known brands – the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Associated Press, Time Magazine – have become less important. Search engines lead consumers straight to what they want without having to go through the main gates. (Though the New York Times‘ experiments may be changing that.)

Instead, consumers will remember the specific person – the photojournalist or reporter – whose work connected with them. So, it’s time to market the individual. This is something television has done exceedingly well – and it’s something all journalism students and journalists should start thinking about.

So, what’s your brand? What are you known for now? And what do you want to be known for?