Quick! Name a leading source of news about the California energy crisis and the latest fluctuations in gasoline prices. CNN? NBC? "Energy News Live"? The latter may not be
a household name for most Americans, but it's a content-rich news site that's heavily bookmarked on the desktops of energy analysts, regulators, and industry "influentials" in
natural gas/petroleum exploration, delivery and trading circles. Here's the kicker: the news venture is housed and bankrolled by Williams, a heavy hitter in the energy space,
No.168 on the Fortune 500.
If any doubts linger about whether lines are blurring between traditional news organizations and PR departments of corporate America, here's proof. Launched last October,
"Energy News Live" offers top-of-the-hour reports and news analysis from Williams' trading floor nine times a day - plus a host of other vertical content goodies specific to the
energy industry, such as an energy commodities market index, an ongoing news ticker and real-time regional weather reports. (Weather updates are financial barometers in the energy
biz because temperatures and other extreme conditions have a direct and immediate affect on energy prices.)
Callie Mitchell, VP of strategic marketing and e-business for Williams Energy Services in Tulsa, Okla., says the news portal met skepticism from its critics last October after
its launch when they assumed it would serve as little more than a mouthpiece for the corporate energy giant.
"Energy News Live" looks like other media: the operation boasts news bureaus in Washington, DC, Houston and Sacramento, and posts daily updates from multiple New York
exchanges. "Our research has confirmed that people believe we are credible and neutral," Mitchell says. "We had a bunch of analysts in here one day last month and the top story
was about how [our chairman] Keith Bailey was running a demon cartel and was being sued by the state of California. That's certainly proof that we don't control the stories."
Williams proved its commitment to objectivity by contracting with a team of experienced energy reporters through third-party news service True News, an affiliate of the
Ackerman McQueen agency in Tulsa, to develop both text and live broadcast content for the site. The reporting team enjoys complete editorial license - and much of the content it
generates appears not only on Williams' site, but also funnels to other "traditional" news organizations through content partnerships.
The "Energy News Live" studio rests adjacent to the energy giant's commodities trading floor. News gathering and production expenses are covered by the company's branding and
communications budgets. Unlike some other independent news organizations that are floundering in the wake of declining ad sales, "Energy News Live" enjoys a slightly more stable
funding stream, stemming from a larger corporate branding initiative.
"We never intended for this to be a profit-generating venture," says Mitchell. "Top management embraced it as a wonderful investment in our customers." And while paying for a
team of journalists to report industry news that occasionally reflects badly on the company may sound counterintuitive, it's garnered a windfall in stakeholder trust for Williams.
Notably, Mitchell says, the news venture is helping the energy wholesaler differentiate itself among prospective investors and employees. Becoming part of the media has even
raised the company a notch on the integrity scale: its web site has become a staple in the economics curricula at several universities.
Mitchell won't disclose the price tag on Williams' content venture, but allows that the budget is akin to what most competitors in the energy sector spend annually on
advertising.
"This is a strong way to establish ties with customers, educators, analysts, regulators and other important audiences," says Kerry Malone, Williams's director of corporate
communications. "What [this initiative] does is offer evidence that we're not an old line energy company. It shows we've got some sizzle." On the other hand, "we are not in the
news business; we're in the energy business," she clarifies, reiterating the fact that the news team for "Energy News Live" operates on the outside.
It looks like a news organization to us. And regardless of who's doing the reporting, the logo in the background says Williams.
(Callie Mitchell, Kerry Malone, Williams Energy Group, 918/573-8300)
Broadcast on a Budget
You can't afford to set up a deluxe production studio in-house nor can you afford to outsource your news venture to a full-service production company. Now what? Consider free
agents. "There is a large pool of independent cameramen, producers and writers who are experienced in TV production and working as freelancers," says Christine Nyirjesy Bragale,
a former assignment manager and producer with AP Television News and now media relations manager for Goodwill Industries International in Bethesda, Md. Hiring independents means
you still benefit from third-party objectivity and expertise without paying such a pretty price. To find qualified vendors, check out http://www.productionlink.com. (Christine Nyirjesy Bragale, Goodwill Industries, 240/333-5264)