Improving Content of Internet Writing for www.KFAN.

com
Prepared for: Mike Crusham, General Manager of the KFAN radio network Prepared by: Dominik F. Biebighauser, Internet Writing Expert November 4, 2013

KFAN Sports Broadcasting

1600 Utica Avenue South, Suite 500 St. Louis Park, MN 55416 952.417.3000

Abstract

Improving the Efficiency of Internet Writing on www.KFAN.com

Prepared by: Dominik F. Biebighauser, Internet Writing Expert The audience of www.KFAN.com has stated their personal distaste for the offesnsive language/graphics used by www.KFAN.com. We recommend that the management of www.KFAN.com acquire/hire the knowledge and experience to change the offensive outlook of the website at this time. This has become apparent after the on-air personalities of KFAN radio have expressed their desire for a drastic change of verbiage pertaining to the website, in the hopes of eliminating the on-air callers who state their grievances with the website. Certain individuals at www.KFAN.com have stated their fear of illustrating an inaccurate assumption of image the website is projecting. The overreaching goal of Internet marketing shows the need for language/graphics to be appropriate for a wide variety of audiences. Given that this is a sporting website, www.KFAN.com attracts young children, which only furthers the need for revision pertaining to the offensive language/graphics in which are being used. In order to conduct a thorough recommendation, we have turned to literary sources, observed effective non-offensive sport websites, and researched the surrounding culture of Internet marketing. Keywords: language, graphics, Internet, offensive, audience distaste

Table of Contents Executive Summary.........4 Introduction......5 Research Methods.....6 Results.........7-8 Conclusion.........9 Recommendation.......10

Executive Summary We believe here at www.KFAN.com that our Internet website was offensive to many members of our audience. We have always regarded ourselves as a class personified broadcasting company out of the Twin Cities area. With this, it became apparent that our methods for online representation were not satisfactory with the audience in which www.KFAN.com draws on a daily basis. Many audience members called into KFAN radio to discuss their dissatisfaction with our on-air personalities. Our on-air personalities began to discuss with executives the need for changing the outlook of www.KFAN.com. It has always been the goal of KFAN Sports Broadcasting to cover the biggest sport stories in the area, and also attract the eye of our audience. However, www.KFAN.com has become an apparent anomaly in our image, and we are driving away many audience members. We researched in a wide variety of areas to address this problem. We focused on sport websites that do not use offensive language, we also interviewed an expert in Internet writing, and thirdly we reviewed credible sources for how to connect better with our audience. After our research had been completed, we have concluded that it become apparent for our need in changing the diction used in our headers. Our home page was not portrayed appropriately for the wide and diverse crowd in which Minnesota sports attracts.

Introduction The on-air personalities have addressed publicly on KFAN radio the desired change of verbiage used on www.KFAN.com. After we conducted appropriate research, we now conclude that it would be in the best interest of www.KFAN.com to drastically change the diction and direction of the website to avoid any further distaste voiced by the audience. The report to come will address and supply the management at www.KFAN.com with the needed strategies to move the website towards a non-offensive sporting website. Non-Offensive Sport Websites A website that can project the desired theme or motive in an appropriate way for all age groups and also still comply with fulfilling the audiences requests is the direction www.KFAN.com should move towards. The Problem with www.KFAN.coms Image The problem we observed pertains to the diction used within the headlines, along with certain distasteful graphics that children should not be introduced too. This has resulted in an uprising of critical call-ins by listeners, who voice their opinions over the KFAN radio airwaves. This provides an awkward exchange between the on-air personalities of KFAN radio and the caller, which along with the website, may hinder the overall company in which KFAN has become in the Minnesota region. Several of the employees of KFAN Broadcasting have voiced their embarrassment of the situation in hopes to change the website. Research that has been Observed After intensive observations of the website we concluded a change must be made. Other nonoffensive sporting websites were viewed, we conducted an interview with an expert in Internet writing, finally, we conducted research into reliable literary sources. Recommendations We recommend the forthcoming changes to aid www.KFAN.com image: 1. Supply www.KFAN.com with new non-offensive/appropriate headlines to eliminate the distaste voiced by parents of young children who visit the website. 2. Use collaboration in the office and consider varying view points from professional internet writers 3. Trust the www.KFAN.com will begin to consider the wide audience in which it attracts, and start to appeal to the entirety. We will now begin to elaborate on our research methods, the results we gathered, the conclusions that we drew from this research, and finally our recommendation.

Research Methods In order to completely understand the complaints of the audience of www.KFAN.com, we conducted the following research to grasp the strategies to apply to the website: 1. We observed effective non-offensive sporting websites compared to the offensive www.KFAN.com website to better understand what sort of diction should be used to comply with all types of audiences. 2. We interviewed an Internet writing professional from a local university. Mollee Sheehan is the Director of Web Communications at Winona State University. 3. We then examined literature concerning marketing to wide audiences: a. Mercer, David. Marketing Strategy: The Challenge of the External Environment. 1st ed. London: SAGE Publications Inc, 1998. Print b. Zimmerman, Jan. Marketing on the Internet. Seven Steps to Building the Internet Into Your Business. 5th ed. Flordia, Gulf Breeze: Maximum Press, 2001. Print. 4. Finally we made recommendations from the research that we found.

Results This section of the report will supply the management at www.KFAN.com with the results compiled by our intensive research. The results will mirror the three methods mentioned in the prior section. 1. Using appropriate headlines, and choosing appropriate stories for the home page. Many audience members who view www.KFAN.com claimed their displacement with the direction the website was heading, and inquired why this sporting website decides to project itself in a inappropriate manner. When we observed the www.KFAN.com website, many aspects surfaced that deemed to be inappropriate to the viewers. Headings such as, WATCH: SEXY Halloween Costumes or PHOTOS: Oktoberfest Babes. Headings such as these have no relevancy into the sporting culture of Minnesota. Along with the headings, the placements of these links were far too accessible to the audience. If www.KFAN.com believes that these promotions are viable for the website, then they should not be placed on the home page where the casual observer is caused to view them. One headline read, WILD singles night which is referencing the hockey team the Minnesota Wild in a demeaning way, on top of projecting an inappropriate correlation for the younger audience of www.KFAN.com. We vied other requital sporting websites and concluded that using inappropriate cover stories is not the norm. The home page of www.KFAN.com should be more so directed at the major sport stories in the area, rather than promoting to a small minority of viewers of the website. 2. Suggestions that arose from interviewing Mollee Sheehan, Director of Web Communication at Winona State University Sheehan stressed the importance of adhering to the audiences grievances towards the inappropriate language used on www.KFAN.com. Sheehan stated that, thinking of your audience is first and foremost the most important part of writing. Without the audience, you have no reason to be writing. This seems to be an extremely relevant point to make when speaking of www.KFAN.com and the direction in which the website is headed. Audience members have personally voiced their opinions on this subject.

3. Literary Sources a. Mercer, David. Marketing Strategy: The Challenge of the External Environment. 1st ed. London: SAGE Publications Inc, 1998. Print In order to maintain the credibility over time of www.KFAN.com, it is imperative that management communicates effectively and fairly with its audience. Mercer writes that, perhaps the most important element of (company) models is that they allow the participants to communicate their ideas. (126). Mercer believes that in order to keep a company afloat, it is extremely important to listen to the complaints of the outsiders (the audience) so the consumers can remain pleased with the company and the companies image they are projecting. At this moment, we believe the audience of www.KFAN.com is displeased with the image being portrayed. We also believe www.KFAN.com would benefit greatly in complying with the audience members who criticize the website in order to maintain longevity. b. Zimmerman, Jan. Marketing on the Internet. Seven Steps to Building the Internet Into Your Business. 5th ed. Flordia, Gulf Breeze: Maximum Press, 2001. Print. Zimmerman writes, Writing web-style is an art in itself. Since viewers scan the screen, rather than read it, text on the Web needs to emphasize quick pick-up of key-words. (178) At this moment it seems that the key-words of www.KFAN.com are misguiding to the audience who is viewing the website. The headers of the website at this moment are not representing the key terms in which www.KFAN.com desires to represent. At this moment, we see the key words as sex or WILD singles, these seem to be inaccurate as portraying them as the key words of the website. Zimmermans chapter on what constitutes Designing an Effective Web Site does an excellent job at describing (1) Content (2) Navigation. In regards to content, Zimmerman would imply that www.KFAN.com has far to much irrelevant news and promotions that do not correlate to sporting events. In terms of Navigation, Zimmerman would claim that www.KFAN.com does a adequate job at laying the website out in relation that links and topics are easy to find. However, we believe the topics should be revisited.

Conclusion We conclude that the diction and verbiage used on www.KFAN.com has offended a wide variety of the audience. We believe that the best way of reversing these opinions is the begin to use appropriate diction and appropriate stories that satisfy the wide ranging audience who views the website. We agree with the belief of Mercer in that a company must satisfy all participants or it will not enjoy longevity. We believe that it is imperative for the management of www.KFAN.com to begin to listen more closely to the audience distaste for the websites direction. With this, we also believe that if www.KFAN.com ignores the demands made by the audience, than www.KFAN.com will not experience the possibility of continuing to prosper in the sporting lives of many Minnesotans. The writers of www.KFAN.com must be informed on the appropriate writing techniques and apply them to the headers found on the website. We believe it is imperative that the offensive headers be eliminated, and the most important stories be illustrated on the home page instead of the demeaning stories that are at this moment a consistency. Minnesota has a wide audience that cares deeply about their sport teams. The management of www.KFAN.com understands this. With this, we believe that constructing an appropriate website for all audiences of Minnesota sports is essential not only for the viewers, but also for the company of KFAN Broadcasting.

Recommendation We highly recommend that the management at www.KFAN.com revisit the content portrayed on their website at this time. The list below illustrates the changes that should be made: o o o o o o publically apologize to the offended audience collaborate with writing professionals to change diction and verbiage visit other effective sporting websites that use appropriate stories before publishing, let a group of critics view the material to discuss the positives and negatives of said story begin to identify with audience, use first hand advice in which they have given gain new ideas by conducting own research writing techniques on the internet

Once management has undergone the process of addressing these areas, www.KFAN.com should hold an office meeting with members of the writing staff to begin on the new desired image of the website. We understand the severe difference in direction that www.KFAN.com will undergo. With this, we also understand the amount of work that must be produced. We recommend that the management of www.KFAN.com should compensate employees with the amount of overtime work that must go into this drastic change of direction. In conclusion, we believe that www.KFAN.com will greatly benefit from these changes in which were recommended in this report. We also believe that with these recommended changes, www.KFAN.com will experience an even broader audience. With this, www.KFAN.com will experience longevity in the Minnesota region, and continue to supply important, relevant, and appropriate sporting content.

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