Best way to make the move from print to digital? Don’t wear a suit to your interview, according to Greg Coleman, president of the Huffington Post, in this piece from Advertising Age.

Suits you, sir

The article says a lot more than that. I just put it up front because it’s a terminally stupid comment, and I wanted to get it out of the way before looking at the good points in the article.

Cracking the code

Yes, I’m biased. I like suits. They’re very English. And, as any fool know, informal dress codes can be more oppressive than formal ones, which are largely based on the notion that God made man, but suits made them equal. But that’s not what I wanted to blog about, so…

The point being…

This is actually a pertinent piece about people who want to make the transition from print to digital.

OK, it’s about advertising, not journalism. But it’s reassuring to know someone else is agonising about all things digital.  And there are some points that may be relevant to journalism.

Then there’s the skills message. Digital isn’t new any more. Those who have yet to move from print are now competing with people who have a long track record in digital.

And, as J.D. Rehm, managing partner at Mercury Group, a media and marketing recruiting firm, says in the article. “if a print person hasn’t touched digital yet, what is that saying about them?”

It’s a powerful point, and certainly food for thought for anyone working, or aiming to work, in the media.

Tell me a story
Inkies can take heart, though. The final quote talks about print types being people “who understand audiences and could craft a story”. Which makes me think that maybe it really is the message that counts as much as the medium?

And I still think they’re wrong about suits.