Saw a question on linkedIn and here on why there was so little good news in the papers. Having been a journalist before joining the dark side of the force, I have mixed feelings about this. I banked serious money writing about lay-offs, murder, rape, heroic police officers chasing bad guys, fistfights in bars, and corrupt politicians. Most of the time, I had the impression that financial rewarding of my articles was directly linked to liters of blood, sweat and tears. I did invest in “nice” stories about “good” stuff. A girl winning a dance contest. A man building the Eiffel tower with yellow matchsticks. People genuinely being happy at looking at the beach. Stories that made me happy even just writing it. Frankly, no one was even remotely interested in publishing them. The sad truth is: good news does not sell. And it does not sell, because no one wants to read it. Using simple mathematics, you could prove that people get the media they deserve. And people pay premium to know more about Paris Hiltons bed habits, Brittney Spears’ children, shoot-offs in schools, warming planets, tropical diseases, terrorism, war, and people randomly dying in utter misery. That is the news we read, thus pay for, thus encourage. It will be a long time before happy campers counting butterflies will rock the charts again… 🙁
Danny Devriendt
Danny Devriendt is the Managing Director of IPG/Dynamic in Brussels, and the CEO of The Eye of Horus, a global think-tank focusing on innovative technology topics. With a proven track record in leadership mentoring, C-level whispering, strategic communications and a knack for spotting meaningful trends, Danny challenges the status quo and embodies change. Attuned to the subtlest signals from the digital landscape, Danny identifies significant trends in science, economics, culture, society, and technology and assesses their potential impact on brands, organizations, and individuals. His ability for bringing creative ideas, valuable insights, and unconventional solutions to life, makes him an invaluable partner and energizing advisor for top executives. Specializing in innovation -and the corporate communications, influence, strategic positioning, exponential change, and (e)reputation that come with it-, Danny is the secret weapon that you hope your competitors never tap into. As a guest lecturer at a plethora of universities and institutions, he loves to share his expertise with future (and current) generations. Having studied Educational Sciences and Agogics, Danny's passion for people, Schrödinger's cat, quantum mechanics, and The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy fuels his unique, outside-of-the-box thinking. He never panics. Previously a journalist in Belgium and the UK, Danny joined IPG Mediabrands in 2012 after serving as a global EVP Digital and Social for the Porter Novelli network (Omnicom). His expertise in managing global, regional, or local teams; delivering measurable business growth; navigating fierce competition; and meeting challenging deadlines makes him an seasoned leader. (He has a microwave at home.) An energetic presenter, he brought his enthusiasm, clicker and inspiring slides to over 300 global events, including SXSW, SMD, DMEXCO, Bluetooth World Congress, GSMA MWC, and Cebit. He worked with an impressive portfolio of clients like Bayer AG, 3M, Coca Cola, KPMG, Tele Atlas, Parrot, The Belgian National Lottery, McDonald's, Colruyt, Randstad, Barco, Veolia, Alten, Dow, PWC, the European Commission, Belfius, and HP. He played a pivotal role in Bluetooth's global success. Ranked 3rd most influential ad executive on Twitter by Business Insider and listed among the top 10 ad execs to follow by CEO Magazine, Danny also enjoys writing poetry and short stories, earning several literary awards in Belgium and the Netherlands. Fluent in Dutch, French, and English, Danny is an eager and versatile communicator. His BBQ skills are legendary.
