In today's landscape of fragmented audiences, aggregated news sites and shrinking staffs, it can be increasingly challenging for nonprofits and agencies to garner attention for the worthy brands, organizations and topics entrusted to our care. It seemed apropos and a bit ironical that David Henderson, writer, media strategist and managing partner of The News Group, told attendees today at the National Conference of Health Communications that it's time to take control of our own — wait for it ... not health ... but —news. He calls it brand journalism.

This new type of online image and reputation hub is the antithesis of traditional PR (no press releases, boiler plates or self-serving fluff allowed) and centers around credible, transparent, legitimate and timely information. Its goal is to continually engage audiences in stories, features, resources and images they find appealing. According to Henderson, more than anything, brand journalism enhances and favorably differentiates a company’s reputation as a leader, qualities that ultimately influence a unique image that is brand. Below are some practical tips for how to  maximize reach and reach influencers through a brand journalism site:

-Refresh with constant updates and news stories driven by fresh, new material.
-Use news style writing and news style photos and images that grab attention. 
-Highlight news b-roll HD video viewed from YouTube and available via a special FTP site.
-Narrow the focus to attract the right people.
-Drive traffic relentlessly to the site.
-No press releases.

Throughout the conference, the theme of convergence — the intersection of ideas across a wide variety of distinct areas — generated animated discussion and lively Q&A sessions. There was a pervasive general feeling that it's time to rethink traditional communications and cast off bad habits and things that simply don't make sense anymore. Only by considering and testing nontraditional mediums and practices can we be good stewards of available resources and build brands people believe in.      

(To hear more about brand journalism, pick up "Making News in the Digital Era" by David Henderson.)