Coffee Break: SBJ plans editorial calendar for 2004

The fall weather has arrived in advance of autumn's calendar date, and the morning chill brings a new urgency to the workings of Springfield Business Journal.

This is my favorite time of year. I love the blue skies and the cool temperatures, the mist that turns to dew in the early morning, the fall colors and the falling leaves.

As a company, this is the time of year that we start planning for the year ahead.

We're putting together our editorial calendar, detailing our special section focuses for the next year, and our special events and publications.

Through that process, we're making some changes.

For example, we're planning on larger health care sections in the year ahead. The health care issue you hold in your hands is the largest one we've done in some time. Why? Because it has more advertising in it. What is driving more advertising? Well, our fantastic sales team for one. But the bigger picture is that managed care is failing.

The cost savings promised didn't materialize because the healthier population that would supposedly result from prevention didn't materialize either.

While preventive care has certainly had some impact, most people haven't changed the unhealthy habits smoking, drinking, overeating, self-medicating that lead to larger costs down the road.

Low office co-pays encouraged people to go to the doctor for every minor sniffle.

Our aging population is devouring health care services like popcorn, living longer lives, but also longer lives in ill health or with chronic, but treatable, conditions.

The pharmaceutical industry's huge consumer marketing efforts paid off in demand for the latest, greatest and most expensive medications, much of the cost of which was paid by their health plans.

Technology has advanced so far that it can perform miracles, but miracles that few can afford and everyone wants.

Physicians, asked to do more work for less money while paying higher malpractice premiums, are increasingly electing to go it alone, breaking away from large health systems to start their own clinics.

As more players enter the market, there will be more stories to write and more issues to address in our pages. There will also be more demand for advertising.

We'll see if this trend carries through the new year.

We are also planning other changes. This year we had Elder Care paired with our 50+ Retirement issue, but as Publisher Dianne Elizabeth points out, it's really not a good combination.

Retirees in the 50+ category are vital people pursuing active lives. They may be dealing with elder care, assisted living or nursing home issues on behalf of their aging parents, but the retirees themselves are traveling, engaged in sports and fitness, pursuing the arts, and indulging their hobbies and interests.

To reflect these realities, Elder Care will be paired with Health Care in 2004, and we will introduce two new focuses Business and Retirement Travel, and Active Retirement.

Another new focus, one that we feel will have broad appeal, is Lakes and Recreation. In it we will look at the fun side of lake life and the businesses that thrive on it, but we will also examine environmental issues affecting lakes and waterways.

We'll also introduce a Family Issues edition, which will focus on everything from balancing work and family, child care issues and paying for college, to family-owned business and the problems associated with passing wealth to the next generation.

If you have a suggestion about a topic area you'd like to see us focus on, please contact me at 417-831-3238 or e-mail your suggestions to cfrench@sbj.net.