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From Obbie, 2/18: This is a fun topic. Considering it’s been written about months ago in national
magazines, Geri’s idea for as-told-to – or some other novel way of telling the story – seems called
for.
While we might make room for a full page FOB now and then, they should be the exception to the
rule. You haven’t shown in the pitch or assignment that this needs so many words to get a simple
point across. But what might make it more useful to readers is advice (in a sidebar?) on how to find
these businesses, whether or not they’re listed on Segal’s site.
I haven’t looked in depth at his site but one thing to watch for: Is he essentially selling advertising to
these businesses (either through an upfront fee or by demanding a cut of resulting sales)? Or can
you be listed without paying him? If the former, as I suspect, beware. Ask him questions about why
20-somethings should trust this site if the entry requirement is to pay Segal a fee. And find out what
other methods exist for finding such businesses. I don’t mean to sound hostile to his concept – it’s
quite possible it’s altruistic and well-meaning – but we don’t want to be unthinking PR tools for an
enterprise that is raising money (whether for activism or profit).
Maybe one sidebar could be a list of your picks of 20-something-owned businesses that you
recommend.
Re the style for 20-somethings, I don’t intend to repeat this umpteen times all semester. Please
learn the AP style for this, and use it. (Hint: Look it up under twenty, and it’s 20-something.)
ASSIGNMENT MEMO
Section: FOB
Slug: BuyYoung
Writer: Lizzy Gomez
Editor: Gerilyn Manago
Due date: Friday, Feb. 24
Word count: 600 words; one page
This FOB piece will be a one-page feature it’s an FOB. Features are in the feature well. Yes, we really
do parse our words carefully at a magazine, so as not to confuse the various sections. on Matthew
Segal, founder of non-profit Our Time. Although we are interested in the growth of Our Time, we
are more interested in the “buy young” initiative. Ask the basic questions but really hone home in
on why Segal believes in the “idea that a consumer would purchase a product to help a struggling
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demographic can be effective.” Look at what has already been reported, though, and make sure this
FOB stands apart by offering a new voice:

http://www.fastcompany.com/1725725/matthew-segal-25-founder-our-time

http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/capitalbusiness/our-time-triesorganizing-the-under-30-set/2011/08/02/gIQAK9xw0I_story.html

http://www.portfolio.com/business-news/2011/07/13/our-time-entrepreneursset-out-to-buy-young/
With regards to structure, I wouldn’t mind seeing this as an as-told-to. (I like an as-told-to more
than a Q&A simply because the latter has been done before.) I think this format will distinguish this
FOB from the feature article (which will look at several stories from entrepreneurs).
Please let me know if you aren’t able to contact Segal in the next couple days. In the event that he is
unavailable, we will need to reconfigure this page in the FOB.
Links:
http://www.ourtime.org/
https://www.facebook.com/OurTimeOrg
https://twitter.com/#!/ourtimeorg
Original pitch/Obbie’s comments*:
*This story was pitched in a Google Doc that our group started. In addition to the pitches for class, we
each pitched an additional three FOB ideas. This is one that came from that idea tank. Good to know.
Thanks for the info (which spares me the agony of searching fruitlessly on the wiki for a pitch I
don’t recall).
Buy Young trend: Matthew Segal is a 25-year-old who started a non-profit called Our Time
in July 2011. The organization is meant to help entrepreneurs and job seekers under 30, in
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part because this demographic faces a 14% unemployment rate, Check that number. I’ve
read it’s even higher than that. which is higher than the national average. Its latest effort is
“Buy Young,” which is similar to “Buy Local.” The idea is to encourage people to patronize
businesses owned by twenty-somethings. We could interview him and talk about the whole
“Buy Young” concept.
http://www.thefiscaltimes.com/Articles/2012/01/30/New-Retail-Trend-Buy-Young-orBuy-Old.aspx#page1
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