The Rules

1. You do not have to say anything that comes into your head.

2. Likewise, you do not have to post every thought you have on social media.

3. You should not post or even talk about "stuff you found on the internet" when you don't know for sure that it's true or it comes from a source best described as "I don't know, some site I found."

4. You know how they say "punch up, not down"? Yeah, that.

4a. Elected officials are "up." Teenage protestors are "down." Don't @ me.

5. You are entitled to your opinion.

6. You are not immune to reaction when you voice your opinion.

7. You probably should have done a little more research about that opinion before you sald it.

8. You are absolutely correct when you get annoyed when people think they can do what you do on the air, because you know most of them can't.

9. You probably can't do the jobs of a lot of the people you criticize, especially if you're a sports talker and you're ripping the coach.

10. If you criticize "the media," remember that you, too, are "the media."

11. If you're for or against something, you really should be able to explain how your listeners would either benefit from or be hurt by whatever it is.

12. "Because our political opponents would cry" does not satisfy #11.

13. Being on the radio is cool.

14. Being on the radio isn't as cool to people under, say, 30. That doesn't mean it's uncool to them at all, but they're coming at this from a different perspective.

15. Podcasts aren't radio.

16. Podcasts aren't beneath radio. They're their own thing.

17. Slapping a podcast on the radio, or slapping a radio show into a podcast, does not recognize that the platforms are different and require different content. Don't do that.

18. Unless you own a radio station (and even if you do), your future is probably on-demand, either podcasts or streaming.

19. You ain't getting rich from #18 anytime soon.

20. Due to #19, and a century's head start, radio isn't quite dead.

21. Anyone billed as a "digital guru" or expert in new media probably isn't.

22. If you're going to be on in a new market, research the place first. And by "research," I mean know everything, from pronunciations to local food quirks to the lore of the land. Nobody expects you to act like a local from day one, but respect the locals by knowing them well before they even get to know you.

23. Posting memes and animated GIFS? Do not do that. You're better than that. I hope.

24. Exception to #21: Crying Jordan. Evergreen.

25. April Fool's pranks aren't funny.

26. Lists of off-the-top-of-your-head "rules" are great at filling up columns when you're out of time and ideas.

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Out of ideas? Why, you're NEVER out of ideas for things to talk about on your radio show or podcast if you take advantage of Talk Topics, the show prep column at All Access News-Talk-Sports, which is totally free, by the way. Check it out by clicking here and/or by following the Talk Topics Twitter feed at @talktopics with every story individually linked to the appropriate item. There's the Podcasting section at AllAccess.com/podcasts.

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My podcast is "The Evening Bulletin with Perry Michael Simon," a quick (two minutes or less) daily thing, and you can get it at Apple Podcasts/iTunes, Google Play Music, iHeartRadio, TuneIn, Stitcher, and RadioPublic. Spotify, too. You can also use the RSS feed and the website where you can listen in your browser, or my own website where they're all embedded, too.

You can follow my personal Twitter account at @pmsimon, and my Instagram account (same handle, @pmsimon) as well. And you can find me on Facebook at www.facebook.com/pmsimon, and at pmsimon.com.

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Reminder: I'll be on a panel with Valerie Geller, Dan Vallie, Andy Curran, and David Crider at the Broadcast Education Association (BEA) Convention attached to the NAB Show in Las Vegas on April 9th at the Westgate. I'll be moderating a panel at the Worldwide Radio Summit in Hollywood May 2-4 with Tom Leykis, Steve Goldstein, Rob Greenlee, Doug Reed, and Gina Juliano; Register here. And I'll be on a panel about podcasting with Seth Resler, Dave Beasing, Sheryl Worsley, and Michael Brandvold at The Conclave in July in Minneapolis. Might be doing something at Podcast Movement in Philadelphia, also in July, but whether I'm on stage or just covering it, I'll be there. In the meantime, whether you celebrate Passover, Easter, or April Fool's Day, have a great one.

Perry Michael Simon
Vice President/Editor, News-Talk-Sports and Podcast
AllAccess.com
psimon@allaccess.com
www.facebook.com/pmsimon
Twitter @pmsimon
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