There is a saying in international diplomacy that “my enemy’s enemy is my friend.”  Lately, one local media outlet has turned that old adage into “my enemy’s friend is my friend.”

With the documented decline of traditional print journalism(detailed in the 2011 and soon to be released 2012 Garrity Perception Survey), media outlets like the Albuquerque Journal and New Mexico Business Weekly have been more deliberate about their online footprint.

Reporters for the Albuquerque Journal have been successful in building an online following; tweeting about stories they are developing or sharing links to their published stories.

The New Mexico Business Weekly has been building its following through promotion of enterprise and wire stories from other group-owned Business Weeklies. And getting more vocal with Twitter.

The new @NMBW publisher @_IanAnderson has been active in tweeting sponsored events and articles of interest from outside his newspaper group.  The source list includes @WSJ @PNM and, as of this weekend, @JFleck the lead science reporter for across town rival @ABQJournal.

Yes, there has always been friendly banter among co-workers @newsieHeather and @antoinetteA as well as @amberlee_wx and @stILETtO7.  There is also a friendly dialog with that group and the print side of #twitter that includes @jolinegkg as well as cross channel rival @katiemkim mixing it up about issues and social plans.

Outside of established marketing partnership between certain media organizations, the cross promotion of editorial is something that isn’t seen often, if ever.

The @_IanAnderson approach is brilliant.  By sharing information from a competitor he is showing his followers as well as those who follow @JFleck that he is a resource for information.. regardless of its source.  That kind of approach has a way of building followers and credibility in the social media realm.