PromiseMedia.com focuses on practical online management and provides insight on best practices for content and media Web sites.

The site is a project of Promise Media LLC, an Internet publishing and consulting firm dedicated to knowledge, integrity and independence in online media.

Promise Media was founded by Scott Bateman, a professional journalist and senior manager with 28 years of experience as a reporter, editor and online general manager. He spent 21 years of his career at Cox Enterprises and Media General, two of the largest media companies in the U.S.

Bateman launched the first public Web site for Cox Enterprises in 1995 and led the company’s Internet operations at a Seattle TV station, Dayton newspaper and TV station, and Virginia Beach cable operation. He left Cox for Media General in 2002 and was responsible for all of that company’s 30 Web sites in Virginia, a staff of nearly 50 people and a highly profitable operation.

He left Media General in 2007 to fulfill a longtime goal of launching his own Internet publishing and consulting business. Caribeez.com, a Caribbean travel guide, is his first site, and it is the result of eight trips to the region. The site was built with Joomla, an open-source content management system.

His second project is DashWeather.com, a branding experiment that provides weather forecasts in a fast and simple presentation.

While he is not working on publishing projects, Bateman is on a long-term retainer as an online media consultant for the Virginia Press Association. His projects there include online consulting to member newspapers and a statewide online advertising network for all Virginia newspapers. He also has rebuilt the association Web site, VPA.net, using ExpressionEngine.

His consulting expertise covers all major functions of online general management including content, finance, marketing, advertising, technology, human resources and strategic planning.