Comments on: Blogs will Rule 2008

By: Michael Martine

Michael Martine — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 01:32:01 +0000

@Stacie: thanks very much for your “too long” of a response! I was surprised to hear the other day two stories: one, a blogger was complaining that his post was entirely ripped off by a lazy news reporter with no credit given, and two, that journalists are using blogs more and more to “get ideas” (perhaps like how that journalist in the first story “got” an idea). With stuff like that happening, it seems like any peace or dialog between bloggers and MSM journalists will be pretty hard-won.

By: Stacie

Stacie — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 07:06:56 +0000

Although I’m apparently a “communist” journalist, I agree with the others that you have a lot of good to say here.

The news (I’m talking newspapers here, because I don’t know much about TV/radio) is obviously in a state of flux while organizations try to deal with the Internet issues and the competition of 24-hour news. Many journalists and scholars are putting forth the ideas that without newspapers becoming a hybrid of online/print, there are going to be problems, especially with mid-size dailies. Those newspapers that feed off of national ads will have a hard time competing with the Internet, while those small-town newspapers that feed off of local ads might have an easier time dealing with Internet competition. Regardless, newspapers also need to do something to reach the younger citizens who are not reading, and who are not starting to read as they get older, which newspapers once counted on. To do so, interactivity and blogs can be an answer.

Newspapers are already trying to figure out ways to incorporate blogs into their structures and dealing with the ethical/legal issues that the structure of blogs pose to newspapers. It’s pretty interesting to see the efforts that newspapers have so far come up with in terms of blogs. I definitely agree that both methods have much to learn from each other! (Especially in the areas of reporting — the studies still find that most bloggers don’t do their own reporting, but engage mostly in hyperlinking while adding their own viewpoint and ideas. While it’s unrealistic to say that every political blogger, for example, needs to be a present reporter, those bloggers may also benefit from the independence of their own reporting enhanced by hyperlinking… just a thought.)

And that’s entirely too long of a response. I did some research in this area last semester for a research proposal. It is extremely interesting.

~Stacie

By: Do You Need a .mobi Domain for Your Blog? | Remarkablogger

Do You Need a .mobi Domain for Your Blog? | Remarkablogger — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 15:15:34 +0000

[...] said that mobile blogging will be big in 2008. That means that more folks will be both creating and [...]

By: Michael Martine

Michael Martine — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 04:54:44 +0000

@Mark: Great points! Yes, and last October I made a video post about the differences between blogs and “normal” websites that I think you might find interesting: Business Blogs vs. Normal Websites.

By: Mark Dowling

Mark Dowling — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 03:02:13 +0000

I agree with you Michael, and interestingly just a few minutes ago read a great post on the same issue on Conrad Hees’ blog.

My focus is business, and I see the blog – as a website format/ process/ methodology – whipping the traditional online brochureware crap we suffer with now. And this means a totally different approach to how a business presents itself online. Goodbye crafted marketing bullshit, hello reality, this will define who has a successful online presence.

By: Christine O'Kelly

Christine O'Kelly — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 01:56:22 +0000

Yes! And obviously the parties realize this! I just happened to watch the republican debate thing (I really don’t enjoy watching politics) and was surprised to see that they incorporated questions from the public by way of YouTube. Crazy… I was surprised that they even knew what YouTube was! What was hilarious was that all of the candidates were asked to make a YouTube video. Judging by those videos… I’d say they have a LOT to learn about leveraging social media!

By: Pierre Soderman

Pierre Soderman — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 01:09:18 +0000

@Martin:I agree but bloggers/anybody will get paid in fame of having his story published. Im talking about thousand of people connected to a news network wich publish their story on a website, of course mobile friendly.

By: Michael Martine

Michael Martine — Sun, 06 Jan 2008 21:50:12 +0000

@Pierre: The difference between journalists and bloggers is that journalists are paid, and bloggers often are not. Journalists travel to the story and cover it, and bloggers tend to just pontificate from behind their monitors. A news organization of any type still has to pay its workers and make a profit. Newspapers don’t make enough money anymore to really stay in business, but television news seems to be fine. Instead of a CNN we need an INN.

By: Pierre Soderman

Pierre Soderman — Sun, 06 Jan 2008 21:26:39 +0000

@Martin: What about starting a network of reporters all over the world and let them send in stories and the have a couple of editors who publish the stories that are worth telling to the world. If a reporters video got published the get some money from the sponsors of this gigantic network. The would knock out most of the serious news broadcasters

By: Conrad Hees

Conrad Hees — Sun, 06 Jan 2008 20:08:23 +0000

Great post Michael!

It is always interesting to see your predictions; I believe that we will see several of these things come to fruition this year.

I for one definitely plan on starting to video post in the near future….it is only evolution that video-blogging becomes much bigger this year. The ‘early-adopters’ will benefit the most.

Keep up the good work!