Long Tail or Vert Ramp?

Spend three minutes and read this great Wall Street Journal article on blogging.  Succinct and categorized: just the way we like articles. 

What's interesting to note is the way major publications feel about blogging and social media: love 'em one moment, hate 'em the next.  Can't live with you, can't live without you.  Don't want to...well, you get the idea. 

Let's take stock of some stories of the past half-year (using the Wall Street Journal in this example):

July 24, 2006 - The Wall Street Journal partners with Technorati to use Technorati's data to scoop the most blogged stories. 

December 20, 2006 - Joseph Rago, an assistant editorial features editor at the WSJ, published an opinion piece that calls bloggers insignificant.  Joseph charges that, "blogs are not as significant as their self-endeared curators would like to think...they ride along with the MSM like remora fish on the bellies of sharks, picking at the scraps."  He continues, "Nobody wants to be an imbecile...People also like validation of what they believe; the Internet, like all free markets, has a way of gratifying the mediocrity of the masses."  Read it for yourself.  Undoubtedly, a thought-provoking opinion.   

February 6, 2007 - The Wall Street Journal Online runs the aforelinked article on blogging for websites.  It features celebrity blogger Perez Hilton (warning: material is caustic, borderline NSFW, and addicting), real name Mario Lavandeira, who consistently outscoops major publications such as People and US.  Perhaps Mr. Rago would like to read this piece from his own publication because Mr. Lavandeira is definitely not "picking up the scraps." 

As piecemeal as this is, the takeaway point is this: as an integral part of media, blogging can't be ignored.  Is it time to assume that some long-tail residents are moving on up the vert ramp? 

I think so.

-Johnny

Note: Personally, I love what CNET is doing.  CNET requires that its blogging journalists respond to all reader comments and questions.  Although there are many critical unknowns in this mandate, it nonetheless sets the correct precedent for how publications should talk with its readers.  The Washington Post also deserves kudos for serving as a model for publications as they cautiously enter the digital age. 

Comments

[Danielle]

Johnny,

Per usual, an excellent post. I think that the view of mainstream media is skewed by the fact that anyone (and increasingly, everyone) can write a blog and call themselves a blogger. Because of this, the mainstream media is quick to take the gross average of the blogging community and write it off as little more than attention-mongers who ran out of moleskin journals. Sadly, they lose sight of the fact that in every category, interest and concern there are blogs that have become the number one source for news, advice and entertainment.

Blogs are unique in that they can be literally as good, bad or ugly as their writers but in cases like this and this, they can also radically shape their corner of the world. They are small voices with very large microphones and boy, are they singing!

[Johnny Chan]

Danielle,

Awesome points. On the rare occurrences when big microphones and better conversations meet, it's a thing of beauty.

Thanks for the thoughtful response.