Why newspapers are dying and bloggers are winning

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.geekmba360.com/?p=625

March 14th, 2009 · Comments

A lot have been written about the demise of newspapers. The newspaper industry seems to blame technology, proliferation of free content on the web, and Internet advertising model.

I want to share something that I’ve experienced since I started this blog six months ago.

The traffic for this blog has been growing 50%+ each month. As a result, I’m starting to get media requests for interviews. In the past few months, I have talked to reporters from “old media” outlets such as Associated Press, Wired Magazine, etc., as well as fellow bloggers.

I have to say that I love to talk to bloggers – they’re genuine, authentic, responsive, smart, and knowledgeable about the subject area they write about. They know what they’re talking about. Every time I talk to a blogger, he/she will follow up with me and let me know when the article is out.

On the other hand, the journalists from the “old media” tend to be “takers” – I try not to over-generalize here. But, I ran into quite a few journalists with almost identical behaviors:

1. they send a me a email saying that they’ve a very tight deadline for an article, and would like to talk to me ASAP
2. I juggled my schedule to talk to them. In most cases, the interview lasted about 30 minutes
3. Near the end of the interview, the journalist would usually tell me that the article would go out in x number of days.
4. I stop hearing from them. I emailed them and asked them for a copy of the article. It’s totally silent – no email reply, no phone returns. I then forgot the whole thing. One or two months later, I got another email from the journalist – they have some other questions.


FULL story at link.

[Lost in CT]

1. Bloggers don't need to get paid would be the top reason...

The death of classified advertising has killed the newspaper more than anything else.

[Missy Vixen]

3. Bloggers should get paid

It takes some work to cough up a quality blog. Mine isn't always brain surgery, but I work hard at it, as do many other well-read bloggers around the Web.

It's a good thing one can run advertising, or you'd go broke.

[moundsview]

4. Maybe bloggers should form a union. n/t

[Omaha Steve]

5. Damn

I know I rarely curse. I had a bookmark on a blogger union. I lost it last week in the "BIG PC CRASH".

[Uzybone]

6. paid by whom?

their readers? That'll be he death of the blog if they start charging readers.

[Missy Vixen]

7. There are multiple bloggers that either solicit donations, have ads or both

>That'll be he death of the blog if they start charging readers.

Then I have to wonder about those readers.

None of this comes for free. DU is a good example. It costs money to keep staff working, servers up, etcetera. I don't ask anyone for money at this time, but I am looking into advertising.

People wonder why newspapers are going down right and left, too. ;-)

[ogneopasno]

2. I wonder where geekmba gets the money to blog.

[Mudoria]

8. If the newspapers go down where will the bloggers lift their material from?

[Iris]

9. good question

and why do people like getting 3rd and 4th hand info so much?