Just about every major news media has come out with a story lately telling everyone how unethical bloggers are and there is no need to pay attention to this new(s) force in the information age.
Like everyone else when a new technology comes of age it threatens a certain industry or group of people. The fact is that it just made their job a little harder and it keeps the media in check (which is long over due). I laugh every time my Grand Mother says, "It has to be true if they print it or say it on T.V.. It's the law!" She cracks me up bless her heart.
The Internet changes the way we do business; get our entertainment, news, and mail. Plus, think of all the people who now work from their home doing affiliate marketing for companies like LinkShare, and Commission Junction instead of standing on their feet all day in a shopping mall working for minimum wage. The World Wide Web changes by the second and can kill and create an industry in a short period of time.
The same thing is happening to newspapers, magazines, radio and even television. People who live where the news is happening are writing about it in their personal web logs and getting it out faster and in some cases more factual than a reporter can.. Of course a reporter can "Glamorize It", and put the "Sizzle in the Steak" more than an average keyboard hack like yours truly.
The money shifting is where the real issues are and will remain. The fact that a newspaper or magazine advertisement might see more benefit from Google Adwords residing on "Joe Blog's" web log is where the real threat is and the media will not go down without a fight. It's sad really when one cannot see the writing on the wall and they go down with the ship just to go down with the ship.
Blogs also have a great built in support staff (lower over head than the media) of fact checkers: The comments section will usually be filled with some sort of correction or a question that will shed the correct light on the subject at hand. Don't forget the Grammar Nazis, they will always let you know where you have screwed up or miss-spelled a word. (Please GN's jump in anytime).
Reporters will never be out of work because they can or should start their own blogs and use Adsense for their income. It would probably pay more than they make starting out anyway. I have a friend that majored in journalism and she thought she had taken an oath of poverty after graduating from college. She now writes content for the web and makes scads more than the paper she started out at in the beginning.
Now that everyone can have their on press room - It's just scaring the crap out of the people that depend on it for their income.
Let the comments begin...
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