Blog-IT-o ergo sum

	12/27/2004

Alternative media goes mainstream?

There has been much discussion of late in the GSO blog community on the moves (real and imagined) by the dominant local mass media publication to be a player in the local blog scene.

I'm sure many bloggers would like to scratch a meager sum for their blogging efforts, but as for hooking on to the "long tail" of the N&R I'm just not buying it. I go to blogs to get news and opinion not filtered or certified by the likes of the N&R's and NYT's of the world.

For myownself, I have no interest in being a part of some anatomy wagged by a dominating force. The tail is right behind what part of an animal? A gig in the N&R might work for Ed Cone and certainly be a sign of success in such a case, but for me and other "alternative" minded folks, it would be a sign that we must have compromised something.

If Ben and Jerry had tried selling Bovinity Divinity through Unilever right out of the blocks, how far do you think they would have gotten? For a good approximation compare the number of times you have made a special trip recently to get some Ben and Jerry's ice cream versus something from a Coldstone Cremery. How about Sam Adams from say Miller/South African Breweries? This would work for you?

I understand the desire of the N&R to maintain its position as the organ of record. But I suspect the more principled of our local alternative media will remain independent and take a pass on any N&R blog schematic being laid out.

update: If I can lose David Hoggard with the Ben and Jerry analogy, I figure I better clarify for the masses:

I guess it was rather late when I posted that. To clarify: Ben and Jerry's and Sam Adams are two examples of products that I think people were attracted to because they were viewed as being outside the system.

You bought Ben and Jerry's because it tasted good and you liked Ben and Jerry as people. You did not buy it because Ben and Jerry had the marketing power of Unilever behind them.

As for mirco brewer Sam Adams, I am trying to make the connection that bloggers can play the role of micro-journalists. They do not need macro publishers like the N&R to be successful...especially in the cases where they are trying to be "an alternative."

11:58:47 PM

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