Questions for a Blogging Panel?

It would be interesting to have a discussion on this wave of "participatory journalism", if indeed bloggers have the potential or they are already moulding people's opinions in a fair and unbiased manner. And if it is, are peoples reliance on mainstream media such as newspapers actually reducing?

Some questions:

1. What role do they believe their users can play in content creation?

2. How do they plan on rewarding them?

3. What plans do they have to integrate original video content into their websites?

Here are some questions that may be useful to explore:

+How has blogging changed your print publication?

+What is the most surprising thing you've learned from blogging?

+What is the blogging strategy you've pursued for your publication? How have you integrated other social media tools into your blogs?

+Compared to similar blogs, what is your blog's most significant shortcoming?

+Which other publication blogs do you most admire?

+What advice do you have for editors from publications smaller than yours on the best way to approach blogging?

I hope you find these questions helpful. Perhaps you can share some key learnings from the panel on this blog.

isn't it time to come to a consensus or agreement on "how to credit bloggers in msm" and "how to credit msm in blogs" ? While blogs are quite rightly considered raw material for story ideas, not all blogs are the same. Many have become news sources in their own right. I have found entire sentences re-used from a blog post in a leading newsmagazines articles and/or the entire gist and insight of the post in question. www.designdirectory.com was the source.

I'd like to know how those sites plan to leverage bookmarking (Digg, del.icio.us, etc.) to drive traffic to their online properties.

Time seems to be out in front of the pack on this, but I also wonder what results they're seeing from placing icons for Newsvine, Sphere, Digg, and others at the end of each online article.

It would be good to highlight how social media is changing tone of traditional media's voice. Blogs are about sparking and taking part in conversation, causing the authority that journalists once held to evolve. Journalists need to be ready to be challenged by their readers and understand that blogs make them part of an ongoing dialogue which, if they continue to be part of the dialogue, can bring them closer to their audiences.

It would also be interesting to find out how much time is allocated to journalists who blog to establish how seriously are editors about this channel. Are they simply launching them to show shareholders that they are involved in social media or are they dedicating serious time and resources to allow journalists to become part of the online community?

Shalom Heather,

I have just one question:

Just what do any of the folks taking part in this panel (or in the audience, for that matter) expect to learn or impart that hasn't already been beaten, stuffed and relegated to the attic?

B'shalom,

Jeff Hess

There are some great questions already posed! I realize the focus of the discussion is on blogging and the effects, or potential effects on tradtional publications. As a PR professional, this topic is quite intriguing as it will also change, and has changed the way PR has been done in the past. One of the main topics I would suggest is: Is there a fear amongst mainstream press that blogging and participatory journalism will "take over" tradtional editorial or will it mesh seamlessly? It would be interesting to hear the answers from the various pubications.

I get into a lot of discussions with non-bloggers and bloggers who are getting worn out blogging, and it always comes back to effectiveness. Jumping on the blog band wagon is fine - but making your blog effective, is another story. Will there continue to be separate stories in print and on the blog, or will you eventually share - start one here, and continue it in print. Or, vice-versa.

Some of that is already being done, I know. But...I think it can be done more effectively. I don't think the publishing world has taken the time to really think through their blogs...and how to utilize them effectively.

More is not better, in this instance. More blogs, more content - readers are getting buried! So, the answer is less is more - and HOW to make that effective is the question.

Blogs have a lot of buzz, but I don't think anyone has really proven their impact has lived up to the hype.

Think about how to tie the blogging end to the news itself -- a button next to each story leading to a query of all blogs (legit ones!) relevant to that come to mind.

Consumers aren't buried when news are enhanced by blogs, instead they have more choices. What is an objective news story can become something qualitatively different in any of the top blogs.

Business Week's blogs are examples of value from information given and also ownership felt by the reader. For online publications gaining viewer connection and participation and ownership is what is desired. Tomorrow's web advertising will probably go almost exclusively to someone asking for direct information or as continuing interest in a subject or product owned or desired by the customer. My bend into blogs comes back into the level of participation and ownership felt by the reader. The above posted by: Dave Donohue on the effectiveness of icon driven social bookmarking traffic is a good question. But tomorrow's social bookmarking inside publications openly showing mass viewer traffic and direction inside the issue itself with the opportunity to offer not just rss feeds from blog pages themselves but also viewer selected icon rss feeds from individual brands themselves. Condenast publications are filled with products that are desired both as brands and as information. Blogs offering expanded product and event information directly to the consumers are perfect for some publications.

Hey Everyone,

I really appreciate the suggestions. Great great questions, even the one about why do this panel. I appreciate you taking the time.

LG's point is one I would say you should caution the panel about, not ask them:

“Blogs are about sparking and taking part in conversation."

Conversation. Not one person, but two: blogger and reader. Blogs aren't just a way to take the traditional print opt-ed column and simply throw it online. Yet, many major pubs do just that.

In print, maybe if they’re lucky, a reader might get their two-sentence reply posted a week later. A blog is a chance to be heard immediately in response to the views bloggers write hold.

Bloggers shouldn’t just get to throw something out without defending it. Too many do though. They don't allow comments or worse, don't reply to readers who challenge them on what they say, or even simply fail to acknowledge someone’s participation in teh conversation.

(Look at Huffington Post for example: Baldwin comes on, inflames 500 people with a political rant, and never takes part in the comment storm which follows.)

I think there should DEFINITELY be a question or line of questioning about blogs' ability to generate revenue. These are pretty big media companies, after all.

In the talks I have been giving to media and communications professionals, I find that going to the basics first really helps. Many do not understand RSS yet; they do not understand the time mgmt value of subscribing; they do not understand how easy it is to do in Firefox; they do not understand how commenting and TB's work, as examples. I try to help them see how they *themselves* can benefit from the technology. It is then easier for them to see how their readers are migrating to the blogo/vlogosphere for information that is personal, conversational and amazingly time efficient.

Hi Heather,

In case you missed this take on our blogging panel:
http://www.jossip.com/gossip/blogs/if-ever-there-was-a-reason-to-succumb-to-using-the-blah-blah-blog-headline-this-is-it-20070305.php

Hope all's well with you.

Wendy Perrin
Conde Nast Traveler Magazine
http://cntraveler.com/perrinpost

Dear Heather,

With today's ever changing technology through the use of the internet, talking about writing invincibly high value web content for blogs might be a good topic.

The only way to know what your audience wants is to get into their shoes and answer these questions (which you have already started). Keep in mind that you have to please two types of visitors; Search Engines spiders and human surfers.

1) Who are your audience and what interests them the most?

You answered:
"The folks on the panel are from Time, NY Magazine, Condenast and TV Guide and the people in the audience will be other magazine folks."

2) What are your audience looking for?

You answered:
"what works and what doesn't.
"Are they learning from the mistakes and victories."
"what's the value for them and for the people participating in their blogs."

3a) What other stuff are your audience searching for?

You answered:
"help everyone learn?"

3b) What does your audience desire the most?
Is It Money, Fame, Power, Contentment, Personality, Peace of Mind or Happiness?

You have already realized the fundamental reality how people use the internet. Online surfers search for solutions through “information, information, information” (i.e., “web content”). They skim reading content and look for headlines and hyperlinks.

This is what I'm considering while developing my test website at the moment. Hope you find it useful and not late.

The topics we should talk about that would help everyone learn? Clearly one issue to discuss is what works and what doesn’t, what are they learning from the mistakes and victories. Also I am interested in talking about what’s the value for them and for the people participating in their blogs.
--------------------------
merlin

Social Bookmarking