Dance With the Ones Who Brung Ya
I have been thinking for some time about the difference between bloggers and the main stream media (MSM). As we saw in the last election cycle, bloggers have come to play an important part in the information age. Some predict that 2005 will be the year of the blog. Some say 2004 was. Regardless of your impresison on the matter, none can argue that blogging is an important source of information, news and opinion.
In 2004, blogging was catapulted to the forefront by becoming an early tool in the Howard Dean presidential campaign and was instrumental in firing up the young, left-wing branch of the democratic party. Then came the political conventions where bloggers were given press credentials. Then came the 527s – the Vietnam Veterans for Truth and MoveOn.org groups that utilized blogs to raise grass root awareness of their claims. And who can forget Rathergate where, after CBS aired a 60 Minutes Wednesday story about George W. Bush’s National Guard service record, bloggers took aim and debunked the claims as fraud shortly after the report was aired, and long before other media outlets caught on. In 2004, the power of blogging was demonstrated and in the process certain blogs became set apart from the rest.
As these blogs in various subsets of society became prominent household names – names like Instapundit and Little Green Footballs – it has become clear that the thin line between bloggers and the MSM has blurred. Now I’m not knocking these guys. I wish I could have the readership and hits that these guys have. But as the influence and readership of the blog increase, the tendency to become like the ones you are not increases as well. And that’s not bad either.
The fact is that bloggers, by their nature, have the ability to circumvent the choke point of traditional media – editors and producers. How many times have you heard about a big story that never reached the airwaves or the front page because of some “media bias” or other scapegoat of an excuse. The power of the blog is that, instantly, the public can be heard. And the nature of the blogosphere is that when one voice speaks out to a small circle of readers, other bloggers pick up and run with the same stories relaying their own thoughts and spins to the same topics to their own readers. And so on.
As an unfortunate side effect of the popularity of blogs and the higher profile bloggers is that the higher profile the blogger has, the more like the mainstream media becomes. Comments become so large in volume that the bloggers turn off the ability to leave feedback on their blogs. Editorial Comment: This also happens when the blogger is afraid of an “image” that might be tarnished by a commenter that does not agree with them.
In addition, the “circle of high profile bloggers” becomes more cliqueish and exclusive. Unless a blogger has thousands of readers everyday, they are not linked to, they are not read, they are not acknowledged. It becomes increasingly more difficult to be noticed. Unfortunately, it is these little guys that make up the grassroots and these little guys who were the power behind the blog revolution to begin with.
It may be a philisophical pipe dream, but it would be nice if these big bloggers (The “A” list) would remember that if it wasn’t for the little guy, they would not be where they are at. Even the big guys had to be little guys at one point. So remember, big bloggers, to dance with the ones that brung ya. Ok?
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Written by Aaron Brazell on January 27, 2005
Popularity: 1% [?]
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Well Aaron you do have a point and their certainly is a tiered blogosphere. Not all blogs are created equally. Some people are happy to depend on just a few blogs to receive their information but others are willing to try and find the smaller blogs too.
I think the web is a great equalizer in that respect. You don’t need a lot of money to start up and you can gain a readership through persistence.
If you have the product, people will respond. I think some of the higher accessed blogs have been around longer and may be a little too comfortable with their status. Many of the smaller blogs are just imitaters of the big boys, that doesn’t do anyone any good (how many Glenn Reynolds do we need?). Bloggers need to find their own voice and also be willing to help others out through links and promotion (not just involving your own blog!).
Good post. :)
Well Aaron you do have a point and their certainly is a tiered blogosphere. Not all blogs are created equally. Some people are happy to depend on just a few blogs to receive their information but others are willing to try and find the smaller blogs too.
I think the web is a great equalizer in that respect. You don’t need a lot of money to start up and you can gain a readership through persistence.
If you have the product, people will respond. I think some of the higher accessed blogs have been around longer and may be a little too comfortable with their status. Many of the smaller blogs are just imitaters of the big boys, that doesn’t do anyone any good (how many Glenn Reynolds do we need?). Bloggers need to find their own voice and also be willing to help others out through links and promotion (not just involving your own blog!).
Good post. :)
I am glad this topic is being discussed. I find that I agree more with your topic than less. As a personal observation, and in using a tool you recommended, you can see all the various blog’s that talk about the same thing, and in my personal opinion, ad nauseam, and I bore easily when I see 21 topics on the same thing.
One of the reasons for joining forces with a community blog is the variety of thought and views presented. While I enjoy my own rants on the news, etc, I do embrace insightful discussion.
As the top of the food chain blogs blur into mainstream, one has to assume that they are more biased to the amount of readership and not always focused on their research and topics.
I bore easily with the Instapundits and Hugh’s, because they don’t offer me any intellectual diversity, and I seek out the smaller less talked about blogs. The big guys are ok for reference points, perhaps even sucking down other readers you wouldn’t get by trackbacks, but I think it’s more about your personal characteristics and tastes. There are going to be niche groups you stick close to because of a familiarity with people there, and the rest of them don’t matter so much.
(2 previous commenters excluded of course )
I am glad this topic is being discussed. I find that I agree more with your topic than less. As a personal observation, and in using a tool you recommended, you can see all the various blog’s that talk about the same thing, and in my personal opinion, ad nauseam, and I bore easily when I see 21 topics on the same thing.
One of the reasons for joining forces with a community blog is the variety of thought and views presented. While I enjoy my own rants on the news, etc, I do embrace insightful discussion.
As the top of the food chain blogs blur into mainstream, one has to assume that they are more biased to the amount of readership and not always focused on their research and topics.
I bore easily with the Instapundits and Hugh’s, because they don’t offer me any intellectual diversity, and I seek out the smaller less talked about blogs. The big guys are ok for reference points, perhaps even sucking down other readers you wouldn’t get by trackbacks, but I think it’s more about your personal characteristics and tastes. There are going to be niche groups you stick close to because of a familiarity with people there, and the rest of them don’t matter so much.
(2 previous commenters excluded of course )
Firewolf: “As the top of the food chain blogs blur into mainstream, one has to assume that they are more biased to the amount of readership and not always focused on their research and topics. “
I could be so huge, I’m never focused on research or topics! :)
Firewolf: “As the top of the food chain blogs blur into mainstream, one has to assume that they are more biased to the amount of readership and not always focused on their research and topics. “
I could be so huge, I’m never focused on research or topics! :)
LMAO! Everyone’s a comedian ;)
LMAO! Everyone’s a comedian ;)
As Jody says, the web is a great equalizer. If you’re looking to have a large readership, you’ll get it if you offer what people want.
Think of it this way — there are maybe five major newspapers in the US, and then the smaller papers — the New York Times probably isn’t concerning itself with the Juniata (PA) Sentinal, but the Sentinal probably isn’t asking the NYT for help.
Write and they will come. :-)
As Jody says, the web is a great equalizer. If you’re looking to have a large readership, you’ll get it if you offer what people want.
Think of it this way — there are maybe five major newspapers in the US, and then the smaller papers — the New York Times probably isn’t concerning itself with the Juniata (PA) Sentinal, but the Sentinal probably isn’t asking the NYT for help.
Write and they will come. :-)
I’m not complaining for myself. I have plenty of readers and though I like having more, I’m comfortable enough with where I am that I don’t need to complain.
This entry was more an observational piece. I was merely observing trends and evaluating where bloggers as a whole stand within the information age.
I’m not complaining for myself. I have plenty of readers and though I like having more, I’m comfortable enough with where I am that I don’t need to complain.
This entry was more an observational piece. I was merely observing trends and evaluating where bloggers as a whole stand within the information age.
HA HA, blogger is a legal occupation now, huh? “So what do you do for a living?”, “I blog” :-o
HA HA, blogger is a legal occupation now, huh? “So what do you do for a living?”, “I blog” :-o
Generally, when I use the term “you” (or “you’re, in this case) I’m speaking figuratively. :-)
Generally, when I use the term “you” (or “you’re, in this case) I’m speaking figuratively. :-)