I read a blog post by The Telegraph's Shane Richmond a couple of days ago that has been bugging me ever since. Not because I disagree with it, because on the whole I think he's right. It's just that something seemed "off" about it. Shane suggest that mainstream media blogs might have a role to play in promoting middle-ranking bloggers:
The conclusion is this: perhaps MSM blogs, often seen as the cuckoo in the nest by those who are going it alone, have a role to play here. Perhaps our position gives us the opportunity, maybe even the responsibility, to help drive more "non-crazies" into the top tier of the blogosphere.
And this bothered me for a few days. Yes, I do think it's a key role of journalist bloggers to link to the best of the community around them, and to encourage the growth of individual bloggers. But there seems to be an underlying assumption in Shane's piece that MSM bloggers have an inherent power that they can use for bloggy good. And my experience is that they don't have that power. They have to earn it like everyone else in the blogging world. A well-known name of brand is good for getting a first look, but that's all. It's the quality of what you produce that gives you power, be you MSM or amateur.
Continue reading What is the role of MSM blogs?.
