Anti-claque attack: FT baits bloggers

February 19, 2006

Antony Mayfield

Public notebook

2 responses to “Anti-claque attack: FT baits bloggers”

Andrew Stone

February 20, 2006 at 3:37 pm

Hi,

I agree with your point about Butterworth’s attitude being rather superior and elitist (although he made some good points). I think his is an attitude that’s prevalent among many hacks who I think miss the point when they dismiss blogging as the maunderings of bores and hobbyists.

I’ve been writing a blog for Times Online’s Enterprise section for a few months now (see URL). What is fascinating me (and scaring me) as a journalist used to writing in the bubble of print (where you never had any real idea who was reading your work and whether they were interested in what you had to say or not) is the utter accountability of it. You know instantly how many readers you have and how many comments they have made.

It’s an obvious point, but I think it has huge significance for journalists and editorial content.

Surely the advent of such a transparent two way medium will have a profound an effect on the way all journalists operate. The fact that online advertising is so precisely measurable is shaking up the sales operations of the media giants. It seems inevitable to me that blogging (hate the word) in all its forms wil have a similarly disruptive effect on the editorial side.
omaniblog

February 25, 2006 at 9:59 am

Andrew,
You make such a good point about accountability. I didn’t think of that, But, of course, traditional journalists don’t have any way of knowing who is reading their stuff. Hardly any provide even an email address to which comments could be made. I guess it doesn’t matter that much to most journalist because they are simply earning their living, writing the copy, and there is always another copy deadline to meet. If I was a journalist, I might be the same.
Your comparison with online advertising is brilliant.
This is the first blog I’ve been on where the FT article is being discussed. If the article sucks in people like yourself who know what it’s like to be a journalist, I’ll be the better educated.