April 24, 2005

Have Computer - Will Blog

Many of you may already know that Brittney from Sparkwood & 21 was just hired this past week to work for WKRN's blog, NashvilleIsTalking.com. I've had that in my blogroll for over a month now and have used its aggregator to keep up with some of my favorite "blogs about Nashville." I've just been waiting until they started using it to it's full capacity. It was first pitched as a blog of what's going on around Nashville and, more specifically, what Nashville bloggers are talking about, and it seems Brittney is going to fill that role.

This would make Brittney the first professional blogger in Nashville (as far as I know). Is this a sign that blogging is going mainstream?

Today Bill Hobbs pointed out a job listing for Target that, in its minimum requirements, asked for someone with a "Strong knowledge for Internet journalism, e.g., blogs." Business Week Magazine last week published an article on how businesses should leverage the power of blogs and use them to their benefit. Mainstream media outlets are citing blogs more and more, and WKRN may be starting a trend of media outlets hiring bloggers.

On the other hand, a search on Monster.com for the keyword "blogs" turned up only 35 results (even less with the variations "blog," "blogging," or "blogger") and none of the jobs were just for a primary position as a blogger. Although, one job posting for an Online Marketing Manager for a company in San Francisco required that the applicant read "at least two of the following blogs daily (talkingpointsmemo, dailykos, atrios, juan cole, wonkette, instapundit, brad Delong, MyDD)," but that was only a small part of the job description. Maybe it's too early to talk about blogging going mainstream.

Bruce Barry over at Pith in the Wind said, "More media blogging in Nashville is a good thing, and professionalization of the blogger's role is a very good thing." He later re-stated the "professionalization" statement after some in the comments section asked if that defeated the purpose of blogs in the first place. A good point was made though...would the professionalization of blogging be a good thing? I feel that professional blogs are a good thing (lending credibility to bloggers in general), but I don't think that blogging will ever become a completely professional, mainstream, outlet for information (notwithstanding government regulation).

The freedom to distribute information and opinions to a seemingly unlimited audience has taken a hold in the form of blogging. Even though more and more professional blogging positions might start popping up (or when all news outlets may have a blogger on staff), there will still be plenty of every day people sitting behind their keyboards at home (or at work) who will still be able to say what they want, whenever they want without the restrictions that would be present in a newsroom. It will still be an underground movement...separate from whatever the "mainstream" may or may not be doing.

Blogging has created a revolution in media, but like any revolution, the revolutionaries must eventually take the place of the ones that they have overturned. However, this revolution has given everyone a voice that wants one, and those voices won't be silenced. They will continue on no matter what.

Speaking of things "underground," I'll be on Radio Free Nashville on Wednesday night during the 9:00 hour promoting BlogNashville along with discussing blogs vs. the mainstream media. The show from 8-9 is mostly an Indie/local rock show, so I'm really not sure what to expect. Be sure to tune in nonetheless.

Update: Brittney just left a comment saying that the first, inagural post is up over at NashvilleIsTalking.com. Head over and check it out.

Comments:

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That Business Week Cover Story is a really good look at blogging.

Posted by: Mr. Roboto at April 24, 2005 10:53 PM

The first post is now up.

Posted by: brittney at April 24, 2005 11:45 PM

Good story, Blake. I thought I'd give your readers a heads up on how to hear you on Wednesday night. Since Radio Free Nashville is a low powered station, the best way for people to hear you is online at www.radiofreenashville.org.
I look forward to hearing what you have to say.

Peace,
Sharon

Posted by: Sharon at April 25, 2005 04:46 PM