Comments on: You’re so vain, you probably think this blog is about you. http://inspireaction.mindandmedia.com/2007/07/09/youre-so-vain-you-probably-think-this-blog-is-about-you/ A blog about communications consulting in the federal government Sat, 22 Nov 2008 03:04:53 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 By: Eric http://inspireaction.mindandmedia.com/2007/07/09/youre-so-vain-you-probably-think-this-blog-is-about-you/#comment-2098 Eric Tue, 10 Jul 2007 15:43:31 +0000 http://inspireaction.mindandmedia.com/2007/07/09/youre-so-vain-you-probably-think-this-blog-is-about-you/#comment-2098 That's a good point. Popularity should not be a substitute for accuracy or credibility. But the case can be made, as it is by Winer, for the credibility of the individual blogger over the trusted publishing company. Even the biggest publisher, he points out, can only draw from a limited number of journalists, and consequently can not compete with the breadth and depth of knowledge and experience of independent amateur bloggers worldwide. No one person can be an expert in everything, so big publishers have to rely on the idea that "the reporter doesn't really need to know anything about the topic he or she is covering". In many cases I think that an article written by an individual expert in their own field, as many bloggers are, could rightly be considered more relevant, more credible, and likely more accurate than something written by a journalist at a big publisher whose expertise is not in that field. That’s a good point. Popularity should not be a substitute for accuracy or credibility. But the case can be made, as it is by Winer, for the credibility of the individual blogger over the trusted publishing company. Even the biggest publisher, he points out, can only draw from a limited number of journalists, and consequently can not compete with the breadth and depth of knowledge and experience of independent amateur bloggers worldwide. No one person can be an expert in everything, so big publishers have to rely on the idea that “the reporter doesn’t really need to know anything about the topic he or she is covering”. In many cases I think that an article written by an individual expert in their own field, as many bloggers are, could rightly be considered more relevant, more credible, and likely more accurate than something written by a journalist at a big publisher whose expertise is not in that field.

]]> By: Chris Ammon http://inspireaction.mindandmedia.com/2007/07/09/youre-so-vain-you-probably-think-this-blog-is-about-you/#comment-2069 Chris Ammon Mon, 09 Jul 2007 21:36:09 +0000 http://inspireaction.mindandmedia.com/2007/07/09/youre-so-vain-you-probably-think-this-blog-is-about-you/#comment-2069 Even if Winer wins, isn't there a difference between showing up high in Google and being a credible news source? We may be headed toward amateur journalism, as he puts it, but that's hardly the same thing as people writing for the love of writing. How about writing for fame? Writing to sway opinion? Writing to spin facts--or lies? If popularity can win over accuracy or credibility where are we headed? Wait, that sounds like politics. Even if Winer wins, isn’t there a difference between showing up high in Google and being a credible news source? We may be headed toward amateur journalism, as he puts it, but that’s hardly the same thing as people writing for the love of writing. How about writing for fame? Writing to sway opinion? Writing to spin facts–or lies?

If popularity can win over accuracy or credibility where are we headed? Wait, that sounds like politics.

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