I just spent the morning with Beth Blecherman, who is part of the team behind the super-successful Silicon Valley Mom's Blog, and founder of Techmamas . We discussed some of the changes in the journalistic landscape, as bloggers become a new channel for news and opinion.
Bloggers sometimes just report on events that occur as they happen, like a journalist covering a specific niche. But more often, they offer their opinions and perspective on events, rather than just reporting the facts. Many bloggers are also asked to review products that might be of interest to their readers. Most ethical bloggers disclose when products are given to them, and when they are paid consultants of the companies whose products they describe. The FTC is trying to limit how bloggers interact with products, and what disclaimers they use–bureaucracy which seems designed to slow down bloggers and limit their ability to provide timely commentary. There's a lot of buzz around the proposed guidelines–including a great article by Richard Jalichandra, CEO of Technorati. It's clear that bloggers need to be honest about when they're getting paid for a review, but the FTC guidelines apply the same level of rigor to blogs that have historically been applied to major publications. Some believe that this FTC push is in part an effort to give traditional journalists protection in certain areas.
There is room for journalists and for bloggers. Instead of trying to slow down the blogger movement, industry needs to accept that blogging, like other types of free, quality content, are part of a major shift in how we receive news. As a result of changes driven by new channels and new sources of content, all media players need to reconsider the unique value they provide, and how to redefine themselves in the new economy.
