Last week, I read a NYTimes article that told the story of a woman who was blogging about her divorce with her wealthy, well-known husband in graphic detail. Of course, I barely made it past the first few sentences before I was online watching her YouTube videos. And I was not alone. While the Times article aimed to bring into focus issues of privacy, the article also served to drive millions of users to this woman’s blog. Or was their aim something different?
I just read a blog post on Silicon Alley Insider (http://www.alleyinsider.com/2008/4/new_york_times_discovers_seo_porn_viagra_sex_divorce_and_youtube) that argued that the NY Times actually used this woman’s blog to drive traffic to its own site and increase newspaper sales. As millions of readers read the article in the paper, or online, millions of users also logged on to watch the video and then email the article (video link included) to their friends. In essence, it hinted that the NY Times was itself blogging.
And now, here I am, blogging about the whole thing. It seems that businesses, media especially, are finding ways to use blogs in new and creative ways. As collective knowledge grows, the “truth” formerly reserved for delivery by the media is threatened by blogs. Traditional media, no longer the only outlet for news, must find a way to improve its sales by improving readership. So, why not make news of bloggers who are making their own news? It is happening with increased frequency. News media went crazy as Jeff Jarvis bashed Dell or when Microsoft fired Michael Hanscom over his personal blog. I guess it’s as the saying goes - if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em.
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