“No respect, no respect.” That was Rodney Dangerfield’s signature line, right? Isn’t that what we hear from bloggers on a daily basis?
What’s more concerning is what we hear from PR pros, journalists and the general public:
“Why would I read blogs? Only geeks read blogs, and they’re just opinions.”
“Bloggers aren’t journalists. They don’t have the training.”
“There are so many blogs out there. I don’t have time to find them and read them all.”
Whatever the complaint, bloggers get a bum rap from just about everyone these days.
And I’m hear to say it needs to stop. Now.
Not because I am a blogger. But, because it’s simply not warranted.
Let’s take on the arguments one by one:
“Why would I read blogs? Only geeks read blogs, and they’re just opinions.”–Ask the 1.9 million unique visitors (courtesy Compete.com) why they read the Huffington Post in February. Or, ask virtually everybody in the PR/markering/social media industry why they read Chris Brogan’s blog. Yes, these blogs (and thousands like them) espouse opinions. But, they’re opinions rooted in deep experience. They’re folks who are living and breathing in their respective industries every day. And since when aren’t we interested in key influencer’s opinions? These are smart people, folks. Their opinions matter. And so do ours.
“Bloggers aren’t journalists. They don’t have the training.”–No argument here. I’m not a journalist. David Mullen isn’t a journalist by training. Dave Fleet? Nope, he’s not either. Does that mean their opinions, ideas and thoughts don’t count? Absolutely not. Does it mean I don’t read the daily newspaper in my home town or watch the 10 p.m. news? No. Can’t I get my information from both sources? Why are we so hard on bloggers? Just because they don’t have journalism degrees doesn’t mean they can’t write. Heck, most of these folks write just as much in a day as any journalist. They may not have the formal training, but writing every day for a living counts for a lot. Journalists definitely have their place in the world. And I think bloggers have carved out a valuable niche, too. They can, and should, co-exist.
“There’s so many blogs out there. I don’t have time to find them and read them all.”–According to Technorati, there have been 133 million blogs started since 2002. There are 346 million people globally that read blogs. And 900,000 posts are added to the blogosphere every 24 hours. Those are crazy numbers. Overwhelming. But remember, a big chunk of those 133 million blogs have already died on the vine. My advice? Focus on the blogs worth reading. For instance, I read Dave Fleet, Lauren Fernandez, Jason Falls, Todd Defren and Danny Brown (among others) regularly. They’re proven bloggers who share well-researched and developed thoughts and ideas regularly. Hey, I know there’s a ton of junk out there. That’s why I ignore it. Focus on the steak. Throw away the grizzle.
Note: Photo credit to TomsAutographs via FlickR Creative Commons
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I see blogs as teaching tools. Call me crazy but everyone has an expertise in something and if they are able to share their knowledge then you can learn something.
Blogs aren't the daily news and I don't think they should be put into the same category. You can get your news from some of them but really they are more or less content driven.
So if you have interest you are connecting with people who share the same ideas and thoughts. I see them as a way to learn and connect. Which is why I love them so much.
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LikePeople constantly talk about the opinionated differences between CNN and Fox, among other networks, so I wonder how different that is in comparison to the opinions that we as bloggers write about on a daily basis? Understandably, it's what the world has been accustomed to and see as credible - but as the age of online media/content continues to grow, so will the acceptance of bloggers as credible sources of journalism.
In respect, the blogosphere is definitely saturated, as you mentioned, with millions of blogs - so where do people start? I think we, as bloggers, have a duty as well to help guide and show people where these credible sources can be found (Alltop, Technorati?) It'll ultimately be up to that reader to respect what we do and see it as a medium that has staying power and can't be ignored.
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LikeI agree bloggers in general get a certain lack of respect, of course the sheer quantity of them, as you mentioned, means there are many blogs that don't deserve any. But just as there are a glut of crappy books published every year, the good authors find their audience, and the good bloggers do, too. I think as they become more and more well known as public figures, they are bound to garner spiteful and disparaging remarks. I think many of these probably stem from jealousy! As you mentioned, the sheer number of people who read the good bloggers shows they do get some respect! Nice blog.
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LikeTwo thoughts about this:
1) I think people read blogs without even realizing it. For example, I bet there are lots of HuffPo readers who think they're just reading a news site (almost like CNN.com) without understanding it's actually a blog.
2) We're already starting to see MSM embrace blogs. As more "traditional," well-respected people enter the blogosphere, it will add more credibility. Bloggers are hurt by people like Perez Hilton and other sites that pose as "news" organizations without fact checking. There will be a tipping point where the good will start to outweigh the bad.
Nice Rodney Dangerfield reference, Arik! :)
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LikeSome of the best and most interesting content and news/opinion is coming from bloggers. Many papers have egotistical owners (Murdoch, anyone) who pretty much control what can and can't be said as far as opinion goes.
Give me someone with the balls to question the status quo over someone that's not always free to say what they want to anyday.
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