Columbus Dispatch Turns to Blogging
April 30 2007 09:11 PM -- Filed in: Media
There were two particularly noteworthy items today
from Columbus media circles. The less consequential
is the report that CM Media has sold its publication
division. CM Media is the parent company of
The Other Paper, a periodical
I have lampooned here on a few occasions for a
shoddy and superficial sports section. Here's to
improvement! Elsewhere, their big brother, The
Columbus Dispatch, has moved to a more dynamic
website including - ahem - sports blogs! These
blogs are maintained by several sports columnists
and are, at least so far, updated frequently
during the day.
It's an interesting change but truth be told, newspapers these days are fighting an uphill battle. Once the main conduit to relay information, news and articles, print publications are looking for new ways to buttress readership. The internet has changed everything from not only where people get their info but also how quickly. This is never more apparent than the sports world where articles you read in the morning paper were stories you read the previous afternoon from your computer.
If anything, The Dispatch is a late the game. Several national newspapers like The New York Times, Washington Post and Houston Chronicle already have deep seeded and highly popular blogs to enhance content. If I had to guess, the Big D grudgingly added writer's blogs and writers bitterly add the content. Not that it's difficult technology to implement (they're just using Movable Type), but more likely because bloggers are thought to be devoid a code of ethics. They don't want to be associated with 'us' because we're just a bunch of mouth-breathers hacking away thoughtless and fact-less copy. Okay, I concede bloggers for that team up north.
Blogs are a vital component of the sports arena and aren't going away anytime soon. Kudos to the Dispatch for making the move - albeit late. Now, about getting me on your sidebar blogroll...
It's an interesting change but truth be told, newspapers these days are fighting an uphill battle. Once the main conduit to relay information, news and articles, print publications are looking for new ways to buttress readership. The internet has changed everything from not only where people get their info but also how quickly. This is never more apparent than the sports world where articles you read in the morning paper were stories you read the previous afternoon from your computer.
If anything, The Dispatch is a late the game. Several national newspapers like The New York Times, Washington Post and Houston Chronicle already have deep seeded and highly popular blogs to enhance content. If I had to guess, the Big D grudgingly added writer's blogs and writers bitterly add the content. Not that it's difficult technology to implement (they're just using Movable Type), but more likely because bloggers are thought to be devoid a code of ethics. They don't want to be associated with 'us' because we're just a bunch of mouth-breathers hacking away thoughtless and fact-less copy. Okay, I concede bloggers for that team up north.
Blogs are a vital component of the sports arena and aren't going away anytime soon. Kudos to the Dispatch for making the move - albeit late. Now, about getting me on your sidebar blogroll...
