Are Bloggers Being Taken Seriously

You better believe that they are. Just do a Google search on Bloggers who have been jailed recently for expressing their opinions. And they will be taken even more seriously in the future!

Given the role that the Internet is playing with respect to individual candidates for office, and in particular with the Obama campaign, there is no doubt that political parties will pay more attention to Bloggers. Not only will they want to get them on side but they now have to learn to deal with what opposition Bloggers may say about a candidate.

The huge advantage that Bloggers have is that they can identify or deal with issues instantaneously. That is one of the reasons given by the Christian Science Monitor when they decided to put their newspaper completely online and drop their daily print edition.

For one important example, take a look at what the Democratic Party in the United States has done:

• "BLOGGER CREDENTIALING AND THE 2008 DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION
  DNCC Expands Credentialed Blogger Pool, Launches DemConvention State Blogger Corps for 2008
  
  While the 2004 Democratic National Convention in Boston was the first to credential bloggers, the DNCC aims to significantly expand access for the blogger community in 2008. In line with the DNCC’s goal to engage more people in the 2008 Convention experience than ever before as well as Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean’s 50-State Strategy, the DNCC will both expand the size of the credentialed blogger pool and also offer for the first time a state blogger credentialing program in 2008. Under this program, the DNCC will offer the opportunity for one blog to be credentialed from each of the states and territories. The DNCC will also credential national bloggers for the 2008 Convention, to include both political and niche bloggers as well as video bloggers from across the country."

Even the Republicans recognized the need to accommodate Bloggers:

• "BLOGGER CENTRAL
  
  The 2008 Republican National Convention will utilize numerous mediums – both emerging and traditional – to share our nominee’s vision with the American people.
  
  We have a great appreciation for bloggers and the ever-increasing role new media has in providing real-time information and shaping public opinion.
  
  We had a blogger presence at the 2004 Republican National Convention in New York City - and we look forward to building upon the successes of that effort. In 2008, we will have a considerable blogger presence in Minneapolis-Saint Paul during our convention."

If you don't believe that Bloggers can play a role even on the municipal level then you have not been reading or listening to the "local" smears against Bloggers by certain memebers of the media and some politicians who want everyone to believe that everything is running tickety-boo in this City. They are frightened of Bloggers. Why else have Bloggers been deemed the equivalent to naysayers. It is because the alternative media in this City is not subject to the control of City Hall and that scares people.

All of this is just to let you know about a recent article that In Business Magazine wrote about Bloggers in this City entitled "Local Blogs and the Changing Media." It would be worthwhile for you to take a look at it by checking out your copy of the magazine. In case you do not have a copy, I have posted it here: http://www.scribd.com/doc/7847593/In-Biz-Blogs

I will give the writer of the story credit for getting to the heart of the matter and understanding what the role of Bloggers is especially in this City where we are poorly served:

• "Unlike mainstream media who report on issues, bloggers are able to do more than report—they’re able to analyze."

There are a number of BLOGs in town written by a dedicated group of Bloggers. Will you agree with everything that is being said? I doubt it just as you do not agree with everything that you hear or see with the traditional media. The BLOGs present opinions that you might not get anywhere else and provide information that you might not see anywhere else.

Take look at thls graphic that I saw. Here is the context:

• Last month I put out a survey of foreign correspondents who cover China to try and get a sense of how - and whether - blogs are impacting their coverage of China:

Take the well-researched and well-informed BLOGs seriously. The Democrats and the Republicans already do.

As for me, I'm still trying to get my media credentials from City Hall.