Paul Krupin's Trash Proof Marketing and Publicity Blog

I’m beginning an in depth study of the media coverage of bloggers and blogging.  I will be seeking to identify characteristics, tactics, and the content that is needed to achieve coverage with prime media.  This is the first of what will be a weekly installment.  Lessons learned are at the end of the articles identified and discussed.

Stories identified this week: 

• Newspaper series looking to build local blog directory in The OC Register (March 7. 2008, Orange, CA) Who’s Blogging in Ladera Ranch?

• Numerous stories of live blogging real time from political reporters at state legislatures in session or in conference example Tri-City Herald covering the Washington State Legislature (March 7, 2008) 

• NBC TV News Channel 12 (March 6, 2008) Phoenix, Arizona feature about US Army Captain Brian Love blogging from Iraq and Afghanistan.  Online version links to verbatim print versions of posts on his blog. 

• Rochester Democrat and Chronicle (March 4, 2008) article titled Area teacher blogs from Iraq. 

• Knoxville News Sentinel (March 7, 2008) article Blogging gardeners connect with others talks aout a group of women gardeners who banded together to create Garden Rant in mid-2006.  “A blend of gossip, news, crusade and, yes, raw rant, it blows the cobwebs out of gardening’s mustier corners.”   

• North County Times (March 6, 2008 Escondido, CA) article Murrieta man sues local blog site  contains some interesting insights on the developing status of slander, libel a defamation and blogging.  Interesting that the plaintiff doesn’t know who he’s suing yet, since the post he complains about is by an anonymous poster.   

• Washington Post (March 5, 2008) highlights picks each week in Blog Watch.  NBC TV News Channel 9 (March 3, 2008)
  Wheeling, West Virginia, Voters Blogging It Out looks at how people use blogs to vent when they get riled about a certain issue.  Advises that people “should not use the blogs as their source for the most accurate news, either on the candidates or whichever particular race the blog involves.”

• Wall Street Journal (March 3, 2008) article Law-Firm Blogs: Marketing Device or Mere Diversion? is a pretty benign treatment of a very crucial topic.  The reporter failed to delve into the topic and gave cursory treatment to the issues posed.  And it only quotes one legal blog, the Drug and Device Law Blog which apparently sees 25,000 page views per month.  But the comments at the bottom of the article are very astute and instructive and they include live links back to the commenter’s blogs!  

• New York Times (March 3, 2008) Business section feature Wal-Mart Tastemakers Write Unfiltered Blog describes Wal-Mart’s distinctive and refreshing approach to a blog.  Surprising history of non interference.  Will be interesting to see how long it lasts.  

Lessons learned this week about who is getting coverage:

The media is covering:

1. Live blogging from hot news locations, politics and sports events.
2. Articles about people who write from dangerous places.
3. News about lawsuits and litigation about bloggers.
4. Short feature stories about bloggers who complain about politicians and companies.
5. A few articles exploring the idea and role blogs are playing.
6. A few topical blog features and a few lucky business bloggers.