Just My Opinion

According to the P-G’s Jack Kelly:

The editor of the Post-Gazette recently held a discussion with staff about the future of the news business, and the topic of Web logs naturally emerged. The consensus seemed to be that we needn't worry much about them, because we report the news and bloggers only offer their opinions.

It’s just my opinion, but like Kelly himself (“But what if it’s an earthquake about to swallow us up?"), I think that the paper is missing something important. The national media have figured out that blogging counts. Microsoft has figured out that blogging counts. (Interesting side note – Scoble asked yesterday whether the Internet has killed the newspaper. His answer: yes! And one more word: Podcasting. Remember it.)

So once again, Pittsburgh media are behind the times. Note to ed.: Make the blogosphere part of the information ecosystem, instead of treating it like Michael Crichton treats global warming.

Now, the Pittsburgh blogosphere can help the fogies at the P-G, and elsewhere in Pittsburgh media, see the light. In one form or another, blogging is here to stay. What the Internet giveth, big media cannot take away.

How do we make them notice?

First, don’t ignore the media. The P-G staff seems to think that this stuff is just our opinion. It certainly is. My opinion is this: Pittsburgh deserves a much better paper than we get with the Post-Gazette and the Tribune Review, and something broader than the City Paper. So praise the good and damn the bad, and do it loudly and often.

Second, if you don’t like the news, go out and make some of your own. Don’t rely on the P-G to tell you what the news is, or to tell you what news is important. If you know about something interesting or important in your corner of the region, sing out and share.