Accept no substitutes

Bloggers in the Q (NandO)

If you can find the online Q section of the News and Observer, you’ll find a pile of writing and reflection on blogging and blogging ethics by local bloggers.

Amongst those featured are Anton “Mr Sugar” Zuiker who has organized more blog meet-ups and teach-ins than anyone I know of. The short of Anton’s message “Do unto others.” There is more of course.

OrangePolitics.org‘s Ruby Sinreich wants reporters to credit bloggers when they take bits from the blogs. This is not a new complaint. OP is a rich source for local reporters who for some reason don’t think that OPers care if their community gets the credit. Note from Ruby: We do care.

Martin Kuhn, who developed his bloggers ethics guidelines in part in my seminar, has his good work summarized as part of the piece. It would have been nice, Martin might say ethical, if NandO had also linked to the blog on which Martin created his ethics outline. I will here.

A little sidebar gives brief voice to other local bloggers, most of whom I didn’t know, Sue Sturgis, Nancy Baker, Chris Anderson (of Lulu and Raleighing, not of Long Tail) and Gary Kueber. NandO does link to each of their blogs showing good form.

The main article by Eric Ferreri seems to have been inspired by the blogging of KC Johnson about the Duke Lacrosse team’s problems (KC defends them mostly) but the article grew far beyond that and is better for having done so. Eric does a good job of discussing the problems of accountability and the challenges to new blogger/journalists. Great quotes from Martin Kuhn and good research help out.

But try to find the stories on the News and Observer web site, where one might expect to see them prominently displayed. You can’t find them at all! You can barely find the Q section even if, like me, you were looking for it. NandO’s content-ignorant layout jambs the Q under Local and State in on the main page with no description or content revealed and under News as well as State and Local on the pull-down. Q however is more of an Opinion/Features/Forum section. Not exactly News and not entirely Local and State (although there are local interests and sources). Inconsistant as well as hidden from the folks who might want to read and react or just read and appreciate the discussions.

What would a blog entry be without a rant?

2 Comments

  1. Anton Zuiker

    Paul, nice roundup, and I completely agree about the online location of the Q section – it took me a while to find it on the site, and I knew the blogging section was coming! Also, I want to credit you, too, as teacher: my ideas to build a regional blogging community were born during your Online Communities seminar.

  2. BrianR

    YES! Big thanks to Paul. You have taught and inspired us all. Thank you!

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