Blogs Rise, Who Falls?
When it comes to 'the media,' is there a certain genre that's more vulnerable to blog competition than others? Blogs have long been seen as a threat to 'traditional media' for quite awhile now. But as much as we like to use the word 'media,' it's a rather large concept. There's TV, obviously. And papers. And what about books? Do they count?
But as far as what media genre is sweating the most, the San Francisco Chronicle chimes in today, with a word of warning to magazines.
The blogging industry is coming to resemble the magazine world, with multiple sites for every taste in politics, entertainment, business, technology and any other imaginable field.To this writer, this makes absolute sense. When it comes to 'Breaking News,' most consumers will turn to a brand they know – their broadcast or cable network of choice, or their newspaper's website. You can't beat that instinct in MediaLand. But when it comes to dishing inside info, or more involved writing, that's where blogs can't be beat. Case in point? The legal blog I talked about on Friday."The ones that have become very strong small businesses have a niche market that's big enough to attract advertisers," [think tanker Steve] King said. "In most categories, a few blogs tend to dominate."
Remember Brill's Content? It was a magazine devoted to media commentary and criticism. It seemed nifty in theory – and if it had been launched in 1988 instead of 1998, it might have gained some traction – but it went under within a few years. With magazine deadlines being unwieldy, and the time lag in publishing meaning that most information you get from a monthly magazine has been known for weeks, how could Brill's compete with regularly updated sites like Romenesko or MediaBistro?
Yes, MediaLand is experiencing some tremors in the 21st century, but it's clear that magazines are living on the fault line.