Steve Rubel points to an article in The American Journalism Review about how bloggers are changing journalism in the US. This should be required reading for any working journalist. The AJR piece concludes with some blogging tips from Dallas Morning News Editorial Page Editor Keven Ann Willey, who led her staff in launching the nation’s first editorial page blog. Here are her excellent suggestions:
1. Be brief and informal. Breezy, conversational tone is good. Two hundred words is too long. Go for the quick hit, light touch, witty aside. Attitude required.
2. Don’t be too proud to blog.
3. Respond to previous blog postings. This is about conversation, after all. It’s the back and forth that makes a blog engaging.
4. Vary your topics. Don’t be a wonk.
5. Don’t write anything you wouldn’t want your mother to read in the paper.
6. Use hyperlinks.
7. Incorporate interesting, provocative reader e-mail. The best blogs are two-way streets.
8. Be quick to correct yourself.
9. Don’t feel obligated to answer all blog-generated e-mail.
10. Don’t over edit; but designate a blog boss.