Journalists and Bloggers-- Old School Meets New School

CAD Insiders, many of them veteran journalists, find themselves increasingly in the presence of bloggers at CAD events. It is not unusual for  bloggers to be granted the same rights, privileges, and perks that the trade press has enjoyed for years. For example, the recently concluded SolidWorks World in San Diego, the press room, long the bastion of "traditional press," was frequented by bloggers. Same for the press dinner. Journalists are accustomed to full, free access to conference classes (though most do not attend), ditto the bloggers. Journalists are used to hobnobbing with top executives at CAD companies -- but I saw those same execs giving equal face time to bloggers.

So how is this going over? Major CAD companies have indeed recognized blogging as valuable. Has their treatment of bloggers given bloggers cred? Does the old school resent the intrusion? Do bloggers play by the rules -- or do they even have rules? I'll try to examine some of these issues in an ongoing series of posts. And as usual, I welcome you to chime in with your opinion.

I hope to discuss the following topics:

• Who knows more about the software, blogger or journalist?
• Who knows more about the industry?
• Should bloggers be considered press?
• Does the press look down on bloggers?
• Do bloggers look down on the press?
• Who does better in quality? Quantity? Timeliness? Insight?
• What is the role of blogger and journalist in the future?

Comments

[Janice]

Bloggers or journalists? It's all information; information that can lead to solutions. For top quality solutions, check out the McGraw Hill Construction Directory, where you can download cad details from their site. cad details

[cad details]

This is pretty old news.

[samsung LN46A650]

Hi!

I've found your message to be very useful, though the information is not new.
I'm your permanent reader now!

p.s. BTW, what happened to your site template? Or is it just my browser? :)

http://www.youtube.com/user/samsungln46a650

[fcsuper]

To me, it is an issue of expertise. If you are familiar with the topic (take the time to learn about it, or are in the profession or some how else involved), then the journalistic effort is useful to others. It doesn't matter if you are labelled a blogger, journalist or king of the hill.

So much of professional journalism (in my experience as someone spoon fed this stuff from birth) is that most just regurgitate what they've been told, often second - third - or fourth hand statements; or worse yet, basing an article on a "Press Release" ugh!

That said, Matt Lombard made some good distinctions between quick blogging and the writing of serious articles that appear in a blog (my interpretation of his comments).

[matt]

Al Dean wrote: "to be honest, its simple - don't like what you read.. don't read it anymore.."

I think that's what's happening. At the SW World press events I could only identify a couple of names I recognized, Roopinder, Mr. Orr, Rachael, and I think I saw Jeff Rowe.

Why don't I know more real journalists? I guess I'd have to answer that the bulk of CAD articles are largely irrelevant to me, so I stopped seeking them out.

Mainly out of sheer ignorance, I'd like to ask the question "who is your audience?" I can't figure it out. The last guy who wrote for end users was Joe Greco. I read his stuff. I can't identify any one else's stuff that I actually read.

Most CAD articles I read are about the business side of "the industry", which barely registers for users. These articles could possibly be of interest to resellers, investors, maybe CAD admins. But mostly not end users.

I believe the phrase you are looking for here is "untapped audience". And they are moving toward bloggers who aren't beholden to advertisements.

What I meant by the "it's just a job" comment was that the writing is the job for the pro journalist. CAD is the job for amateur bloggers.

[Al Dean]

strange, I read all this, and there are fair points on both sides.. the 'bloggers' (seriously, I hate that word, its ugly).. seem to think the press don't know what they're talking about or as matt puts it.. "its just a job".. the press seem a little scared...

to be honest, its simple - don't like what you read.. don't read it anymore..

[Josh]

Hi Roopinder, I'm really looking forward to your insight and wish I had more opportunities to talk with you at SWW. Great topic.

[matt]

Evan,

I think the real distinction here is between amateur and professional writers. Obviously professional writers can also blog, but as I said before, it's the same old stuff, different format.

I wouldn't even venture a guess as to what hole to put you in, here in a public blog comment.

The fact that you're even conscious of a term such as "chops" in relation to writing suggests you take it seriously, even competitively (since "chops" is a measure of quantifying talent), and in my mind excludes you from the amateur category, even though I have absolutely no idea how you actually make a living.

[Evan Yares]

Bloggers? Journalists? They seem like labels to me -- things you apply to people because you have some requirement to put them in a pigeonhole.

What label would you want to give me? Journalist? Blogger? Maybe something entirely different?

CAD vendors have never known what pigeonhole to put me in. Do they invite me to their press events? Do they not invite me? Do they blacklist me?

(Consider Autodesk as an example. They didn't invite me to their press event. Think it was intentional or an oversight?

It was easier in the past when I had a business card that had a title on it. PR folks can understand the title "technical editor," or "analyst."

Here's what matters to me: Do you have chops? Do you have integrity? Do you have perspective? Do you have passion? And will you speak up?

[matt]

Rachael,

The people that I have heard are out of business are the SolidMap people, the developers of the product that both Joel and I reviewed with such different conclusions.