Amidst some political commentary, Dave Winer wedges in a nugget about local newspapers:

Dan Gillmor says that communities are the losers as journalists are laid off at local newspapers. I say good riddance. These guys are so far from doing their jobs. We need a total house-cleaning across the board. This system doesn’t work. A few years ago I tried to engage Dan in a discussion of the conflict of interest the press has, it’s so huge it’s like an elephant in the middle of the room, but they’ll never write about it.

I’ve read these doomsday prophecies for local newspapers before and frankly compare it to the music and movie industry hopelessly fighting the internet. They can’t win. Won’t win. They need to start rolling with it.

What is that saying about the quickest way to defeat a foe is to befriend him? So newspapers should use this cliche to their advantage and highlight the things they do well while embracing their competition.

Some people, particularly older people, actually like newspapers. Businesmen and those travelling like newspapers. Like the convenience and sharing aspect of throwaway print. Coupon clippers? They are all over newspapers too. What about the comics? A virtual comic just isn’t the same as the Sunday funnies, sorry. People will continue to pay for the newspaper’s strengths. The wired bunch, myself included, will continue to enjoy print on some level until something that emulates the entire print experience, but is better, comes along.

I talked recently about how I enjoyed using the Tablet PC and Zinio for reading some computer-based magazines. I don’t enjoy Zinio for reading all magazines.

The internet hasn’t — and won’t — completely replace print. Reading a paperback can be an intimate experience that reading an ebook just doesn’t do justice. I’m talking about creasing back that book, cuddling up next to a warm fire and getting down to the story. People who love to read get the experience. There is something just, well, mechanical about reading an electronic book. I think that’s partly why ebooks, fiction at least, haven’t caught on as hot as expected.

There is some sort of bizarre business stranglehold that traditional media tries to put on their use of competing technology that is refreshing to see places like CNN’s The Situation Room bucking the trend. Fortunately, bloggers aren’t being kept silent from radio, where hosts are openly quoting blogs/bloggers. The local newspapers need to figure out how to incorporate blogs/blogging, podcasts and vlogs into their model like some of their counterparts and I believe they will — eventually. They have no choice, really.

And one big way they could start is by linking out to (blog) sources in their online stories.

The link is important respect for readers, because the publication shows that it isn’t afraid to lose readers to somebody besides advertisers, perhaps even a direct competitor. It clearly and unequivocally demonstrates that by linking out there is an opportunity encouraged for readers to develop their own opinion — and that includes strongly disagreeing — about how story is being presented. By not linking out, it shows the opposite, that the story in question might be presented as the only truth. The absolute truth, and that how dare you go to some other source and read differently?

And despite Winer, others, including my own blogging evangelism, I do not think traditional media will be overtaken by bloggers. Let’s face it, bloggers aren’t newsrooms. They are usually one or more people giving an often passionate opinion, sharing something cool, useful, interesting and/or venting about an experience. Sure, some blogs are like newsrooms and even receive press passes, but the vast majority of blogs are first hand accounts from the man on the street. The newspapers can’t emulate that, no matter how hard they try because they are mired in the editorial process — so they need to seek out these local voices, of which in the greater Seattle area alone there are many.

What Winer might think of or refer to a conflict of interest clearing house, I think is more about editorial responsibility, and liability concerns. Some of the things that bloggers write cannot be written in the local newspaper. Some blog writing is a step below even the journalistic integrity of tabloids. Certainly, Winer isn’t calling for that type of local newspaper, is he?

I applaud the local newspapers that are being progressive in their thinking and are incorporating the internet into their current and future marketing. These local organizations will not see a doomsday. Perhaps a format apocalypse, yes. Maybe the day will come when we read the news on our the back of our hands, or floating in mid-air as a hologram, but there will always be a need for local journalists.

The vast majority of bloggers — love ‘em, hate ‘em, like ‘em, whatever — are not going to work a beat like the local news reporter, nor live by the same editorial and journalistic guidelines and responsibilities because most bloggers have other jobs. The local fireman might have a really juicy, popular blog by night, but by day he fights fires. The truth will continue to be reported on and/or exposed by a combination of traditional media, bloggers/podcasters/etc and technology. Perhaps true professional bloggers — bloggers that make 100% of their income from blogging and do nothing else — will emerge as an occupation. I doubt we will see many of these people.

News reporters and journalists? Authors, writers, ghostwriters, etc? We’ll continue to see them. They aren’t going anywhere. And they will continue to fill blank pages in some format or other. Yes, the format may change, but the job will not.

I’m not even sure the term ‘blogs’ will hold its popularity for that long. Who knows what we’ll be calling this type of writing in 2025 since the term ‘diary’ seems to have fallen out of a favor. Using history as a lesson, ‘blogs’ certainly aren’t safe from the ravages of time.

Whatever they call it, health willing, I’ll still be doing ‘it.’

Did this post make you go hmm?

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