Yeah, this should be screamingly obvious to longtime blogosphere denizens, whether readers or writers, but as George and I like to say, “There’s a lot of value in repeating the obvious.” So in that spirit, I point you to this Bivings Report article, 16 Ways The News Media Can Use Blogs. The 16 ways are:
- Solicit ideas for coverage.
- Request feedback on how to shape an editorial product.
- Host public blogs.
- Provide ongoing coverage.
- Foster interaction between journalists and citizens.
- Cheaply report news about niche interests.
- Request help from the public on covering a story.
- Get experts to interact.
- Get non-journalists to report on their areas of expertise.
- Provide sneak peaks of upcoming stories.
- Allow journos to share their interests and passions.
- Share internal memos and briefings with the public.
- Defend editorial decisions.
- Provide case studies for issues of public interest.
- Share what you’re reading.
- Publish content that didn’t make it on air or in print.
The article goes into detail and provides examples for each one of these 16 ways.