… in this Roderick Boyd article in the NY Sun. Despite the old saw about there being no such thing as bad publicity, I always wince when I first read about myself in the press, dreading inaccuracies. But Boyd’s piece seemed fine from my perspective (thanks, Roderick!) with one minor correction - Paul Mazursky, not Woody Allen, directed Scenes from a Mall. I also wish Roderick had mentioned Marc Danziger’s extremely important contribution to Pajamas as one of the three founders, so I will here.
UPDATE: Affiliated blogs have now reached 180+ (not counting an almost equal number of milblogs).
PJM Home
16 Comments
1. Lola:I was able to access the article with no problem at all.
I’m wondering about how the videos can be made accessible to those of us who can’t hear. I’m deaf and I depend on closed captioning to understand what people are saying on the news (you’d be surprised at how the captions don’t quite match what is being said at times . . . and remember the Orange Revolution in Ukraine? The sign language interpreter informed the deaf viewers during the newscast that what was being said was a lie and that’s how the word spread out - there was an article in Washington Post this weekend, I think, about this).
I know funding right now will likely not make it possible to close caption some of those videos, but perhaps this could be a consideration down the road? There are technologies that exist for this and I’m sure a way could be found to provide this.
May 3, 2005 - 6:29 am 2. Mark Tapscott:Roger, Pajamas Media is a tremendous idea. But I hope you are planning on making the federal government a major focus. My passion is to see bloggers do for government what we’re doing for the MSM. Pajamas Media could be a critical inspiration for making that happen. Good luck and let me know how I can help.
May 3, 2005 - 7:25 am 3. David Thomson:ìThere are caveats, however. The first is that blog advertising is unpopular with a large segment of traditional advertisers, such as Proctor & Gamble, who are uncomfortable with the potential of their products’ being sold near potentially controversial copy.î
The major advertisers are simply waiting for one of their own to take the plunge. They simply lack the guts to be the first one out of the gate. Do these companies really have that much to worry about? No, they are greatly exaggerating the risk. Advertisers at this very moment place spots on controversial TV programs. Why should a blogger be deemed more likely to go off the deep end? After all, well establish bloggers like Roger L. Simon or Instapundit are not likely to wake up one morning and decide to write about the joys of necrophilia and torturing children.
May 3, 2005 - 8:03 am 4. PJ:Sounds great, Roger, can’t wait to see what happens next. I agree with David: advertisers will come around, especially when the “threat” of one blog’s slant is diluted by association with so many.
And, Lola, that’s a great idea for captioning the video. Maybe some captioner/court reporter out there is interested.
http://www.ncicap.org/
May 3, 2005 - 8:12 am 5. Wallace:Good article and summary of the project.
May 3, 2005 - 8:34 am 6. rod:Paul Mazursky? ahh….dammit. that’ll be a correction ill have to make.
didnt mean to leave out Mark D. I was only able to speak to him after deadline had passed.
thanks again, and good luck. Roddy
May 3, 2005 - 8:51 am 7. mcg:This question may have already been asked and answered; and if so, please forgive me. But why are you making a clear separation between ‘affiliated blogs’ and ‘milblogs’? There’s something about the jargon I must be missing.
May 3, 2005 - 9:33 am 8. David Thomson:I can readily understand an advertiser worrying about a blogger criticizing their product line. Indeed, General Motors would be wise to think twice before placing an ad on Mickey Kausí blog. Still, other companies should have little to worry about. What are the odds that Kaus might savage one of Proctor & Gambleís shampoos or underarm deodorants? Some sort of compromise can be worked out. Heck, isnít this what theyíve been doing for years anyway with the established media?
May 3, 2005 - 10:12 am 9. Fausta:I blog in regular daytime clothes, but will the pajamagram be one of the advertisers?
May 3, 2005 - 10:17 am 10. RBMN:The problem with getting paid for political blogging is that too many people with nothing fresh to say (possibly me) that really should pack up their blog tent and quit, won’t. They’ll toss the dice one more time. And if something like broadcast television gets to be the business model, I shudder. The talk-radio model is somewhat better, but like TV, only at the top level.
May 3, 2005 - 10:37 am 11. Bruce W.:I’m having a little trouble visualizing how PJM will work (the Blog News Service part).
Will it be a “mega site” onto which all affiliated blogs will be posting directly (as opposed to links to their respective sites)?
As far as advertising is concerned, I think the “build it and they will come” concept applies. David T is right….most large companies take a wait and see approach to new practices of any kind, but they follow the pack once there is one.
Best of luck, Roger and friends.
May 3, 2005 - 12:02 pm 12. ambisinistral:I wish you luck, but I do have to admit I’ll miss all the whacked blog ads if larger companies take over advertising.
May 3, 2005 - 12:27 pm 13. Ron Wrght:The Blogos must not become relunctant to report the truth, lest we fail into the same trap the MSM has fallen
Roger,
I too believe the Blogos has the potential to be an effective check on our government. After all isn’t it, WE THE PEOPLE who choose, who will govern WE THE PEOPLE? Without a vibrant and free press, WE THE PEOPLE can’t hold those in positions of authority accountable.
Our current MSM has failed in its journalistic responsibility given by the American people in the 1st Amendment. The right of the free press was not granted to further any secular business interests but to act as a watchdog and report objectively on the actions of our government, so WE THE PEOPLE can hold those accountable at the ballot box.
In fact a good agrument can be made that the MSM has actively aided the enemy in the GWOT:
Where’s the beef?
[...]
RLS Link - comment
and:
The Titans of the Blogos vs. The Mainstream Media (MSM)
It’s all over except for the ‘fat lady’ singing.
The Internet and the Blogos now have the means to be that watchdog that the MSM chooses not to or will not do. In this new position of responsibility, the Blogos must not become relunctant to report the truth, lest we fail into the same trap the MSM has fallen:
This is a war of ideology, religion, and culture
Winds of Change - comment
The Greatest Weapon in Our Arsenal in the GWOT - THE TRUTH
HSPIG Link
OK - I’m done now.
May 3, 2005 - 2:23 pm 14. mythusmage:Told my shrink about it. His reaction was pretty much, “that’ll keep you busy.”
Some advertiser don’t like my slant on their product I have the following advice for them. Make it a good product, make it an honest product, deal openly and honestly with your customers. Come clean whenever you are wrong and correct your mistakes. Put everything up front. No fine print in your agreements, none. All fees, all conditions where they can be easily seen and in clear language. Hide nothing. Do that and you should have nothing to fear from what I say.
But if you lie, if you obscure, if you waffle and weasel don’t expect me to be kind. If you aint got the balls to be open do not expect me to show mercy.
And yes, I am a rude son of a bitch.
May 3, 2005 - 4:20 pm 15. Air Force Voices:I tried to send an email to get more information and got several reject notices…is the site now closed? Please advise.
Air Force Voices
p.s. I also sent an email to Greyhawk as part of his campaign to enlist milbloggers.
May 3, 2005 - 7:28 pm 16. nikita demosthenes:Mr. Simon:
Please let me know how I can contribute to Pajamas Media.
Thank you-
-nikita demosthenes
http://www.nikita_demosthenes.blogspot.com/
weblog-email@hotmail.com
May 4, 2005 - 10:26 pm