Save the Media

First,  a personal note. Sorry, I haven’t been blogging for a while. I’ve been quite ill, with a suspected case of swine flu. (I say “suspected” because at least in my community, doctors are only giving the “swine flu” test to hospitalized patients, which, thankfully, I was not.) I am starting to feel better now. I have much to share with you. (One thing being sick is good for — lots of time to think.) Here goes.

Following is a list of my top five six blogging mistakes. I admit, I’ve made each of them, as I’ve learned “on the job” so the speak. I’m not judging here; just sharing what I’ve learned. I see these mistakes frequently on my jogs around the blogosphere. The list is important for journalist bloggers, but I think it makes sense for most other bloggers, too. If I’ve missed a mistake on your “top five” list, please share and post a comment.

Mystery blogger: I hate when I have to hunt around on a blog to find out who the blogger is. I don’t want to have to click on your Google profile or your FriendFeed link to find out who you are. Just tell me. Thanks. Every blog should have an “About Me” page to tell readers about the blogger. Even better: A place on the main page that explains who you are. (Regular readers will notice I’ve taken my own advice and added this to my blog.)

Fake names: I know it’s fun to come up with some neat pen name for your blogging career, but I’d suggest you use your real name. Why? It helps me believe you more. It enhances your credibility. And it enables me or other readers to verify who you are? Plus, I just lose a bit of respect for someone who feels comfortable sounding off on a subject without letting people know who he or she is. A real name also helps you brand yourself as your name, which will be increasingly important as journalism becomes more entrepreneurial. And, as Penelope Trunk at Brazen Careerist, points out: It’s easier to network online using your real name. (By the way, Penelope apparently also committed the “fake name” sin. Penelope isn’t her real name, and she explains why here.)

(Now, I know fake names are common in some blogging genres, such as moms who write about their kids. The nom de plume is meant to protect the children’s privacy, so the whole world won’t know “Oh, you’re the one who wasn’t potty trained until age 5.” That’s a bit of a different case in my mind than a journalistic blog, and I’m less troubled by fake names on truly personal blogs like these.)

But for just about everyone else, use your real name. And while you’re at it, use a real picture, too. I love those cartoon avatars as much as anyone, but a real picture is, well, really you.

No links: If you’re updating a post, please link to the background. If you’re writing about an issue covered elsewhere, link to stories or blog posts about that issue. If you use a technical or medical term I might not understand, link to a definition. If you mention an organization or agency, link to it, so I can easily find out more information. If you’re commenting on a buzz across the Twitterverse, link to the tweets. If other bloggers are writing about your topic, link to their posts.

When I read a blog post that ignores the Web’s ability to link, I just see it as a missed opportunity. Linking makes things easier for your readers, and it offers journalists many other benefits, including making their jobs easier, says Ryan Sholin, director of news innovation at Publish2, in a great list of why to link at Beat Blogging. Here’s my own philosophy on why journalists should link, including: It will encourage other blogs to link to your blog, which helps you index higher in Google.

There’s no there, there: If you love what I’ve written, and you copy my first graph, paste it on your blog and say, “Gina Chen has a great post” and then link to it, I’ll be eternally grateful because you’ve expanded my audience and you’ve added an inbound link that will help me index higher in Google. But I’d be even happier if you read what I wrote, thought about it, digested it, and then blogged about what you think of the issue and linked to my post for context. The best blogs, I think, add to the conversation, by adding value, by saying something. Disagree. Agree. Expand. Dispute. Debate. Compare.

There certainly is a place for aggregator blogs, which summarize posts and link to them. Jim Romenesko’s blog at Poynter Online aggregates thoughtful posts and news stories related to journalism, and it’s on my must-read list every day. But not every blog can do that as well and comprehensively as he does. Blogging is a conversation, so a blogger must say something to have someone else say something back. That’s what really makes it a dynamic medium.

No response to comments: You read a blog post and find it insightful, so you post a comment, adding to what the blogger said and expanding the idea. You come to the blog a few hours or even days later. Nothing. No response. Your comment hangs out there like a failed joke told at a party, but even worse because now there’s an online record of you virtually talking to yourself. I strongly believe bloggers should respond to comments on their blogs. Being a blogger is a bit like being a host: You need to keep the conversation flowing, engage the guests and make it clear to the flaming idiots that their ilk won’t be tolerated.

When you respond to comments, you’ll likely get more comments, create a more interesting site (sometimes the banter in the comments can be the best part of a blog) and forestall the development of ”comment ghettos,” where commenters just hurl barbs at each other. Plus, it’s one of the fun parts of blogging — to be able to “talk” to your readers in real time. Old Media New Tricks offers a comprehensive list of how to navigate responding to comments on your blog.

No contact form: The thing about blogs is, if you want to say something to the blogger, you can always post a comment (unless, of course, that feature is turned off, which it shouldn’t be.) But what if you want to say something a bit more general, that isn’t related to a post. Or you want to invite the blogger to do a guest blog or speak at a panel discussion. That’s why a “contact me” form is vital. It’s an easy way for readers to reach the blogger. Adding an e-mail address is also a good idea. You can get free e-mail address through Yahoo or Google, so there’s no excuse not to set one up just for your blog. That way you’re not giving the whole world your personal e-mail. You can always e-mail me at savethemedia@yahoo.com.

What’s your blogging pet peeve? Share it. Post a comment. (I promise I’ll answer you back.)

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