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observer.com
Blogger Brian Stetler, 21, just got hired by the New York Times. Horatio Alger, or savvy positioning? |
Brian Stelter, the
TVNewser blogger, is a 21-year-old recent college grad. He's also the
newest staff writer for the New York Times.
Stelter's blogger-to-reporter story is certainly noteworthy (and he deserves the accolades), but his story also serves as a case study for bloggers who want to use independent publishing as a catalyst for bigger things.
First of all, generic blogging won't attract the attention of media outlets. However, blogging about a specific trend, topic or industry can open the same door Stelter just walked through.
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Business folks are always looking for solutions and inside information. If you have a voracious interest in a mission-critical topic area and you can consistently deliver useful content, important people in important positions will (hopefully) take note.
Of course, bloggers who want to make the jump to mainstream media have better chances if they're already writing in blogs highly visible to mainstream media decision makers. Tidbits contributor Tish Grier notes, "TVNewser got its biggest push from being part of MediaBistro ...Let's not build hype about uber-successful bloggers and journalists-turned-bloggers. Rather, let's state the realities of their situations."
I agree with Tish: The realities of blogging are quite stark and it takes an enormous amount of work to make even the smallest of impressions. Then again, not every blogger defines "success" as getting picked up by mainstream media.
