A Look At The Blogging Profession For 2009 and Beyond

We have heard the idea behind “Blogging Is Dead…” We have also heard about the death of newspapers and the traditional media journalists that are losing their careers to the “citizen journalists” and those that are doing it as hobbyists. We have seen this in play for 2008, but what does this mean for the future of blogging and the future of journalism? I was reading recently about Ann Handley discussing the fact that companies should be hiring journalists if they want to leverage content in the future on their sites. Here is Ann’s prediction and advice:

“If you are thinking of increasing your content play in 2009, hire a journalist.” ~ Ann Handley

“In 2009, an increasing number of journalists find themselves out of work at traditional newspapers, which continue to struggle with sustaining their business. Good news: the writers find a home as “content producers” and “content managers” on the corporate side, in companies of all shapes and sizes.

People who are trained as journalists are specifically geared to helping companies execute on their 2009 marketing strategy, which is to become trusted sources of information within their specific industries. They can help companies see the wisdom of talking less about the company itself, and more about solutions they can help their customers with. They are wonderfully creative in developing interesting and compelling content.

Advice: If you are thinking of increasing your content play in 2009, hire a journalist.”

This is going to be what I see as 2009 unfolds. I have been gettting many inquiries about our service. Companies are seeing the benefits of outsourcing their content needs. I am not going to address the “Bloggers vs. Journalists” debate that many have bantered about over the past, that is for another post. Suffice it to say, journalists will need to learn the blogging trade, and you bloggers should probably begin to take some of the wisdom we see in journalism and make it part of your arsenal. I myself could use some lessons in journalistic writing.

This is going to be the new look of professional blogging and it really began when the demise of newspapers and other traditional media began to lose readers to the dreaded Internet. Just as the scribes lost their monopoly when the printing press became prolific, so to are traditional media outlets losing their grip on what they held as a monopoly. This is really a career and position that is in its infancy. I am looking to leverage the future of professional blogging and how companies are looking to a better blogger. Journalists are far ahead in the professional blogging game. They already have the tools necessary. When they learn the blogging game, the ability to network, market and build community as bloggers, they will dominate this space.

[Photo via aloshbennett]