Any successful "independent web journalists" (bloggers)?

I was having this argument on another board I frequent a few days ago. It skews younger, and a couple of the frequenters were telling me that there were all these bloggers out there who are "wildly successful" in an ad-based revenue model, and that the only reason newspapers aren't making it work is because our product "isn't good enough to attract readers."

When I challenged them to tell me who all these bloggers were who were making "tons of money," I was told that:

A. Most bloggers don't care about making money - but if they did, they would!
B. I was "biased," so they didn't want to continue the conversation.

 

When you hear Jason Calacanis talking about how he pays someone $7 to make a transcript of a podcast, not too many people are making much money. I wonder how the Engadget and Gizmodo bloggers are doing.

 

I've gotten a couple of PMs on this topic, so I think I've hit something of interest to this group, so I'm going to go ahead and out myself...

http://baybridgebaseball.com

I covered the Giants and A's for a 100K circ paper in the SF area. Now I'm basically just doing what I did at my newspaper blog, but for myself. I'm also doing some of the stuff that I would have put in the newspaper (like the recently added interviews with Barry Zito and Aaron Rowand).

So far I've developed a little following of 700-1,000 visitors a day, but it's been pretty flat for the past few weeks, so I'm wondering if I've hit the ceiling of what I can do without spending a lot more time trying to market myself. I'm not that comfortable cross posting on other blogs/forums "Hey, come read what I wrote!" unless I think it's really good. I've been on the local big-boy sports talk radio station a couple of times, and I got mentioned on ESPN.com twice for a Matt Holliday item I wrote. Other than that, it's been word of mouth. I think the response has been good. I get two or three emails a day from people that say they really like what I'm doing. Some people say they appreciate that 1) I know how to write clearly and concisely better than many amateur bloggers and 2) that I have an "insider" perspective that they don't.

Another friend of mine suggested that the way to become really popular in the blogosphere is to be really snarky and almost mean-spirited, ripping the athletes and the MSM. I absolutely do not want to do that. Hopefully I'll get another job in the MSM (mainstream internet included), and have to deal with these people face to face again, so I don't want to burn any bridges by becoming another Fire Joe Morgan. If that means I can't be a "successful blogger," so be it.

So my dilemma as I go forward is this: How much effort should I put into independent news gathering? So far the stuff I've generated has mostly been interviews from times when I was at a media event for another reason (magazine features). I will be in spring training doing some work for AP, so I'll get more stuff then. During the season I plan to do whatever stringing I can, as well as more magazine features. But I'm going to have to figure out for myself how often I want to take the time to go to the ballpark if it's only for the blog. (I'm still a BBWAA member, so I can still go whenever I want.)

 

You've hit the nail on the head regarding the issues here.

This is the dilemma throughout the blog world, and the reason many mainstream media believe that, ultimately, bloggers usually fail at real, independent reporting, and why readers/society will be adversely affected in the long run by all the damage being done to mainstream media right now.

Bloggers, and society, need mainstream media.

Unless they are attached to a mainstream-media outlet, bloggers' opportunities to get and do the work will be very difficult to do on any kind of a regular, long-term basis -- particularly a cost-effective, profitable long-term basis. They simply won't do, and usually won't be able to do, as good a job as the mainstream media in really tackling issues, or just "being there." Heck, most of them don't even want to do the work of being there. They just want to write/link about it.

And without the financial reasons/possibilities, the motivation/incentive/time to do the work at all simply will not be there forever. It will eventually wane, or at least, be difficult to maintain, on their own.

Simply wanting to do something, or liking doing it, is not always enough to make it happen, or to do it right, or well.

 

Exactly. I know the really popular, frequently read fan blogs are powered by people who love these teams. They have an emotional attachment to them. I don't. It was a job. And now it's a job without income, which is ... uh ... hmmm ... well ... I'll have to get back to you.

 

There's a term out there called something like a pod fade or something like that, which refers to the way people would begin Podcasts (do they still do those?) with a gusto before they caught onto the limited rewards of putting in the time and effort for no monetary compensation. I imagine blog fades are pretty common, too.

I'd love to dig up an economist's thoughts on where this is headed, in terms of people tapping away for free. Will "BLOGS!" have a prominent spot on "I love the 2000s!" on VH1 as a relic of the silly past?

 

I am not sure of the blog but I have been told there is one dealing with the Texas Rangers that has in excess of 5,000 subscribers, and it is not like the Rangers are a particularly hot topic in the metroplex.

 

I'd suggest trying to touch base with Aaron Gleeman

http://www.aarongleeman.com/

He started a blog several years ago focusing on Twins baseball. He's closing in on 5 million visitors and his blog has landed him a couple of well-paying gigs with tradition media.

 

Also - I'm guessing it was jealousy that kept anyone from mentioning Jason McIntyre and The Big Lead.

He's now one of the most successful sports bloggers in the USA which I know must burn some of the haters here to no end.

http://thebiglead.com/

 

Not out of jealousy. Just curious what sort of profit he turns?

 

I have no idea but based upon his traffic and the fact that he always has paid ads - I'd guess maybe $35 - 60k

 

TBL is the real estate bubble of blogs. You can only get so far on complete bullshit. Let's see where his complete lack of ethics and responsibility gets him in two or three years before knighting him the king of new media.