AJC, Equifax on blog panel

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Time to be nice to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, my hometown paper, after dinging them up yesterday. Lea Donosky, interactivity manager of the paper/Web site, joined in a four-person Atlanta Press Club panel on 3/27/08 to discuss blogs.

Donosky, in my view the most informative and engaging member of the panel, feels that technology is a tool for journalists/bloggers, not an end in itself. She noted that some bloggers (but not all) were credentialed for the trial of “Scooter” Libby, former chief of staff for VP Dick Cheney.

Many AJC reporters and columnists have their own blogs,  and Donosky said the paper’s philosophy is for bloggers to stick to their traditional roles. For example, reporters are not to opine in blogs, but for columnists, it’s OK. And seems that longtime AJC business columnist Maria Saporta, who is well connected in the ATL, is about to get her own blog.

David Rubinger, an Equifax communications exec, compared the blogosphere to the Wild West. He spends much time and resources to protect his brand identity from predatory and unprincipled bloggers. Interesting turnabout, eh, since Equifax is famous for recording and disseminating financial information on others.

I also enjoyed the question/comment from Atlanta-area educator Leonard Witt when he said one strength of the blogosphere/social media scene is to counteract growing consolidation among traditional media companies.

Good point. In Atlanta, Cox is dominant. It owns the AJC and WSB, leader in TV and radio. And everyone knows how strong FOX is getting nationally. I agree with Witt that such is not healthy for the U.S. democracy.

Remember how bloggers unearthed the info that poked holes in Dan Rather’s National Guard story on President Bush? Also, anyone who was around Atlanta during the recent tornadoes knows that citizen journalists offered as much coverage as traditional media did.

And audience member Art Harris, a former CNN and Washington Post reporter, offers another example of how someone with a traditional media background can excel in the new world.

Others on the APC panel were educator Gregory Lisby and executive Jeremy Garlington. Fellow media bloggers were out in force, so check out Griftdrift, Shelbinator and MostlyMedia for other accounts of the event.

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Tags: AJC, Art Harris, Atlanta, blogosphere, Bush, CNN, Equifax, Griftdrift, Internet, media, Rather, Shelbinator, tornadoes, Washington Post, WSB