The Nightingale, Bloggers, Press and PR

One of the more interesting posts that can be read today would be MEGA Magazine Launch FAIL and Instructions. And it is of interest for bloggers, on-line media practitioners, pr, marketing and businesses that plan to deal with Digital Media.

What would be interesting and to keep things balanced would be to know the other side of story. One thing while handling TechTanod is that you pick up a lot of things. One is when writing an article or post it would be best to hear the other side first. Keep things balanced. This I say only because this is particular road of blogging I have chosen.

I strongly believe that when a blogger departs from his role as a diarist and takes on the role of a chronicler or writer of things and story teller then he or she takes on the mantle of whatever role he or she chooses.

So when a blogger starts to cover technology and lifestyle as a reporter – he or she does so with the expectation that he or she must follow the discipline of the ideal reporter. And when a blogger starts to write commentary and analysis pieces then he or she must follow the discipline of an opinion writer. And this goes on and on.

At least this is my point of view.

BLOGGERS AND MEDIA

Perhaps I have been lucky – most of the people from the other media I have met have not been great. And I have covered technology, lifestyle, travel, entertainment ans even political events and press conferences. You get to meet interesting individuals some outspoken, some entertaining, engaging and more.

There are of course times when you come across what would be called unsavoury characters. But you find these sorts almost everywhere and you just deal with them effectively – by not minding them or standing up to them. As you would do anywhere depending on the condition.

But let me just state again that on the whole the press I have met on the whole are fair and decent people – just like the bloggers.

BLOGGERSS, PR AND MARKETING

You also encounter the same set of peopl in the PR and Marketing World. Some have even become friends. And one of them told me years ago that whenever you go to an event – just because you go to an event do not feel beholden or duty bound to write a post. Why? My friend told me that:

(i) All these events, freebies and paraphernalia were designed to convince you to write favorably about a product, seervice or person. Or at least leave an impression,

(ii) A forced post often dulls the blog. And readers leave they are not stupid.

There are of course others who may not believe in this? And force or convince or even require you to write. I believe you can say NO.

What would be the consequences? Would it be something that will deprive you of something precious?

One of the annoying things among these set of three people is what maybe in some in a small minority an over-abundance of self-entitlement and self-importance. The planet will still rotate around its axis and revolve around the Sun with or without the presence of self-entitled and self-important people.

LASTLY, THE NIGHTINGALE AND THE BLOGGER

In the end posts and stories can be taken everywhere. Sometimes, I think a blogger can be like the Nightingale in Hans Christian Andersen’s The Nightingale.

A Nightingale has to be free to come and go as it pleases. To see the world and not be caged or be like the magnificent and bejewelled mechanical bird that can sing only one or even two songs when winded up – that is its purpose and it does it purpose well, But the Nightingale needs to be free to go and see the vast Empire, the World and come back to tell about it.