Josh, in the few times that the reporters from the Orlando Sentinel have attempted to blog an event, a couple have come off well, and then like the shuttle launch last month, it was more of a rehash of what you could have just seen/heard on almost any live news report. Plus the reporter had multiple errors, in one she posted a photo by Red Huber (a shuttle launch photo guru, actually a photo guru of all types of launches). She was bragging how Red had "carte blanche" to put cameras anywhere, including a top very high tower erected at his whim. The photo was actually shot from atop the VAB, amongst a few other phtographers, not exactly the huge "EXCLUSIVE" the photo was labeled. After I pointed that out and a couple other glaring errors, they finally editted her blog. The other is the MLL Moms who blogged from the games up in Pa. Really useless info that some people think that others really will care about.

Personally, I read a lot of blogs while doing research, but unlike some, I in no way consider that to be "blogging". Maybe blogeading but in no way blogging.

One big factor to overcome with live blogs of events, like the DNC/RNC conventions, what can be added that is not being repeated way too many times already by others?

Gees, I typed too much, sorry, hope I said something meaningful.

Mark (working in the 26th hour without sleep so please do not hold spelling errors against me).

Josh, I agree with you.

Granted, things are changing, but we can't get too myopic here. Blogs / RSS - it is all still too new for many in local media. Not all, but many. And, lest we forget, the vast majority of PR is being done locally and regionally, in my opinion.

It is being done in ways that (if all these new tactics were used - and the old disregarded) practitioners would likely miss their target audiences.

Not everyone is an early adopter. And, it is still early.

Hi Josh, the results mentioned in the study really do not add up when you talk about European media. I work in Brussels as a PR Manager of a large IT corporation and talk to reporters everyday, most of them do not use blogs and are just finding out about RSS feeds. I try to do some "education" on the latter since we're issuing our press releases by e-mail + RSS feed and I am pointing them to the advantage of using feeds... Doesn't mean they're changing from e-mail to feeds though. Together with some colleagues from the IAOC we're looking at doing our own survey, targeted only to reporters (mostly non IT) and specificaly on their use of blogs and RSS. We hope we can run this in the US but also in different countries in Europe. We feel a bit left behind when it comes to surveys of this kind here on the old continent... ;-)

According to the press release, "This year’s study surveyed 1,202 journalists both in North America and around the world, and marks the first year in which international journalists were invited to participate. The study questioned respondents on a broad array of timely topics, including ethics, credibility, technology and influence, to assess how the growing number and scale of corporate and media scandals, as well as the changing face of news reporting and source disclosure in the U.S. and abroad, are affecting reporting practices."

So, are you questioning the numbers? Statistical validity of the study? Whether Dr. Ross made it up? Studies, of course, present only part of the picture, and I'm a skeptic myself, but I was wondering if you could clarify what you mean when you say you "don't believe it." What part of the study results don't you believe? Not being contentious, mind you, just curious.

Shel thanks for the prompt. I have been meaning to update this post with the issues you raise since I did come down a bit harshly on the report.

I am not saying I don't believe that the study showed 51% of the 1,202 journalists they surveyed use blogs. I trust that they're accurate in their statistical analysis. I would like to see the methodology and a bit more about the sample though. One of the questions I asked was how the survey was administered.

I have not heard anything back about my request for the report though, which was made on Monday. I did get two private e-mails from people telling me that they saw little hope of me getting a copy without paying for it. All we have to go on is the intial release they provided and the PDF of the presentation. I haven't found a blog that has seen the full report.

My main issue is that like any survey/stat, people pick up select data points and run with it.

Do I believe that 51% of journalists they surveyed use blogs, yes. Do I believe that 51% of journalists use blogs, no.