BRAIN published its first piece about the industry entering the blogosphere in June 2005. Now, after a few years of watching from the bleachers, engaging in discussion about the practical applications of new media and fielding questions about when BRAIN is going to enter the fray, we’re finally jumping in.
I admit, I'm somewhat of a new media skeptic. I question the relevancy and longevity of blog posts that evaporate into the Internet ether. I wonder how prolific bloggers find the time to post to Twitter, Facebook and blogs throughout each day and who has time to read them. (Don’t you all have businesses to run and customers to serve?) And I worry about how our staff will be able to create fresh content that is outstanding and relevant.
But we can’t sit on the sidelines any longer. The recent presidential elections clearly illustrated the power of blogs like The Huffington Post in bringing political discourse to the masses. And industry pioneers including Interbike’s Rich Kelly, Masiguy Tim Jackson and Portland’s blogmaster Jonathan Maus have shown that the industry has embraced blog-style content.
But for dyed-in-the-wool print media folks like us, entering this space is a bit scary. It forces us to write on our feet, turn off (or at least turn down) the editorial filter and reveal a more personal side of the industry and of ourselves. Moreover, we have to figure out how to incorporate this free-flowing approach into what we already do well—covering industry news.
While we’re smart about publishing and savvy about news reporting, we’re not experts on this new media stuff. We’re just learning how to harness the power of blogs and multimedia tools to create fun and interesting content. In this space we’re newbies, just like many of you.
We’re going to learn as we go, figuring out what inspires you, our readers, to respond with enthusiasm or outrage.
As we navigate this brave new media world, we’re counting on you to share your comments and contribute to the online dialogue. Our goal is for this to become a venue for vibrant interactive discussion about what’s affecting the industry now.
We hope you’ll chime in.
