“ I have no interest in enlisting in a virtual scavenger hunt, or unlocking merit badges — what is this, the Cub Scouts? — or becoming the narcissistic “Mayor” of my local coffee shop. Thanks for the offer, but I’m afraid I already have some semblance of a life. I do want to keep up with my friends, and (sometimes) let them know where I am. ” – Dear Foursquare, Gowalla: Please Let’s Stop...
Source : rickwebb.net
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The general manager of hot local-news site TBD, Jim Brady, is out after what sounds like a disagreement with TBD publisher (and owner) Robert Albritton.
The cause of the departure appears to have been an argument about whether TBD should grow by adding more "content" (original reporting) or "aggregation" (links to third-party content).
(Brady disputes this, but Albritton's memo makes it sound like it was an issue.)
In a reversal of the usual positions in this argument, publisher and money-man Albritton appears to want more original content, and Brady, the former executive editor of the Washington Post, wants (or wanted) content AND aggregation.
In case anyone's wondering who's "right" about what TBD should do, the answer is...Brady.
The online medium has made the distinction between "content" and "aggregation" irrelevant. Or, more specifically, it has turned aggregation into a form of content--and a very valuable one at that. The most successful online media companies, such as Huffington Post and Gawker Media, incorporate both original content AND aggregation. And that's why they are drubbing both the pure aggregators and the pure "content" companies.
And before you fall for the whining about how "aggregation" is a sort of parasitical behavior that steals the work of others, note that "aggregation as a form of content" is nothing new: TV and radio news outlets have been "aggregating content" for decades--by broadcasting news gathered by newspapers. And newspapers themselves have been reporting the work of other newspapers for centuries.
So this whole argument about "content vs aggregation" is silly, especially in a world in which millions of sources are only a click away.
If Albritton wants TBD to win a couple of Pulitzer prizes, fine, he should hire a few more Washington Post reporters. But if he wants the site to become a huge, influential commercial success that helps support a network of hundreds of local bloggers, he should ALSO keep investing in aggregation and technology.
Fishbowl has Albritton's memo >
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See Also:
1. If you are in New York City, don't miss the 38th annual New York Village Halloween Parade on Halloween. Named the greatest event on earth by Festivals International, this parade is America's largest Halloween festival. The festival includes nearly 60,000 marchers along with an open forum for artists and is suitable for adults and children. Everyone is encouraged to dress up in their costume of choice to watch the parade. The fun begins on 6th Ave. at 7 p.m. and lasts about two hours.
Wilson Kerr (@WLLK) is a former Tele Atlas exec and started Location Based Strategy, LLC in 2007 to help clients harness the power of location. Contact him today to learn more.
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