Steve Outing, a Poynter Online Journalist addresses some good ideas regarding what journalists can learn from bloggers. The writing in blogs is more unrestricted. This can obviously be a negative effect for many reasons, but on the positive side it allows blogs to be written faster and with more reader contribution and dialogue. Something else I think journalists can learn from bloggers is to use some personality in writings. Make your voice different, even in journalistic reports.

My thoughts on other lessons traditional media should gain is to converse more with the audience. Encourage readers to engage in the conversation, as Jeff Jarvis, president of Advance Internet said. “News is a conversation, not a lecture,” writes Jarvis.

Max strategy is the single most important thing that traditional media should perfect to retain existing audiences and gain new ones. Max strategy is the term coined by Chris Anderson in his book, ‘Free.’ It means, put your information everywhere. News organizations are already starting to do this. Who would have thought that CNN would have a Facebook page and a Twitter? You do not even need a TV anymore to watch major events because of this strategy.

Unfortunately, the concerns of neo-Luddites, sticks-and-bricks communities and the digital divide do not enter into this highly technological world, for different respective reasons. This is where we rely on current newspapers to keep up with the max strategy of big organizations, and report on them. Radio stations, local news and smaller newspapers should all be current with this new, high-tech way of spreading the news, and report to those who are not interested in finding friends on Facebook.

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