The LA Times takes a look at the future of sportsblogging.
Luis and I are in a bit of a different position here. We're journalists, but as freelancers, we don't get paid to write our blog. If anything, the blog costs us money, because time spent on it could be spent writing an article that would pay. I'm honestly not sure why we keep doing the blog anyway, other than that most of the time, we enjoy it and like getting out some extra info to fans of soccer.
It's also true that after trying hard to write something that will please an editor or an outlet, it's sometimes nice to just have a thought about something and be free to post it here without needing someone else's approval.
Because we are journalists, though, and we use our names on this blog, our reputation is on the line with every post. Sometimes I don't post stuff because I don't have the time to spend looking up what I'd need to find to make all the info completely accurate. Sometimes I don't post things because I don't want to deal with the blowback of being considered "girly" or the "We don't care about that, stick to soccer" comments.
Other times, I rebel against my self-censoring and post anyway, because if people don't want to read what I think, well, perhaps they shouldn't be reading this blog.
As far as whether or not to post rumors, though, I don't have too much trouble deciding where to draw the line there. If I have specific knowledge about something, I'll pass it along, otherwise, I don't bother. I'm not going to drive myself crazy wondering about the blog's reputation, though. Either people trust us to be honest with our observations or they don't.
7 comments:
Andrea, you and Luis do a great job with the blog. Please, don't ever stop. If people complain about things, it's just human nature - much easier to complain than to praise.
I love the info that you give, your individual opinion and viewpoint and the good-natured debating that goes on. This place is a daily stop for me....multiple times!
I think the difference between this blog and many others is that you and Luis are published journalists, whose articles have appeared in well-known publications like ESPN and CNNSI.com. You have credibility that many bloggers lack.
To be honest, I don't really consider this a "blog." I think of it as a soccer news website.
This is a wonderful source of information. It provides a lot of insight into the process through which sports news is produced. I find that extremely valuable!!!
Thanks for all your work!
I personally read your articles that you post on ESPN and other sites because you link it from this site. I come to this website almost solely to get my soccer/galaxy info and am just too lazy to look up articles on other sites. So if anything this website probably gives you more traffic for your paid articles.
with higher traffic and more exposure to soccer, in the long run you will probably get more paid jobs.
this site is the west coast equivalent to what Ives and Goff do in NY/DC...I do think (as not only a fan but as someone who is on the business side of consumer/b2b advertising for a living that your work should not just be a place to vent but could also be a good chunk of your livelihood if you are willing to make the investment...
there are a LOT of legit hosts out there that offer $10/month packages with domain registration (MidPhase and Anhost come to mind) that monetizing this blog would be ridiculously cheap and I'm certain you two would make money on it.
The last anonymous compared you to Ives and Goff but frankly, I think Goff is great, very thorough, but you are definitely better than Ives. He really drops the ball on researching league rules far too many times. That's pretty unforgiveable.
I hope you guys do launch a 'sidelineviews.com' sometime. I mean please, Canales Corner automatically kicks the ass of the other bloggers out there in the looks department alone. Who the hell wants to look at another chubby dude when you can check out AC talking soccer? No contest.
I'm glad you took the time to clear the air out and voice your feelings to the readers. I think it can be easy to forget that the person on the other side of the screen is a human being too. People forget that a blog or dialogue goes both ways. Sure, express your ideas and opinions freely, but respect and civility goes both ways as well(speaking to the commentors).
I am glad to see that you point out that your words, including blogs, are a reflection of your reputation, professionalism (and integrity). At the same time, it is brave of you to attach your name to a blog, as you could have easily been blogging anonymously yourself(at far less blood, sweat, and tears). Thank you.
But please don't be discouraged by the stupid comments, as it's their right to sound like idiots. They don't speak for me and I'm sure, not for many. Post what you like and if they don't agree, fine. It's like TV. If they don't like what's on, they can always change the channel. Can't please everybody, right? Keep up the good work!
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