Why Embracing The Blogosphere Works…

On Sunday, I was part of a group that helped pull together an event to expose the new analytic products Bloomberg Sports and MLB.com are developing and will soon introduce to the consumer market for fantasy baseball, as well a. a more fun, indepth way at looking at the sport of baseball . While the products, one for the fan and one for professional teams, are compelling on their own, what was even more compelling was the interest in the over 50 bloggers that attended the Sunday afternoon event, further proof that brands that find ways to work with the bloggers who have achieved success and built credibility will find a solid pipeline for legitimate, timely and in-depth coverage.

Now like any other group of media, the process of accepting bloggers into the mainstream has had its ups and downs. The bloggers get the blame, sometimes rightfully so, for spreading or creating rumors or being ill-informed on subjects and posting “news” that is irresponsible. However in this 24/7 new cycle. where the goal in many cases is to run stories and ask questions later, the mistakes that bloggers make are perhaps not much bigger than poor reporting by traditional media (Balloon Boy anyon.) that can also occur. Like other forms of emerging media in the past…sports and talk radio, all-sports cable television, websites, sport-specific television outlets, college newspapers etc etc…there is both a reticence to accept and a pushback from the traditional medi. who may not embrace or understand the value of adding more sources to an ever-changing mix. Howeve. for the teams, brands, leagues that find the correct way to evaluate and determine the right mix, the media coverage opportunities that bloggers can provide, both initially and virally, can be a great addition and help garner great grassroots support to a strong messaging campaign. Sure, blogger acceptance and accreditation is still a work in progress, especially amongst writers and outlets who may be new to a large media market. By giving bloggers a forum and access…if they meet the same criterea as “traditional” media in terms of writing quality, objectiveness and professionalism… teams, brands and leagues are both fostering new sources o. exposure and helping generate added content at a time when traditional sources are challenged. It certainly is not a cure-all or a simple solution for increased media coverage. However it is a good compliment that can help address an ever-growing interest in diverse content by the fan.

Some other good reads…the Washington Post's Mike Wise had a piece on why Duke-Georgetown embraced all good about college hoops, even a visit by President Obama... the New York Times’ Katie Thomas had a piece on where a new breed of athletic directors are coming from…the business world… and the LA Times Sam Farmer has a good profile of Steve Sabol and NFL Films…