Video Post: It's a Blog Eat Blog World

Traditional journalists often criticize bloggers for plagiarizing content from actual news outlets, but that doesn't mean the "old" media isn't immune from taking liberties with the work of others. In fact, cooking magazine Cook Source has been raked over the coals recently for publishing a blog post without the blogger's permission. I look into the controversy and its impact on today's video post.

Video Post: Apple's Slice of the Pie

News outlets and blogs tend to jump all over any story about Apple or its upcoming products, but is it really dominating the news headlines like we think? There was a recent study done by the Pew Research Center that looked into that very topic, and Steve discusses it on today's Daily Axioms Video Post. You can find the article about the study here:

New Focus for Vocus

While the general public may not haven given it a second glance, the news of Vocus acquiring Help A Reporter Out caused (or should have caused) anyone in the PR, journalism or media industries to sit up and take notice.

The reason this is so newsworthy is that the two services have always had a similar goal, but with polar opposite means of achieving them.

Vocus, the traditional media list builder used by many PR professionals (including myself), and Help A Reporter Out (HARO), the grassroots-style service that started as a Facebook group to connect reporters with sources directly.

The two services are at odds because HARO's process circumvents the need for using PR to gain media attention.

So on the surface, this may look like Vocus getting rid of a competitor, but that's actually far from the truth. Vocus has already stated that they don't plan to change or start charging for HARO, nor did they go into any details about future integration between the two.

So what does this acquisition mean?

It means that even those in the traditional PR sphere are looking to social media as a viable influencer, and recognizing the problems of outdated media lists and ignoring individuals such as sources and journalists that HARO has been focusing on.

As someone who has had a love-hate relationship with Vocus, I hope that this acquisition leads to a middle ground that combines the best qualities of both services.

Expert Commentary on Today’s Top Fashion Designs? Child’s Play.

The question has been batted around social media in the past year, what makes a journalist? The question becomes even more intricate when you pose it in an arts related genre. Style is subjective. While fashion has a rich history and is a technical industry, originality and attitude can rule all.

Milan, Paris, Tokyo, New York, fashion weeks are an exciting staple for fashion journalists. A front row seat and backstage pass to New York Fashion Week previously reserved for only the editorial team of the nation’s top fashion magazines and experienced bloggers is now offered to bloggers who have yet to go to prom. In this case, Tavi.

Tavi Gevinson is a mere 13 years old, but her blog “Style Rookie” caught the attention of Rodarte, who decided to use Tavi’s unique fashion commentary for their new launch at Target. Included in this partnership was a spot in the front row at the Rodarte runway show during New York Fashion Week, complete with backstage pass to discuss the new line with senior editors from Seventeen, Teen Vogue, and even Vogue.

The experience was taped, mostly by Tavi herself, and released on YouTube. In the three weeks since its release, the video has been seen over 13,000 times. The video is, of course, supplemented with posts on her blog “Style Rookie,” where Tavi creates outfits using Rodarte’s new Target pieces to complete her unique style.

Tavi has earned herself rights that others have struggled through years of schooling and latte orders for. Is she a fashion Einstein, or a generational normal who simply got lucky? In a time where journalists are getting laid off by the boatload, you have to wonder where we’re headed in the new decade. Is there or should there be a distinction between laptop-owning fashion enthusiasts and classically trained journalists

Via Heidi and Sara