Web writers need to understand scannability

You'll find great advice on blogging and writing for the web on Paul Bradshaw's online journalism blog. In this segment, he talks about scannability and search engine optimization. He notes that 79% of web users are scanners. That means as a writer you don't have much time to grab their attention.

Blog to understand the future

Whether you use a blog on the job or not, you should learn how to use a blog. It will help you understand the web. Scott Karp explains it clearly on his blog about the evolution of the media. Howard Owens says it's critical to blog to understand where journalism is headed. So don't put it off any longer. Get started!

Can blogging cost you your job?

A CNN producer says he was fired for posting strong opinions on his own personal blog. Some newsrooms have policies on blogging, much like they do on freelance work or other outside employment that might potentially create the appearance of conflict. If you're going to blog, you might want to check with your employer to see if there's a policy on blogging. The New York Times includes blogging in its ethics policy.

Telling untold stories on a newspaper blog

Newspapers are finding different ways to use blogs as a reporting tool. The LA Times used a blog to tell the untold stories of homicide victims in Los Angeles. Reader reaction has been emotional and strong. Until reporter Jill Leovy started writing about the victims on the blog, the print newspaper had covered only about 10% of the city's homicides. Her work documents what Leovy calls "a pocket epidemic of violent death among black and Latino men in neglected corners of society.'

Blogs boom at newspapers

Check out this list of the top blogging newspapers in the United States. The list is a bit outdated. More people are blogging now than ever. But it's still interesting to see what the early adapters are doing. At the chron.com, you can find both staff-written blogs and links to blogs written by other folks in Houston.

Become a blogger

Blogging is easy. Keep your posts short, typically no more than 200 words. Link to at least one other web site. Adding hyperlinks adds depth to your post. Try to post often. Visitors are less likely to return if you don't update your blog frequently. To create a blog of your own, go to Blogger.com or WordPress.com