In the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks, many newly minted bloggers expressed frustration at the mainstream media’s (soon to be dubbed MSM) lack of attention to serious international news.
Case in point was cable news obsession with Chandra Levy’s death. So, when on the E&P site today, I saw a link about the WaPo getting ready to launch a 12-part series on the forgotten cold case, it intrigued me.
But that’s not the point of this post.
The point is, this quote at the end of the article:
Throughout the series, this blog will feature a daily update and preview of the next chapter from the reporters. Stay tuned.
Uh? This blog?
Go look at that link — in what was does it look any different from a typical E&P story? How is it written any different? Not only does the “post” lack the personal voice, insight and perspective of a good blog, it lacks a person — it’s just a generic “E&P staff” byline. Nor can you leave comments on it, nor can you get to, from that post, any sort of blog home page.
If E&P is running any blogs, there’s no evidence of it on their navigation or from their home page. (Hey, but they do have a podcast).
So if the biggest trade publication in the industry is so clueless about the web, what hope do we have for the rest of the industry?
Or am I just missing something? Is it just bad site design?
