(iverson's) currentbuzz: Why All journalists Should Blog

This article is titled Why all marketers should blog, but I think it applies to journalists, and in fact anyone who would presume to be in the "communication business."

I haven't written down my personal observations from blogging but when I do talks, I say the same things. You have to walk the walk sometimes in order to understand what the stroll is about.

If you've written for print or done broadcast, but worked with that Mass Audience mentality, you have missed the thrill and sting of immediate audience response. If you "look" at the web, even on a daily basis, you don't know what it feels like to :

become one with a Web site like never before. When you single-handedly build and publish a simple and elegant online diary — a blatant expression of yourself — the resulting Web site almost becomes an extension of you. You begin to pay attention to every detail, from the graphical design, to interactive flow, to custom functionality. Inside or out, regardless of what others think, the creation is you

Source: blogs.mediapost.com

Once you try that, you can't help but be a better "listener" and part of any online communty. When Mark says here resonates too.

talking like a human — not a machine or a corporate voice of god — tends to resonate with existing and future community members. I also learned to package and express my thoughts more concisely and naturally than ever before — whether it be through text, visuals, audio or video. I also found that giving to others results in them giving back — whether in the form of feedback, endorsements, suggestions or exposure. And I learned some tough lessons about the consequences of full public exposure.

Source: blogs.mediapost.com