Asian Correspondent & Bloggers’ Coming-Of-Age

Not too long ago to blog by nature was part of an underground, anti-establishment network of supposedly amateurish spin doctors and wannabe opinion makers who weren’t really read. Some made a few bucks along the way, some could garner a respectable readership, others were in for a single minute of fame, a few got established while the majority kept on writing for themselves.

Not much has changed since. And a lot has changed. To blog remains a lonely task. With the exception that many blogs have come of age and, along the way, the blogosphere has influenced the news business per se. CNNGo is a recent incarnation of an established name attempting to package news, lifestyle, travel and fun into the concept of a, yes, blog. By integrating blog functionalities and bloggers.

The latest, vastly more political kid on the block is Asian Correspondent.com with a beta site going public on October 19th, 2009. Bloggers again play an integral part in this interesting site offering a mixture between AP news content and opinionated, localized commentary aka blogs. With the difference being that AC pays bloggers quite well. For a labor of love. The downside: A blog’s web domain will be forwarded to AC’s platform. Which is one drawback among many positives – but why I declined a contract?

Writing for Asian Correspondent wouldn’t be subject to direct editorial control or restrictions. Any blogger on board keeps on writing what he or she has been writing all along. But www.absolutelyBangkok.com which I started two years ago would have become www.AsianCorrespondent.com/absolutelyBangkok.

The initial agreement is good for one year. I would have lost any control over layout and comments for one year. So what, you say. Why say no to many thousands of more hits. Call me a romantic and the design of aB.com boring and content so-so, but somehow this unimportant little site grew from nothing into something and, seriously, hidden somewhere behind AC’s main portal I’d fear to descend into oblivion among dozens of outstanding fellow bloggers chasing headlines and a front mention on AC.

For the sake of independence, what’s it worth?

They’re amazingly dedicated people behind AC and the site will have an impact on Asian news reporting. It’s a new, it’s a hybrid concept complementing and at the same time challenging the likes of Asia Times and Asia Sentinel and other sites with more personalized, less mainstream news.

They got interesting names for their Thailand correspondents in the pipeline, you’re probably familiar with the names. Soon we’ll know. If you yourself feel the urge to write for AC there will be a page to submit own articles. And, that’s right, there’s even a page to submit your details to get employed.

Wish you luck.

And it’s great to add another bookmark for Asian news.

Blogs catch on.

Bloggers have most certainly carved out new territory.




Sphere: Related Content

Related posts on absolutelyBangkok.com:

  1. Yours Truly, Bangkok
  2. CNNGo
  3. A Pointless Reminder
  4. Thailand Executes Drug Traffickers
  5. Quo Vadis Prathet Thai
  6. Of Fascism, Wannabe-Thais & I Must Love Thaksin
  7. I See Red When I See Yellow

October 13, 2009 | Filed Under News & Media, On Our Own, Politics, Society 

Comments

11 Responses to “Asian Correspondent & Bloggers’ Coming-Of-Age”

  1. Tweets that mention Asian Correspondent & Bloggers’ Coming-Of-Age -- Topsy.com on October 13th, 2009 10.12 pm

    [...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by BangkokDan. BangkokDan said: (BLOG) Asian Correspondent & Bloggers’ Coming-Of-Age http://bit.ly/1pE7uX [...]

  2. MongerSEA on October 14th, 2009 10.56 am

    A cynic might also suggest that putting many Thai blogs under one domain makes less work for the MICT when it comes time to block them.

  3. chdarat on October 14th, 2009 1.40 pm

    MongerSEA – thanks for cheering me up! What will I do without you on absolutely!

  4. Jonny on October 14th, 2009 8.50 pm

    I am currently a blogger living in Bangkok. Can’t remember how I found your site but I am glad that I did. I enjoy your slightly more informative approach to articles.

    Strange that they take over your blog in such a way.

  5. Steve Jackson on October 15th, 2009 1.04 pm

    I totally see your point and I am sure I would have come to the same conclusion if offered the same deal.

    I respect your decision – I wonder how many others will say no too.

  6. BangkokDan on October 15th, 2009 1.18 pm

    The Asia File has an excellent backgrounder on the upcoming Asian citizen journalism website of Asian Correspondent. Fills you in on many details and the project’s feasibility. i think the author just posed as a potential blogger for AC, nevertheless worthwhile to read.

    Steve I’m aware of a few good names who said no, others are still considering or will reconsider, and other interesting names said yes, such as Malaysian blogger Jeff Ooi, Malaysia’s first political blogger to become a member of parliament and whose blog attracts (attracted) some daily 20,000 uniques in peak times.

    BangkokDan

  7. Ben Bland on October 16th, 2009 3.20 pm

    Dan – thanks for your kind comments. Just to clarify: I simply called Jim Craven up and interviewed him rather than posing as a blogger.

  8. Phuket Observer on October 16th, 2009 7.27 pm

    Wise decision, Dan. With your own domain you retain a web property that gets better with age and a growing traffic stream, compared to a hosted blog that’s buying your content for its own use.

  9. Sanj Mahapatra on October 19th, 2009 4.18 am

    Just to let you all know we really do appreciate all of your comments about Asian Correspondent and completely respect your opinions on whether you think bloggers should or should not join up to write through our site – we do understand how much hard work and care is taken to grow your sites just as you have done here so well at absolutely bangkok.

  10. New Home « Asian Correspondent on October 23rd, 2009 2.02 am

    [...] BP thought long and hard about this change. Initially, actually said "no", but upon reconsideration and new information, decided to say "yes" at the last minute. For a write-up of the new site and the concept, see this blog post here. This is certainly not for everyone as Bangkok Dan explains here. [...]

  11. Catherine on October 25th, 2009 12.57 pm

    I too respect your decision to go it alone, but for selfish reasons. I tend to gravitate towards one-man bands.

    Hits have started to come in from CNNGo, so I do peek every so often. But sites managed by a face continue to hold a larger attraction for me.

    It is not that lone bloggers take more care/pride in researching/writing for posts when on their own sites. It is more the personal touch that often gets transmitted to readers.

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