Stop the presses: Blogs dare to make money

Mainstream news organizations can be so predictable, especially when they report about online media. "Corporate Ad Money Flows Their Way, Bloggers Risk Their Rebel Reputation," blared a New York Times headline over the weekend. CNNmoney, meanwhile, wrote of this "selling out" phenomenon among bloggers who dare to ply their trade as a living.

Let's recap: A decade ago, established news outlets warned that nothing on the Internet could be trusted. Organizations like News.com were (gasp) supported by advertising, so our credibility was automatically suspect even though the same could be said for any profit-driven magazine or daily newspaper. Then a few years later, along come bloggers--and, heaven forbid, some have the audacity to make a buck or two from their writing, an outrage that leads the traditional media to question their motives and independent spirit.

It is somewhat amusing that mainstream reporters are writing about online "sellouts" and credibility at the same time they collect corporate paychecks and their industry faces historic lows in public opinion ratings.

Blog community response:

"The truth is that aside from some boldface bloggers, the chances are slim to none that a blog can cover its costs via AdSense or any of the other ad syndication tools out there."
--IP&Democracy

"As for the little guy, I think some will thrive but it will be extremely difficult for the vast majority to make anything substantial unless their sites are extremely popular and reach a targeted audience. Like many bloggers, I'm quasi-serious about the money. Every time I get a AdSense cheque, it's like Christmas until I realize the Visa bill is much bigger."
--Northern Telecom..and Tech

"While I'm delighted to see that mainstream media is covering blogging, they still have a 'gee whiz' attitude about blogging as a source of income or a marketing tool."
--B.L. Ochman's weblog