New Blog to Serve the Community

Evidently, Florida Today has decided to end their relationship with local contributors and change their business model. This is media-speak for "we are going to start making you pay for our website."

Some other Gannett newspapers do this - including the Tallahassee Democrat - so I'm not surprised. The mainstream news business has been hurting as of late - for a bunch of reasons - so changing up is an option.

I remember years ago when Florida Today tried some similar antics. It was right after the genesis of USA Today. They tried to make Florida Today a "local" paper and tried to make the public bundle the Florida Today and USA Today. Scores of customers fled to the Orlando Sentinel. They changed back - adding at least some world, national, and state news.

The role of the community bloggers has been curtailed since last summer. A change in leadership meant a change in the use of community input.

First, in the print edition, they had been running a "Yes-No" question on Sundays and then a compilation of community blogs on Monday. That changed to "Yes-No" on Mondays and no blogs printed.

Next, they had been meeting with us once a month to discuss their coverage of issues and events. We haven't had any input with them in months.

Of course, they have changed the comments sections - so you have to use your Facebook page for that now. That surely ticked many of you off!

Now - it appears it will all go away.

Oh well - that now gives me the opportunity for a new platform. I have sent an email to the other community bloggers to see if any want to come along. I hope some of the liberals do - I don't mind some healthy give and take.

I'll have to see how all this works, but I hope that you will make this a "Favorite" and stop by often!