While I keep saying journalist have a tough time putting journalism in perspective, it seems that some blogging journalists are able to do it.
Case in point, ZDNet Editor in Chief Larry Dignan:
I didn’t read the original NYT piece. On purpose. As I’ve tried to establish, I sometimes run away from things “everybody has read.” Typically, in the U.S., this means something which appeared in the NYT. To the extent that, for some people, “if it’s not in the Times, it didn’t happen.” (Such an attitude is especially tricky when you’re talking about, say, parts of Africa which aren’t at war.)
This time, I’m especially glad I read Dignan’s piece instead of the NYT one because I get the gist of the “story” and Dignan provides the kind of insight I enjoy.
Basic message: blogging can be as stressful as any job yet it’s possible to have a well-balanced life as a blogger.
Simple, useful, personal, insightful, and probably more accurate than the original piece.
Oh, sure. It’s nothing new. It’s not a major revelation for most people that it’s important to think about work/life balance.
Still… As it so happens, this specific piece helped me think about my own blogging activities in a somewhat different light. No, it’s not my job (though I do wish I had a writing job). And I don’t typically stress over it. I’m just thinking about where blogging fits in my life. And that’s helpful.
Even if it means yet another blogpost about blogging.