Blogs become prized possessions

When journalist Nikki Finke sold her entertainment news blog, “Deadline Hollywood,” for a whopping $15 million earlier this week, all eyes in the media business turned to blogging and just how important and valuable this tool has become when it comes to reporting on current events, publishing opinion pieces and influencing consumer practices. Finke, a one-time journalist for major papers such as the Los Angeles Times and Newsweek, first decided to launch her celebrity news blog when a 2007 writers’ strike caused havoc in Hollywood. The Guardian and the Financial Times both reported that Finke had successfully sold her blog to the Mail Media Corporation for approximately $15 million.

Finke’s success is the latest proof that bloggers are making their voices heard, that the most important leaders in each industry are listening and that readers are tuning in as well. Corporate blogs are becoming increasingly prevalent and useful for similar reasons. Unlike regular websites, most blogs follow a standardized format, which makes reading, browsing and updating much easier. Additionally, blogs are easily searchable by Google and other major engines, as new content is indexed almost immediately, while it may take several days or even weeks for changes to regular web pages to appear in search results. As such, both companies and individuals enjoy unparalleled visibility online. The best blogs are now accepted as some of the most reliable sources of news and many of them offer something that traditional news sources cannot compete with—a fresh, authentic voice, speaking in depth about even the most niche markets.