"There is nothing special on Prime Buzz"

I haven't bothered with the trial subscription over at the Prime Buzz because I don't want to encourage them. However, I have not heard a good review of this "newsletter" style offering as of yet. Recently, FOA informs us that the content wasn't enough to make her a fan or a subscriber. What I do know is that the new venture has stopped a lot of the more interesting posts on the regular (now rundown) Buzz Blog . . . You might think that's good for me, but it's not . . . The more people on the net, the more people interested in KC politics benefits all bloggers because eventually everyone finds their niche or wants to delve deeper into the topic. Sadly, there's just no stopping old media from thinking that EVERYTHING is zero-sum game. It's not AND Vince Lombardi was not only overrated but also a jerk.

Finally, I've heard a new catchphrase around media circles (that I'm not sure if I believe): It's not "content is king" anymore but rather "The conversation is king" . . . I don't know if I believe that but I like the way it sounds and it basically makes nearly all participants powerless because it's nearly impossible to control conversation on the Internets. Still, if I could add to the catchphrases regarding what new media is "about" I'd call attention to this one: "The community is king" and from what I've seen sites that cultivate a strong community have the best chance at survival, traffic and eventually profit . . . Because The Star is stuck in the old model, old way of thinking they treat their (rapidly aging) readers as "subscribers" and that's just an outdated way of thinking about publishing.

Also, it's important in all of this to remember that the site with the biggest community and probably the heftiest profit margin in Kansas City is not related to news at all: Lee's Summit based nerd hangout Something Awful has more traffic than The Star and all other news sites regarding Kansas City combined. I contend that's because founder Richard Charles "Lowtax" Kyanka has cultivated a community rather than just charged a HUGE admission to treat people to scoop that's so easily commodified nowadays.

I tend to think of you folks as an audience because that's what I'm comfortable with and because this site is nearly all (bad) jokes and maybe, maybe "infotainment" at best . . . You see my mistakes, your comments may even get booted from time to time but this blog is basically a show.

BUT, if you'll allow me a moment of seriousness . . . I contend that the best way to create a great news site isn't by keeping people out but to encourage as many folks as possible to become part of the process.