The Huffington Post Can Dish It Out, But Can't Take It - Charlie Warner

I just sent the following email to the head blog editor at the Huffington Post:

You may take me off your list of bloggers and delete my access to the posting platform. I will no longer be blogging for the Huffington Post because you didn't post my blog criticizing Keith Olbermann and the blog that was slightly negative about the AOL-Huff Post deal.

You can dish it out, but can't take it.

By refusing to blog on the Huffington Post, I am reducing my audience potential enormously, but I feel better about myself. Several years ago, I asked a friend with influence to introduce me to a Huff Po blogging editor, which he did, and I got access to post my blogs.

I wanted to get wider distribution; my oversized ego got the better of me. I thought I could influence more people and build a reputation. I was wrong. Some of my blogs bashing Fox News got top play on the Media vertical at times, but the comments were largely inane and uninformed, often from wing-nuts.

As I look back on it, I would guess that about ten percent of my Huffington Post comments were intelligent or thoughtful or added to the conversation. And those that were intelligent were on more thoughtful topics or posts, such as "The Media Are Schrodinger's Cat." The best distribution I got was when Jason Hirschhorn picked up a blog from MediaBizBloggers for his MediaREDefined – a much better, more thoughtful, more relevant audience for me.

Because of the inane comments and because I saw the Huffington Post loading up on more tawdry, celebrity content and pimping for Arianna, I felt more like a famewhore myself every time I posted. So, I'll feel a little holier than thou now, a little better about myself.

Now I can be candid, free, and boring, which is probably another reason my blogs weren't being posted on the Huffington Post. MediaBizBloggers rarely (if ever) throws darts, and can take it. They have never censored any of my blogs and, on occasion, have suggested improved headlines or angles.

So be it.

Until he retired in 2002, Charlie Warner was Vice President of AOL's Interactive Marketing division. Before joining AOL, he was the Goldenson Endowed Professor at the Missouri Journalism School where he taught media management and sales, and he created and ran the annual Management Seminar for News Executives. Charlie can be contacted at charleshwarner@gmail.com.

Read all Charlie’s MediaBizBloggers commentaries at The Media Curmudgeon.

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