Announcements
A Note About Our Latest Sponsor
As everyone knows, blogTO is an advertising supported site. We don't have a ton of ad revenue coming in but we are getting enough these days to help pay our contributors a little bit for their efforts or spring for some food and drinks when we get together for a meeting.
You might notice this morning that we have a new advertiser, MINI, who have just launched their new models for the Mini Cooper and Mini Cooper S. They like what we're doing with blogTO and approached us a while ago about doing something a little bit beyond the usual on the site. The product of our discussions is what you see today.
Inevitably, we expect some of you will think this is pretty cool and others maybe not so much. Please know that what we have tried to do with the latest sponsorship is not negatively impact your experience on the site. You won't see any of those annoying ads that float over the page or otherwise prevent you from getting to the content you came here to read.
Maybe we succeeded. Maybe we didn't. The sponsorship as it appears today will only look like this for a short time period. If you have any feedback, feel free to let us know.
Discussion
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When a media outlet such as yourself starts using advertisements (or, in this case, more visible advertisements) the point of greatest interest is not the advertisements (because we already know they're selling something) but that we now know the price <i>you</i> are for sale for.
As a result, some of the questions that now go along with my reading include:
* What editorial conditions has the advertisement placed on the news/opinion site, and has the presence (or absence) of these conditions been disclosed to readers?
* Are advertisements distinguished clearly from the content? (in your case they do not seem to be -- the Mini inserted into the graphic at the top -- previously reserved for gifted local photography -- seems a bit much.)
* Do advertisers and advertising content seem aligned with pre-existing editorial policies or a long-established direction of the media source, or are there signs of subtle co-opting going on?
* What, if any, limits will the media source observe in seeking further advertising revenue?
As I said, it's not that I object to advertising as such (and certainly understand the interest in generating some revenue for the site), but its presence does affect my 'reading' of news/opinion from BogTO.com, as it would with any media source.
Thanks for your comments. We have a 100% separation between church and state (advertising and editorial). So you won't see any of our writing influenced by any of the advertisers on our site. Thanks for your feedback about the top graphic. We don't really view that space as editorial per se, but I can appreciate your perspective. We just thought it was a neat but not intrusive way to meet the needs of our sponsor. Rest assured, once this campaign is over the graphic will return to showcasing the amazing photos of local artists.
PS: I removed your double comments.
For editorial constraints, I can say that I haven't been given any new guidelines as to what is or isn't allowed for contributions. Almost nothing the contributors write goes through an editorial chain before appearing on the site, so the only real censorship is self-imposed.
While the banner replacement may be unfortunate, BlogTO still regularly showcases great Toronto photographers with the weekly Flickr forum, the continuously updated flickr feed onm the sidebar, plus awesome contests like the recent Winterlicious one wherein TorontoGal won an ipod shuffle.
I also don't think we have any reviews of the Mini coming up...
anyways, that's just my perspective.
Maybe we should add: ... "who won't be co-opted by advertisers on the site" ;)
The disclaimer at the bottom of blogTO is rather telling:
"Comments and blog entries represent the viewpoints of the individual and no one else."
This is what makes being a contributor here so great (and what also makes being an editor great).
blogTO contributors are encouraged to speak their mind, without having to conform to any wishes imposed by editors or advertisers.
I'm with everyone the other bloggers. I was excited about the new campaign -- always good to find some support to keep the blog thriving -- but the background is burning my eyes... I like that lil' car but now it's logo is following me everywhere and that is NOT a good thing.
Otherwise, the header is great. I love it.
Please change the background before I go blind :)
That said, the tiled background is in all honesty pretty horrendous. Perhaps if we must keep it, adjust the transparency so it is more "gray"? As it stands it's somewhat Mini-overload, and it would be an unfortunate side-effect of that possible overload to actually turn OFF our readers from this advertiser.
Why not?
So, did Cooper contact you directly, or did Taxi? Because Taxi does the marketing for Mini, doesn't it?
But yes, the background is giving me a grand mal seizure: - ) And at least you went with a cool product.
I suspect my own views about (not just) editorial autonomy are a little extreme. My view is that the greater truth-claim a writer or publisher (or blog) makes, the greater its responsibility to ensure it does not become beholden to anything other than its principles. If that level of integrity amounts to a vow of poverty, so be it.
At the same time, most of us need to make enough money to live on, and so we sell our labour to employers or clients, or -- as in the case of many well-known blogs -- rely on advertising to subsidize our writing. We render unto Caesar what we must. But it means that -- if we are honest -- we must at least admit the possibility that our perspectives and statements may become transactional goods as well.
For the most part, BlogTO does not appear all that likely to be compromised by its advertisers. In part this is because BlogTO, like Torontoist and Reading Toronto (the forum I write for) do not rely on clearly defined truth-claims. We're too emergent, contingent, local, and diverse. As strongly as any of us may believe in what we write, ultimately our contributions here amount to a kind of playing with ideas. (that is not to say I think of this play as shallow or childish in any way)
But when we get the the point of articulating what we really think and believe in a coherent, sustained, integrated manner -- that is, when we stop playing and seek to hold ourselves up as authorities -- in my view we must choose whether we're going to render unto Caesar or the cosmos.
In the end, it's probably not a problem for BlogTO to be sponsored by Mini, but in my view it would be a bit more disconcerting to discover that Al Gore's <i>An Inconvenient Truth</i> was really just the first foray into a stealth advertising campaign for the company.
P.S. Sookie: I'll be sure to read your auto show write-up looking for signs you've been bought ... :)
I respect your opinion but I think your comments are a bit unfair. While I won't disclose the amount paid, I can assure you it's not anything that I think anyone would characterize as selling out. Like I said above, we tried to do this in a way that didn't impact negatively on the reader experience. So far, the main recurring point in the feedback has been that the background image is too much. As such, we're looking to address this so that it doesn't make everyone so cross-eyed. Also, keep in mind that this is only for a very short-term. Thanks.
Look, for the most part, we're all whores. Unless you would do the job you are doing right now if your' boss told you he/she was NOT giving you a paycheck anymore, then you are a whore. I am. I sell my time for money. I wouldn't show up if they weren't paying me. Would I prefer to be out taking photos or playing music? Hell Yes! But I would starve, I don't have the instinct or drive to turn my hobbies into a living. So, there are sell-outs and then there are those who are just trying to make a living doing what they enjoy. You guys write and take pictures and you can pay the rent, and you did it when you probably couldn't pay the rent. I wouldn't consider you guys sell-outs. You got more balls than I do, you started something and now it's at least starting to pay off a bit. BlogTO started out as a blog and caught the attention of a company like Mini Cooper...I'd say Bravo.
Keep up the Good Work!
Most blogs are done on one's spare time for fun, and to allow people to contribute for fun. I didn't know you guys are in the market of living off them. I will stick to ad free Torontoist. http://www.torontoist.com
They have no limited advertsing (mostly psa's) and no "all male & no booze wii parties"
Marc
<a href="http://www.torontoist.com/>;Torontoist.com</a>
I dunno, I like the tiling background... Haven't found the page takes longer to load either.
I'd suggest keeping your eyes attentive and alert.
can... hardly... type... with eyes... crossed...
If it keeps BlogTO alive- I say stick with it!
Lovely to see the change, thanks blogTO, you rock ballz!
Just clicked the black background and it took me to the sleek Mini Cooper site. Now if only others listened to their audience...
So I guess people like ... stuff ... again?
<BR><BR>Bobbie K, without a doubt, you are definitely an <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astroturfing";>astroturfer</a>. I take it you're on Mini's payroll?
No, I honestly am not an astroturfer. I just love the car. Its just a fun car to drive. Its more than just "transportation".