I think you missed the boat entirely on your blog conclusions!

First, and foremost, blogs and online news sites are the way of the future. They just are. The only reason newspapers aren’t obsolete yet is because there are at least two generations of people who aren’t entirely comfortable navigating the internet. Once these folks aren’t the primary news targets, newspapers will largely be out the door. Community newspapers will only survive if they can attain a greater level of relevancy and timeliness than they currently achieve. This is a given.

Secondly, West Seattle has an incredibly innovative blog, which you failed to identify by name. The West Seattle Blog is actually much more than a blog and it defies your article’s description of blog downfalls. So much so, that I find it odd that a purported community newspaper, such as yours, does not have your facts straight. WSB, which is, incidentally, run by a “seasoned trained journalist”, provides up to the minute news that is accurate and compassionate. The news is personal AND objective: a rare and refreshing marriage of qualities. Forums are available for neighbors to discuss anything from crime in their neighborhood, to opinions on national election results. It’s not always pretty, but in a society where there are fewer and fewer places for citizens to engage, the West Seattle Blog forums are irreplaceable.

A reader of WSB has the choice of reading the concise (usually far LESS than 300 words) summary of a story, or of clicking the link to get in depth information. The in depth information can be skimmed for facts and tone, or it can be read in full. Personally, I find these stories inclusive and encouraging. Where once I felt they didn’t apply to me, I find that now they do. And because I care about the School Board’s decision to close a school that my own son does not even attend, I am that much more invested in my community. I am not only informed, I am engaged.

Lastly, the ads on West Seattle Blog are for local businesses. The sponsors who advertise there are often featured in the news and forum portions of the blog and are clearly engaged in our community. Ironically, I am more inclined to click on an ad on WSB than on any other place on the Internet. I am certainly less likely to visit a business based on newspaper advertising.

WSB has done more for the community of West Seattle than most people understand. The people who run the blog do so with sensitivity and dedication that is, in my opinion, unsurpassed by any other news source. During the storms, the coverage was way above and beyond the call of duty. We had up to the minute forecasts and road conditions. Blog staff even offered phone numbers in case community members needed assistance.

News that comes in through community members is identified as such. Reporting, however, is done by the “seasoned trained journalist”. The combination of the two is what makes the blog so unique. Instead of tearing down our community by focusing on our differences and instilling fear and powerlessness in individuals, the WSB serves to build us up. That is more than I can say for ANY newspaper.