A Good Blog Takes On The Gripe Of The Old Guard Against Fashion Bloggers

Fashion Stake talks about stuff that matters in the world of social networking and fashion.

They recently ran an article about a roundtable held by fashion editors from Elle, discussing what blogging has done to the print industry and the coverage of fashion. It's a very good discussion and I give them a lot of points for taking it on. It's a discussion that has needed to be had for a very long time, as fashion bloggers continue to grow in number, and standing.
Here's my response, which I've edited greatly from the original.

Everything is changing as revenues continue to plummet in print publications, and online ventures continue to attract free bloggers. If there is protest from those in the mainstream media, it's because the long and arduous journalistic path they took--from college to internship and beyond, led to a position of privilege. They got the best seats at a show, meetings with designers, a sneak peak at look books. All of this is seemingly genteel, even quaint as they find themselves jostling with upstarts at shows for front row seats, and with blogs by newbies that get more hits than their own in-house bloggers.

The blogosphere--for lack of a better word, has leveled the playing field somewhat. It's true that the print industry was the last to hop on the blogosphere. When they did, they simply applied the same principles to their blogs. The results were boring, petulant, self righteous blogs without any snap. Many publications and newspapers lost. With this in mind, Elle fashion editors shouldn't think they are the only ones with a gripe.

There is not a single area in journalism that hasn't changed be it fashion, politics, culture, literature, world events, financial, or art. These were the exclusive domain of those with traditional historical grounding and journalistic training. Now, for only the price of one's own time, anyone can voice their opinion. A few, even make money.

Elle Magazine's editor maximus, Ann Slowey, is correct. BryanBoy, the 17-year old bloggeristo who is garnering front row seats at fashion shows, has writing skills that aren't much. But, what this internet celebrity has is a way of tossing things on the page, and a voice people like to follow. He never takes the focus off himself. He comments on all sorts of things whether or not he's got the "story behind the story." For better or worse, PR staff for designers invite these internet celebrities because it's instant coverage, regardless of a lack of depth or integrity.

Never let it be forgotten that blogging is a form of conversation. So, in a world of 144 character tweets, what people are looking for is something quick, easy to read, catchy, snarky, playful, mawkish, and uplifting. It doesn't have to be factual, it can be rude, untrue and even libelous. The truth is, people want to be moved even if it's only for a second.

The downfall of all this "chatter," is the majority of bloggers (both bad and good writers) do it for free. For people like Ann Slowey, this is the downfall for anyone whose livelihood depends on content creation. Good writers have a bad time getting paid what they're worth and paying their bills.

That's a real problem for anyone with a knowledge that is deep, based on experience, research, and years of time devoted to the topic. That's what Slowey and her peers are facing, though she might not have done herself any favors with that lousy reality TV show. Slowey is by no means just the vapid, heel wearing, evil-posturing person the world was shown, week after week. (Sorry, Anne, I'm keeping it real). She's a journalist, who went through a tough program at Northwestern. She listened to every gripe of every editor, staffer and SOB along the path. I'll bet if you sent Slowey to some crap hell hole with a raging war going on that in a year's time she would know the questions to ask, the people to talk to, and she'd be writing about war.

But that's the difference between someone who is an editor at Elle, and someone who is only peripherally interested in the glitz of fashion. It's the breadth of what the journalist can potentially write.

I'm not saying bloggers can't too. They can. Some already do and they've changed the field. For instance, military bloggers have covered the war better or as intently as traditional journalists. One thing for sure, bloggers are here to stay. Eventually, the cream rises to the top. Bloggers are going to have to raise their game. There are a lot of craptastic fashion blogs out there. Not everyone puts into it what the good ones do -which is time and research, and the willingness to perfect their wordsmithing.

However, not everyone in the publishing industry will be able to stay in the game. They should never make this assumption. Only those who can adapt will be able to make a living. Some of those who have hiked the traditional path, might in fact be thoughtful, possess the knowledge and have an irreplaceable sense of history. But, in this nanosecond world quickly resembling a Tower of Babel, they also might also not have a voice that moves, excites, brings people together or energizes. They may not be able to cultivate or hold a legion of readers.

For better or worse, that's what stands out now.