I was assigned to write a report about the magazine industry. I started out hating it-- it was boring and I. . . I like to write about what I like to write about, dammit! I wound up enjoying it.
My professor, who is a passionate magazine article writer, did not like it. I tore down his livelihood. I told him who my brother is, a professor there at the college, and that he had told me years ago that the media does not exist to provide information so much as it exists to sell advertising. That is what I wrote about. I wrote about how every magazine sells to a niche and that advertisers pay to sell their ideas. Magazines show you how to use the latest "stuff" not now to use what you have.
It's an unfortunate fact of life that this is true, and while I have not seen my grade, my professor had a tone that makes me wonder if I will pass the class.
1 comment:
Well, I'll give you an A. You're exactly write, though there are probably a few, non-ad taking exceptions. I considered taking ads on my blog, just to see how they work, but I just couldn't bring myself to do it. I'll just stay ignorant on that. But even without ads, when you start getting feedback off the blog from readers that they are reading the blog, even that can affect what you write. Like starting to notice what kinds of posts gets the ADN to link to me. I have to say, no, I'm going to write what I am going to write, not what they would link to. If those coincide, fine, and during the trials my hits go way up, especially when they link, but I won't do it intentionally.
Thanks for leaving comments, sorry I haven't been reciprocating. You've got good stuff here. Today we got out early so I can play a little more.
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