In perusing the list of state blogs on al.com recently, I noticed a curious omission. This site, Media of Birmingham, was no longer on the list after having been there for years.October 8, 2013 4:21 pm
In perusing the list of state blogs on al.com recently, I noticed a curious omission. This site, Media of Birmingham, was no longer on the list after having been there for years.
I asked by email for it to be reinstated, and the response from an al.com employee was that this site was “heavily anti-Advance” and that “the editors didn’t feel that it was a good fit.” (Advance Publications owns al.com.)
No such guidelines are listed on the al.com page.
I have asked for the names of said editors.
Checking through the sites (which still include my other blogs), I see these are approved for inclusion:
Be careful, bloggers. Any coverage of Advance or its properties could get you banned from the state’s largest website.
A copy of the email is included below.
From: —– <—–@al.com>
To: Wade Kwon <wade@wadekwon.com>
Subject: RE: Blog page addition
Date: Mon, 7 Oct 2013 4:59:34 p.m.Hey, what’s up,
I just chased this down to see what the problem was. I assumed it had been added already.
Apparently, there was concern that the MOB blog was too heavily anti-Advance. The blog list is subject to the discretion of the editors and they didn’t feel that it was a good fit. Your other blogs, of course, were fine.
Let me know if you have any other questions.
Thanks,
—–
[job title]
Alabama Media Group
Rejection email from al.com (click to enlarge)
I’ll continue to include links to the Birmingham News and al.com on the sidebar.
Update Oct. 9: It has been added back. It was also cited on JimRomenesko.com.
Update Oct. 15: The unnamed al.com staffer referred me to Julie McKinney, the statewide community engagement specialist. I asked via email about who made the decision and what the reasoning was. She replied:
“I think [an al.com executive] and you exchanged messages, and any confusion is cleared up. Your blog is listed again. If you hear of anyone else removed who thinks they should be back, send them my way. It’s a constant evolution, and I try to stay on top of it.”
I invited her again to answer my questions, but have not received a response.
When I invited the al.com executive to respond in the comments, she declined because she “[didn’t] want to throw [her] staffers under the bus.”
Posted by Wade Kwon
Categories: Updates
Tags: Advance Internet, Advance Publications, al.com, blog, Media of Birmingham
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“Hey, what’s up?” — Really? Like dude, it’s totally cool to be unprofessional.
By Christina on October 8, 2013 at 4:34 pm
Guess I should stop holding my breath waiting for a review of my book …
By Hell and High Water: The Battle to Save the Daily New Orleans Times-Picayune on October 8, 2013 at 5:28 pm
Rebecca: A review posted on al.com? Or a review posted on Media of Birmingham?
By Wade Kwon on October 8, 2013 at 5:31 pm
A review in any Advance newspaper or on any Advance website.
By Hell and High Water: The Battle to Save the Daily New Orleans Times-Picayune on October 8, 2013 at 5:33 pm
As far as I know, the Birmingham News dropped its book page(s) long ago. You might try Susan Swagler, though I don’t know if she’s doing any book reviews or features currently.
By Wade Kwon on October 8, 2013 at 5:37 pm
Your friends at Weld for Birmingham might also consider doing a book review in addition to publishing the excerpt.
By Wade Kwon on October 8, 2013 at 5:38 pm
Sort of like being banned from a Leper Colony.Go figure!
By Ed Bruchac on October 8, 2013 at 7:55 pm
This leper will hold his head high.
By Wade Kwon on October 8, 2013 at 8:05 pm
[…] may be pulling out all the stops to survive in a collapsing industry. (Its sister company al.com removed one of my sites, Media of Birmingham, from its directory in 2013, only to add it back later. The reason for its removal was because the editors found it […]
By » Denial of coverage | Wade Kwon | wadekwon.com on June 15, 2014 at 7:01 am
[…] Media of Birmingham – The only site ever banned from al.com’s state blog list […]
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