Mood:
a-okTopic: independent media
So ... that was micro news blog year for SAM 2007. We are flat out consolidating our other website environmental reference material into SAM. Our annual page views* in a state and federal election year for this quite political micro indy community media service has been ... drum roll please:
101,046
After consolidation of our ecology action website into SAM underway here the figure rises some 19K (2005-07). This is a nice number I guess. A ton in cricket terms. But not very probitive of influence expressed through the device of first rough draft which may be adopted to some degree by big commerical media under huge time and employment pressure. We feel they do. Why? Because they now have the benefit of our broad professional and personal history to judge for themselves our credibility. Not least capacity for keyword search on Google right back to 1987 as a trademarks examiner once in the Canberra public service. And our substantial files reflecting 10 years or more of ngo history especially pre search engine. This also reassures us making for less defensive prose. It has also prompted an interest in our journlist grandfather we never met, namely Eric McLoughlin, who played quite a role in the Petrov Affair of the 1950ies..
And how does the editor feel? Well we need a flat top liquid crystal (LCD) display screen preferably 19in, but 17in would be fine, to save our eyes which every morning have a weepy quality from the cathode ray display (CRD) we have used all this year.
But overall we feel satisfied at having a constructive honest and ecological effect on other media and politics both, as practised here in Sydney Australia. The key to this is non profit, sole trader status but also hard won expertise (including legal survival skills). Secondly we feel we have much improved our writing and production values - which follows the discipline of the daily slog. But it all started with deciding to have a go supercharged with stubborn determination.
Also we feel the turning point in our creativity and God given insight was actually 18 months ago, pre SAM, when against all family tradition we went teatotal (50% coffee). What a dangerous drug it really is for sensitive intelligent types. A real downer and muddler even for our quite low consumption. More recently extraction of a troublesome molar, and exercise regime, has kicked us along again.
We also feel a regular inspiration still over engagement with the Big Media from our humble perch. They definitely feel our mosquito bite. And even to some degree a rapproachment. Similarly with the organisers of Sydney Indymedia which is much more interactive than SAM will ever be but also far more chaotic standards of content.
As far as paid advertising service goes it's been token so far and we haven't really figured this side of things out. But we are enthusiastic too, so maybe in 2008. We know enough that we have a saleable product. Also that this makes other minor media nervous. We know this will be the real focus of interest of many in the Big (and not) Media and indeed party politics/NGO all Working for the Man as wage slaves. Often the first and revealing question others ask (eg shadow AG NSW, former chief of NSW Nature Conservation Council) in terms of showing their own character is "Where does your money come from?".
It's a fair question in terms of integrity and independence (in 2007 it was grovel labour like gardening at a community centre, and street press delivery for a small indy company) but a sad one too in terms of actual purpose namely fair media and good governance not least ecological sustainability (eg downshifting). The question to us is about career rivalry when we strive for vocation. Having said that we rather like shelter and food in the fridge and basic utilities. After that we are just scared for the future not least dangerous climate.
And lastly for the quietly menacing gentleman from the Kangaroo Shooters industry group earlier this year (after we wrote here and here about potential lethal hydatid associated with offal to dogs to you) some free market research 3rd Jan 08 on the discounted product marked down from $7+ a kg Marrickville Woolworths to can't sell it $2.50:
* Previous monthly reader pageview figures for 2007 verified by screen shot (web host provider monthly pageview account details) posted on or about 4th day of the month found in this thread:
- November 10,220
- October - 9, 100
- Sept - 8,100 (roughly, no screenshot)
- August - 8,845
- July - 7475
- June - 9675
- May - 9, 059
- April - 12,087
