London Free Press: London Indy Media Review Sparks Disscusion

Dan Brown from the London Free Press wrote about my review of London’s independant media in his blog and in a column in Fridays paper ^{(Aug 22 2008)}.

Here it is in its entirety, in case the article gets archived and requires you to pay to see it.

Blogs blossom in Forest City
By DAN BROWN

Something’s happening in the London blogosphere.

There have been blogs written by London residents as long as blogs have been around, but the city now appears to have arrived at — to borrow an overused phrase — a point of critical mass.

Witness a post last week on Leschinski Design, the website run by local graphic designer John Leschinski. Posted in the Notebook section, it was possibly the first serious attempt to examine the strengths and weaknesses of the London blogging community.

Leschinski focussed on well-known blogs such as From My Bottom Step, the London Fog and Alt London. Weighing the merits of each, he gave suggestions for how all the sites could be improved (being a member of the dreaded mainstream media, lfpress.com blogger Dan Brown received an honourable mention).

The exercise generated a significant number of comments on Leschinski’s site, some of them trenchant.

Although this type of post might be dismissed as navel-gazing, it is an important signal: The Forest City has a collection of blogs deserving serious recognition. We’ve come a long way.

A healthy blogosphere is good for all members of the London media, independent or not. Anything that promotes improvements in the city’s media is to be lauded since we can all learn from each other, especially where the Internet is concerned.

One can disagree with Leschinski’s conclusions. He certainly did not provide a comprehensive catalogue of all the noteworthy London blogs, leaving out such ones as Phronk and Written Inc.

But let’s all hope his analysis sparks a larger discussion. Let’s hope the blogs Leschinski showcased continue to improve, continue to provide web surfers in London with the insights they need to make informed judgments about the issues of the day. And let’s hope other Londoners are spurred to start their own blogs. We’ll all benefit.

When it comes to providing Londoners with information and commentary on the web, let a thousand flowers bloom.