Tag Archives: Bloggers

Blog Notes: Coffee, Tech, Fashion & Politics

Posted on February 27, 2013 by | Leave a comment

roundup4Blog Notes is a weekly helping of blogs recently reviewed on PR Newswire for Bloggers. Would you like your blog reviewed? Tweet PR Newswire media relations manager Christine Cube at @PRN4Bloggers.

It’s Monday. Like most Mondays – MLK Day and Inauguration Day included (happy greetings on both!) — many folks start off with coffee. A blog like Dear Coffee, I Love You is perfectly suited for the start of the week. This is a fun blog, and the photography is beautiful. DCILY covers a lot of ground: Brew methods, Coffee 101, coffee reviews, coffee touring, interviews, products, and roasters. Its posts focus on the intersection of coffee, culture, creativity, and design. Read the full review from PR Newswire for Bloggers here.

Fondly known as QOT, Quick Online Tips regularly publishes tips and news about all things tech. This includes, but is not limited to, tech news, practical blogging tips, social media, marketing, SEO, SEM, and useful computer software. Quick Online Tips was launched in 2004. It has a pretty strong following: More than 25,000 daily RSS feed readers and more than 15,000 engaged social media followers, according to the blog. It’s managed and edited by P. Chandra. One of my favorite write ups actually was its year-end piece on the Top Articles of 2012. There’s an incredible amount of information in there. Read the full review here.

For more than 10 years, Talking Points Memo has been a leading online destination for political news. In fact, it was the first online organization to win the prestigious George Polk Award. You may also have read about TPM on The New York Times, Columbia Journalism Review, NiemanJournalismLab, The LA Times, or TechCrunch. Or maybe you’re interested in politics, in which case you’ve probably stumbled across TPM at some point or another. And if you are interested in politics and NOT reading TPM, it’s probably time to start. Read the full review here.

Preston Davis spent 20 years casting models for Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, and fashion shows. Her blog Keep It Chic is incredibly beautiful and filled with fascinating people and profiles. The most recent write up is on artist Leah McCloskey. Davis says Keep It Chic is her way to “share my thoughts on fashion and style. I believe style should permeate every aspect of our lives — from home, to family, to where we go, and naturally, what we wear.” The blog features a host of profiles, places, and Davis’s things I love. Read the full review here.

Christine Cube is a media relations manager with PR Newswire and freelance writer. You can follow her @cpcube.

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Digital Content

Tagged , ,

To Disclose or Not Disclose: FTC Disclosure Guidelines for Bloggers

Posted on October 9, 2012 by | Leave a comment

If you bring up Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regulations in front of writers, especially bloggers, a lot of ‘opinion’ and hearsay come up.

I posted about a Social Media Club of Dallas blogger panel a couple of weeks ago. The panel covered tips and recommendations from bloggers for PR and communications professionals and received quite a bit of attention and lively conversation on the subject of FTC regulations around endorsement and disclosure.

One Dallas journalist in particular wrote that the bloggers I mentioned and others are not complying with FTC ‘disclosure of material connection’ regulations.

So I did a bit of research on the FTC website and discovered a terrific video explaining what they expect:

FTC Endorsement Guidelines for Bloggers Video

FTC endorsement guidelines for bloggers explained by Mary Engles.

I have included the full transcript of the video at the bottom of this page, but take particular note of the following statement by narrator Mary Engle in particular: “What does the FTC’s announcement mean for bloggers? Well for most bloggers not very much. We know that most bloggers are out there talking about their daily lives and their thoughts, and so it really doesn’t mean much for them. But if you’re one of those bloggers that is in a marketing program with an advertiser and you’re being paid to blog about a product, or you’re receiving a steady stream of products from a company, then you need to disclose that relationship you have with the company.”

Not nearly as scary as some might believe.

And if a blogger ‘does’ have a  relationship with a company that needs transparency it’s really simple to be in compliance according to Engle: “You can just say, “ABC Company gave me this product to try,” or, “XYZ Company sent me to their theme park to try it out for a day.” It’s not too complicated, and it should just be straight forward and upfront.”

Disclosure of receiving something from a company that one writes about is simple and in a lot of cases perhaps not even ‘officially’ required, although as a consumer and as a regular reader of blogs I would hope that anyone (blogger, journalist or otherwise) that gets into an event for free or receives product or a gift and writes about the company would be transparent about it.

Transparency contributes to credibility for the writer and assures that consumers (all of us) are protected from potentially false advertising.

Here are a few more good links to FTC information. Do check them out:

***

Transcript for the FTC video “The Endorsement Guide”:

Narrator:
What’s new about Endorsement Guides?

Mary Engle:
The Endorsement Guides have been around since 1980, and they’ve always required that endorsers disclose their relationship with advertisers. What’s new here is that we’re applying this principle in today’s world, in the world of social media, where you can’t always recognize an advertisement just by looking at it.
 
Narrator:
Why did the FTC update the Endorsement Guides?
 
Mary Engle:
There’s been a lot in the news about the FTC’s Endorsement Guides lately. What’s the story? Well the FTC cares about protecting consumers, and we know that nowadays when consumers want information about a product or a service they’re thinking of using, they often go online to check it out and see what other consumers have to say. Don’t you want to know if the reason a consumer is giving a rave review is because they’re being paid by the advertiser to say it, or they’re getting a steady stream of free products from that company? We just want to bring some transparency to the process so that when there is a relationship between an advertiser and a reviewer the reader knows about it.
 
Narrator:
What do the Endorsement Guides mean for bloggers?
 
Mary Engle:
What does the FTC’s announcement mean for bloggers? Well for most bloggers not very much. We know that most bloggers are out there talking about their daily lives and their thoughts, and so it really doesn’t mean much for them. But if you’re one of those bloggers that is in a marketing program with an advertiser and you’re being paid to blog about a product, or you’re receiving a steady stream of products from a company, then you need to disclose that relationship you have with the company.
 
Narrator:
How do bloggers follow the Endorsement Guides?
 
Mary Engle:
If a blogger does have a relationship with an advertiser that needs to be mentioned, it’s pretty simple. You can just say, “ABC Company gave me this product to try,” or, “XYZ Company sent me to their theme park to try it out for a day.” It’s not too complicated, and it should just be straight forward and upfront.
 
Narrator:
Is the FTC planning to sue bloggers?
 
Mary Engle:
Is the FTC planning to sue bloggers? Well, let me put it this way: that is not why we issued this guidance. We issued this guidance to make it clear that everybody should be playing by the same rules, whether you’re a professional reviewer or an amateur reviewer. Just be upfront about the connections you have and any conflict of interest you might have with the company.
 
Narrator:
Where to go for more information.
 
Mary Engle:
To find out more about the FTC’s Endorsement Guides, go to our website at ftc.gov. There, you’ll find the Guides themselves. They have a lot of practical examples that really may help answer a lot of the questions that you have.

***

Victoria Harres is Director of Audience Development at PR Newswire, the main voice behind @PRNewswire, social media lead for @Business4Better and a frequent speaker and writer on social media for business. 

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Digital Content, Uncategorized

Tagged , , , , , , , ,

‘Dear Blogger’ & Other Pitch Mistakes PR Pros Make

Posted on September 24, 2012 by | 22 Comments

“My time is worth something,” said fashion and celebrity blogger Cynthia Smoot, aka @OhSoCynthia, at last week’s Social Media Club of Dallas monthly meeting.

A PR person in the audience had asked the panel if bloggers always expect to get something for free. Every head in the room turned in unison to see who was at the microphone. I think I also heard a gasp from somewhere.

Cynthia took it in stride, lifting her chin with her Oh-So-Cynthia grace and crossing her legs to show the fabulous pair of boots she was recently given for covering a fashion event.

Dallas bloggers: @OhSoCynthia @TexasHolly @FoodBitch @LivingLocurto @Pelpina

Holly Homer, @TexasHolly contributed that they are bloggers, not journalists with a salary and expenses being paid for by a media company. They blog because they are passionate about what they write about and sometimes have a day-job. To cover an event or try a product they have to give of their personal time.

Food critic @FoodBitch works at an advertising agency by day and writes about food by night. She said some PR people have even expected her to pay for entry into their event, even though they invited her to come and cover it for her popular Dallas food blog.

I cringed. We in PR still don’t quite fully comprehend those writers who call themselves bloggers. And yet, our industry is constantly seeking to ‘work with bloggers,’ i.e. get them to promote our stuff to their audiences.

So let’s cover a few basics about working with bloggers that we’ve all heard before, but apparently we need to hear again.

First, a pet peeve, “Dear blogger,” is tops on FoodBitch’s list, as is “Dear _____.” Or how about “Dear Mommy Blogger,” suggested Amy, @LivingLocurto. All the bloggers nodded in agreement. This certainly aligns with the daddy blogger sentiment I wrote about two years ago in a post appropriately titled Don’t Call Us Daddy Bloggers.

Pelpina Tripp, @Pelpina asked that PR pros do their research. Don’t send her pitches if you’ve never seen her work and don’t know what interests her audience. She gets a lot of email. She doesn’t have time for pitches that are not appropriately targeted. Holly added, “If you don’t bother to check out my blog why should I care about your pitch?”

And while we’re on the research subject, Amy begs that if you mention someone in your pitch that you link to somewhere online that explains who they are. “Don’t make me do the research. I don’t want to Google the person you’re talking about.”

Cynthia then mentioned that a huge pet peeve for her are press releases without images to use in her blog or to see the product you’re talking about.

A PR practioner in the audience said, “But a lot of publications don’t accept attachments.”

“Bloggers accept attachments!” responded Cynthia. All the other bloggers agreed emphatically. They need images and only get them in less than 5% of pitches.

A few more suggestions included:

  • Make your pitch interesting for the blogger’s audience you are pitching
  • Write subject lines that capture the attention of who you are targeting
  • Make your email subject line clear about why you are contacting them

If you are a blogger or a PR and would like to add to this, please leave a comment below. I would love to hear from you!

Victoria Harres is Director of Audience Development at PR Newswire, the main voice behind @PRNewswire, social media lead for @Business4Better and a frequent speaker and writer on social media for business. 

→ 22 Comments

Posted in Tools & Tactics

Tagged , , , , , ,

Blog Notes: Hispanic Heritage Edition

Posted on September 14, 2012 by | 1 Comment

This week my focus is on Hispanic blogs. And that’s no coincidence. Hispanic Heritage Month is underway. Clearly, the Hispanic contribution to American society is immense.  Just look, well, anywhere! You’ll find it in politics and fashion and travel and food and entertainment, and, well, just about everywhere. And obviously there are a ton of great blogs out there documenting this. So with that in mind, let’s brush up on our Espanol and enjoy this brief tour of some of the best Hispanic blogs I’ve seen lately.

VOXXI is first and foremost a news blog, and an Hispanic blog second. The Hispanic community reaches far across our culture. Not surprisingly, this blog also covers a lot of ground. If I were to pitch this blog, I’d look for stories where Hispanic culture intersects with politics, entertainment or business. Stories about Marco Rubio might work, too, as they have a certified “Rubiologist” on staff. Check out the full review here.

The Other Side of the Tortilla is technically a food blog. It’s got the pictures and the recipes to back that thesis up. But, it’s also the story of a married couple. It’s also the story of discovering even that which could be quite close to you. If I were to pitch this blog, I’d look for stories around food, travel of photography. If you had a recipe for tortilla soup or something similar, that might work. But, I wouldn’t necessarily bank on it. Check out the full review here.

Dos Lives is an entertainment blog located in New York City. The name comes from the straddling of two (or “dos”) lives. This is a blog about the Latino experience, but it’s probably true of any cultural group in America. There is a desire to become a part of the larger society while still keeping true to one’s roots. If I were to pitch this blog, I’d look for stories about entertainment, music or film. Check out the full review here.

Curves and Chaos is a blog dedicated to life, travel, beauty and fashion. And speaking of fashion, it’s not the type of blog to cater to women who resemble a Barbie doll or some other unrealistic shape or size. If I were to pitch this blog, I’d look for anything to do with travel and fashion. And If I were to pitch clothing, I’d make sure it was the kind of stuff that real people would wear. Check out the full review here.

The Domestic Buzz is written by a mother and wife in the suburbs of Washington, DC. Not surprisingly, the blog deals a lot with matters of raising children and marriage. But, it’s a lot more than that, too. It deals with politics and the environment and education. If I were to pitch this blog, I’d look for stories that affect families, both inside the house and out. Check out the full review here.

That’s all for now. In the meantime, if there’s a blog I should be reviewing, drop me a line or a note in the comments, and I’ll take a look. Until next time…

Author Tom Hynes is PR Newswire’s manager of blogger relations. And as you may have guessed, he has a twitter account.

→ 1 Comment

Posted in Online Influence

Tagged , ,

Car Blogs: Start Your Engines!

Posted on July 20, 2012 by | Leave a comment

This week my focus is on car blogs. I don’t actually own a car. In fact, I ride a bike to work. But, even I know how crucial automobiles are. That is to say, I take cabs now and again. I even have a Zipcar membership. It stands to reason all my food is probably transported in cars or trucks at some point. And, if I were to call the cops, I wouldn’t want them taking the subway to the scene of the crime. Cars are important is what I’m trying to say. And trust me when I say these five car bloggers are just a few of the many great ones out there reporting on the subject. So with that in mind, let’s fill up our tanks, buckle our seat belts, and enjoy this brief tour through some of the best car blogs I’ve seen lately.

Green Car Reports is a blog that looks under the hood of electric and hybrid vehicles. Admittedly, this market is growing. And, not surprisingly, they have a lot to write about. They’re quick to discuss which models they like, but are also more than willing to discuss those they don’t. If I were to pitch this blog, I’d look for stories on electric and/or hybrid vehicles. Stories surrounding alternative energy might also work. Check out the full review here.

Cars for Girls is a lot what it sounds like. It’s a car blog for women. The thinking is a) it’s no longer 1950, and therefore, b) women should be informed about what they’re buying. This blog is about education. This blog is about purchasing power. Having said that, the color pink is still pretty prominent on the site. If I were to pitch this blog, I’d keep the title in mind and look for stories that surround women and automobiles. Check out the full review here.

Autoextremist often uses the word “rant” to describe its format. Another way to describe it is as a newsletter. The blog is authored by a veteran of the automotive advertising industry. And, as you might expect, it’s full of strong opinions. It’s also full of the type of perspective you’d expect from someone who has dedicated half a lifetime to the industry. If I were to pitch this blog, I’d look for stories around the car industry from a manufacturing standpoint. Those stories that also relate to the city of Detroit might work, too. Check out the full review here.

Celebrity Cars Blog fulfills a very specific niche. As you might expect, it’s about celebrities and their cars. We love celebrities in this country. We want to know who they’re dating, what they’re wearing and even what they’re eating. Why shouldn’t we gawk at what they’re driving, too? If I were to pitch this blog, I’d look for anything to do with celebrities and their cars.  Check out the full review here.

The name Winding Road refers to that perfect stretch of open highway. This is a car blog, sure. But, really, it’s about the experience of driving. It’s about the art of it. This blog loves their cars and it shows. If I were to pitch this blog, I’d look for anything to do with cars. Accessories or other items that have a ‘car theme’ might also work here. Check out the full review here.

That’s all for now. In the meantime, if there’s a blog I should be reviewing, drop me a line or a note in the comments, and I’ll take a look. Until next time…

Author Tom Hynes is PR Newswire’s manager of blogger relations. And as you may have guessed, he has a twitter31 account.

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Online Influence

Tagged

Wedding Blogs: Unveiled

Posted on July 9, 2012 by | 1 Comment

This week my focus is on wedding blogs. And, while I have no immediate plans to walk down the aisle myself, I do attend about four or five of these things a year.  People tell me it’s that time of my life. But, more than likely, weddings will always be a part of my life.  They may come in many different shapes and sizes, but they all represent on of our larger cultural institution. And as such, there are a great number of blogs dealing with the subject from a host of different perspectives and points of view.  So with that in mind, let’s cut the cake, reach for that bouquet, and enjoy this brief tour of some of the best wedding blogs I’ve seen.

The Best Gay Wedding Blog Ever! is, well, at the very least the best gay wedding blog I’ve ever seen. The truth is the gay wedding market is only going to grow and grow. Luckily, there are blogs like this one to help guide the way down the aisle. If I were to pitch this blog, I’d look for stories on same-sex marriages. Stories about marriage in general would probably work, too. Check out the full review here.

The Inspired Bride is a blog for those among us that like to do it our self. The site provides many examples of elegant weddings. But, they also provide the how-to information necessary to recreate it at your own wedding. It’s inspirational, sure. But, it’s also instructional.  If I were to pitch this blog, I’d look for stories that center around do-it-yourself weddings. Check out the full review here.

The Budget Savvy Bride believes that weddings can still be fabulous and beautiful without breaking the bank.   In other words, couples can be frugal without looking cheap. With a little creativity, money no longer has to be the determining factor.  If I were to pitch this blog, I’ d look for stories that highlight how couples can save money while planing their weddings. Check out the full review here.

Grooms Advice is a wedding blog geared toward men. I know… That sounds crazy, right? Men take part in most weddings, but I never knew they were given an opinion on how things go down. Well, this informative and funny blog begs to differ. If I were to pitch this blog, I’d look for wedding stories from the perspective of the groom. Stories about bachelor parties and anything including the word “groomzilla” would probably work, too. Check out the full review here.

Eco-Beautiful Weddings is a blog that believes that a married couple can express their love for one another while still expressing love (and care) for the planet.  Being wasteful isn’t just irresponsible. It’s also unfashionable. If I were to pitch this blog, I’d look for stories that sit at the intersection of weddings and environmental sustainability. Check out the full review here.

That’s all for now. In the meantime, if there’s a blog I should be reviewing, drop me a line or a note in the comments, and I’ll take a look. Until next time…

Author Tom Hynes is PR Newswire’s manager of blogger relations. And as you may have guessed, he has a twitter account.

→ 1 Comment

Posted in Online Influence

Tagged , ,

Wellness Blogs to Feel Good About

Posted on June 28, 2012 by | Leave a comment

This week my focus is on wellness blogs.  Truthfully, I should probably focus every week on wellness.  Like most people, I try to eat right and exercise regularly. But, like most people, I could probably also stand to spend a little more time on my own upkeep. And this isn’t to say that I need to do more yoga. (Though, certainly that’s a good place to start!) Wellness can extend to every facet of our life. Our jobs, our diets, our commutes, even the way we breathe will all affect the way we feel.  It sounds obvious. Still, it can’t hurt to brush up on what’s being said on the issue. So with that in mind, let’s stretch out our bones, inhales through our nose and enjoy this brief tour through some of the best wellness blogs I’ve seen.

I learned about MindBodyGreen through a yoga instructor. Not surprisingly, this blog writes a lot about the ancient practice. But, really, there is so much more to this blog . Whether it’s diets or relationships or even they way we breathe, this site wants to bring their readers wellness, either on or off the mat. If I were to pitch this blog, I’d look for stories on meditation, yoga or healthy food options. Check out the full review here.

Corporate Wellness Insights is a blog dedicated to lowering stress levels in the workplace. Whether it’s a chair massage or corporate retreats, these people make a living out of making jobs healthier. And I mean that. This is their blog. But, it’s also what they do for a living.  If I were to pitch this blog, I’d look for stories that highlight human resource efforts to increase well-being in the office. Check out the full review here.

Fit B0ttomed Girls is the story of two women who love to stay fit, but who also love to write.  The blog chronicles not only exercise, but also all the other things that go into it. On one post, you can read about new training outfits. And on the next post, you can hear a workout-inspired playlist. If I were to pitch this blog, I’d look for stories on running. Stories around general fitness and the gear that accompanies it might also work. Check out the full review here.

Ben Does Life is a running blog, sure. But, it’s also an inspiring story of a man who shaved 120 pounds off his body, not to mention the burden of depression. Still, there’s a lot about running (and races and training) on here. If I were to pitch this blog, I’d look for stories around running, fitness and weight loss. Stories linking exercise to a decrease in anxiety and/or depression might also work. Check out the full review here.

Well+Good may be a blog focused on New York City, but, the insights, tips and wisdom gleaned here can be applied in any city. The site has posts on how to stay healthy and active. There are even posts on cocktails that are actually healthy! If I were to pitch this blog, I’d look for stories around exercise or healthy, organic foods in the New York City area. Check out the full review here.

That’s all for now. In the meantime, if there’s a blog I should be reviewing, drop me a line or a note in the comments, and I’ll take a look. Until next time…

Author Tom Hynes is PR Newswire’s manager of blogger relations. And as you may have guessed, he has a twitter account.

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Uncategorized

Tagged , , , , , , ,

Personal Finance Blogs: Get Money!

Posted on March 2, 2012 by | 3 Comments

This week my focus is on personal finance blogs. And, well, most weeks my focus is on my own personal finance. How could it not be? You don’t have to be obsessed with money to know that it affects a lot of what we do. It doesn’t always equal happiness. But being smart about it now can certainly alleviate a lot of misery down the line. So with that in mind, let’s clip up our coupons, compare the prices and enjoy this brief tour of some of the best personal finance blogs I’ve seen lately.

Frugal Quack is a personal finance blog, sure. But I don’t think it would be fair to say that cash rules everything around them. (You’d be thinking of the Wu-Tang Clan.) This blog is going to deliver solid advice on how to balance your checkbook. But they are also going to extol the virtues of reusable grocery bags and lower stress levels. If I were to pitch this blog, I might look for stories that highlight how money-saving tips can lead to a better quality of life. Check out the full review here.

As you may have guessed from the name, Budgets Are Sexy is a blog that doesn’t take itself too seriously. But that is not to say it doesn’t take personal finance seriously. The blog author may rock a mohawk. (Honestly.) But he’s also written for Kiplinger. And he’s been mentioned and/or featured in about a dozen other places. If I were to pitch this blog, I’d look for stories on personal finance. It probably couldn’t hurt to have a little personality in your message either. Check out the full review here.

Money Crashers is a personal finance blog. And as such, you’ll read the kind of standard stuff you’d expect. But this blog also examines the ways in which so many things in our lives – exercise, weddings, frozen food – affect our bottom line. If I were to pitch this blog, I’d look for outside of the box financial tips. Because clearly, that’s the way they’re approaching the subject over on their blog. Check out the full review here.

Novel Investor is a great investment resource for investors of all skill levels. If there’s a way they can help their readers, they’re going to write about it. And I’d have to think that’s part of the reason they write about everything under the personal finance sun. If I were to pitch this blog, I’d look for anything around personal finance, the stock market, credit cards, tax code. Honestly, they write about a lot. Check out the full review here.

In full disclosure, PerkStreet is a financial institution. And in even fuller disclosure, they did NOT pay me to write this review. It just so happens that they have a great blog with great financial tips for just about anyone.  You don’t even have to be a customer of theirs. If I were to pitch this blog, I’d look for stories that help consumers make the most of their money. Check out the full review here.

That’s all for now. In the meantime, if there’s a blog I should be reviewing, drop me a line or a note in the comments, and I’ll take a look. Until next time…

Author Tom Hynes is PR Newswire’s manager of blogger relations. And as you may have guessed, he has a twitter34 account.

→ 3 Comments

Posted in Online Influence

Tagged , ,

Music Blogs: Hitting the Right Note

Posted on February 17, 2012 by | 3 Comments

Working as the blogger relations manager for PR Newswire, I come across my fair share of great blogs that cover a wide variety of subject matters and interests.  And as you might expect, some blogs are better than others. With that in mind and in an effort to highlight the better ones, I do my best to review one of these blogs every day.

This week my focus is on music.  Like a lot of people, I watched the Grammys last weekend. And while the telecast is never quite as bad as I expect it to be, it still left me wanting more. Because, honestly, there is so much good music out there. And in my opinion the bulk of it, regardless of genre, is worth a listen.  For as John Coltrane once said, ‘there are only 12 notes.’ That is to say, all the world’s music has more in common with itself than you might think. So with that in mind, let’s tighten our strings, sing along as best we can and enjoy this brief tour through some of the best music blogs I’ve seen.

Stereogum hails itself as one of the internet’s first mp3 blogs. That is to say, they talk a lot about music. But they also provide a lot of music. In other words, they provide their opinion, and then let the reader make their own. If I were to pitch this blog, I’d look for stories around artists, as opposed to the industry as a whole. Check out the full review here.

The Martorialist is a rap blog. So look out! You may hear songs with foul language! No, but for real, rap music is awesome, and you should probably be listening to a lot more of it. Like rap, this blog is both silly and smart. If I were to pitch this blog, and I’m not entirely sure I would, I’d look for stories around hip hop. Check out the full review here.

Aquarium Drunkard is a blog based out of L.A. And while they certainly cover that specific area in detail. They’ll also cover the music scene from around the world. They’re also not constrained to any one time either, mixing posts of current artists with recently uncovered jams of yesteryear. If I were to pitch this blog, I’d look for stories around the L.A. music scene. Anything to do with re-issues might also work. Check out the full review here.

I’d like to tell you that Gorilla vs. Bear was an awesome wildlife youtube video you could watch right now. But, alas, here I refer to the music blog of the same name. At a quick glance, you could describe this as a ‘hipster’ music blog. But I won’t. This is a blog about today’s music. And like today’s music, it covers a lot of genres. Having said all that, if I were to pitch this blog, I’d look for stories about indie music… and possibly polaroid film. Check out the full review here.

The Daily Swarm is a music blog that, as far as I can tell, covers anything and everything related to music. (And yes, that does include a video of French Bulldog’s reaction to Adele’s “Someone Like You”.) If I were to pitch this blog, I’d look for any stories that have literally anything to do with music. Stories about music, both as an art form and a business, might also work. Check out the full review here.

That’s all for now. In the meantime, if there’s a blog I should be reviewing, drop me a line or a note in the comments, and I’ll take a look. Until next time…

Author Tom Hynes is PR Newswire’s manager of blogger relations. And as you may have guessed, he has a twitter account.

→ 3 Comments

Posted in Online Influence

Tagged ,

Education Blogs: Head of the Class

Posted on February 3, 2012 by | 2 Comments

Working as the blogger relations manager for PR Newswire, I come across my fair share of great blogs that cover a wide variety of subject matters and interests.  And as you might expect, some blogs are better than others. With that in mind and in an effort to highlight the better ones, I do my best to review one of these blogs every day.

You may be shocked to learn this, but education is a pretty serious issue. Or anyway, pretty much everyone with a stake in it has an opinion on the matter. And just about everyone has a stake in education. Think about it. Education affects just about everything we do, and, some might say, everything we are. The worlds of business, technology, health care and just about everything else imaginable has its roots firmly in education. It’s the foundation of everything. And as you may have guessed there are a host of great blogs dropping education knowledge.  So with that in mind, let’s bust out our textbooks,  sharpen our pencils,  and enjoy this brief tour of some of the best education blogs I’ve seen.

Technology with Intention highlights teachers effectively using technology in the classroom. The bulk of the site is made up of individual profiles of those championing this cause. But there’s also a fair amount of space dedicated to advancements made outside of the classroom. If I were to pitch this blog, I’d look for stores that dealt with the cross-section of technology and education. Check out the full review here.

An Unschooling Life is a blog dedicated to the growing “trend” of homeschooling. Or better yet, it’s about unschooling. This can be a contentious issue. And with good reason. People care about their kids. This site provides a great example of the alternative ways in which education can be administered.  If I were to pitch this blog, I’d look for stories that have to do with homeschooling. Check out the full review here.

The Quick and the Ed is a blog dedicated to education on a slightly more macro level. There are plenty of things to be said about teachers and classrooms and lesson plans. But this site is more concerned with education as a matter of policy. If I were to pitch this blog, I’d look for stories that focus on government’s impact on the education system. Check out the full review here.

The Tech Savvy Educator is a blog dedicated to the impact and effect technology can have on education. It’s written by a professional educator who also happens to be a parent. So he’s got perspective. And it should come as no surprise that he’s pretty passionate about what he does. If I were to pitch this blog, I’d look for any stories that meet at the intersection of technology and education. Check out the full review here.

The Line is a blog written by a real-life teacher.  Just about everyone I know has something to say about education. It’s refreshing to gain the perspective of someone who is really out there doing it. Did I mention she’s a 7th grade teacher? That ought to count for something, too. If I were to pitch this blog, I’d look for stories that speak directly to the teaching profession. Check out the full review here.

That’s all for now. In the meantime, if there’s a blog I should be reviewing, drop me a line or a note in the comments, and I’ll take a look. Until next time…

Author Tom Hynes is PR Newswire’s manager of blogger relations. And as you may have guessed, he has a twitter account.

→ 2 Comments

Posted in Online Influence

Tagged ,