#69: Blogging for money...
A couple of western organizations (for example Hivos-backed blog and TOL's project) entered the Kyrgyz blogosphere with cases of money to "stimulate" people to be more involved in the new media. What they are doing makes complete sense, but on the other hand, why pay people who are already writing blogs for free. The money creates a distorted marketplace while encouraging short-term entrants (amateurs?) dominate the blogosphere. I might be wrong, though.
4 comments:
Azamat, thanks for your thoughts. I don't think Kloop pays its bloggers to write. We are also not paying across the board anymore, but are beginning to offer other incentives and more community-building as a substitute to paying. Sometimes it might be worthwhile paying people at least a modest sum if they cannot pay for their internet expenses. We don't want an elitist Kyrgyz blogosphere, that's for sure. Be in touch,
Ben
Ben, thanks for your input in the discussion. I guess it has more to do with the general debate on how much assistance money brings real development, not only in the blogosphere, but also in media in general, NGO, community organizations, etc.
Surely, we don't pay our bloggers. We've got a budget item called 'honorariums to news reporters', that is it.
Though every blogger on Kloop can place advertising and make money out of that. Which is absolutely normal, I think. :)
again, it comes down to the question on how much external stimuli are more powerful than inner interest driving people do make change in their countries. bektour and ben, nothing personal. i know you guys are closely involved those projects.
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