Associated Press Video

Heh. This is pretty funny. I just got a call from my good friend and fellow grassroots publisher Al Jordan. He runs ElwoodIndiana.org. Someone called AP and reported Al's site. You see, not being a 'newspaper,' we're not allowed to be associated with Associated Press. Al started running the video after I showed him TheNewsRoom. The Elwood Call-Leader started running AP videos a month or so ago. Here's the important difference, though, and one of the reasons I still have hope - old media (The Elwood Call-Leader) is probably paying AP to run the video on their site while new media (ElwoodIndiana.org) is being paid (about $4/cpm) to run the videos! The AP guy called back and said we were ok with running the video.

Heh. What a hoot. And I guess I shouldn't bring that fact up because even here in Elwood with a family owned newspaper, they have more money and resources than we do. The problem is, they've had no competition ... well, ever maybe. They do now, though, even though Al doesn't like me to mention that (sorry!) because he's afraid they'll drop a whole bunch of money to try to get rid of us. The thing is, that strategy doesn't work too well in the new media landscape. It doesn't worry me too much. (Maybe it should more?) In any case, competition will help the local community and that's what's important - not maintaining publishing monopolies.

Anyway, just a small smile on a wednesday number two sometime in June.

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