For example, his retort in the early 1980s that unemployed rioters should ‘get on their bikes’ as his father did and look for work made him a hate figure on the Left. (Admittedly this did not take much effort, given the poisonous atmosphere of UK politics at the time.) He has spoken out against the European Union and even suggested that traditional Conservative voters should instead support the Euro-sceptic UK Independence Party, infuriating many in his own party.

In addition, some of his comments on race and multiculturalism have been equally controversial, though he has also denounced the neo-fascist British National Party. This abrasive, uninhibited approach earned him the nickname of ‘semi-house-trained polecat’ via the late Michael Foot, but also cemented his reputation as a hardman of the British mainstream right.

Despite this, he is also doing something very interesting on his blog, hosted by the web site of the London-based Daily Telegraph newspaper. Namely, he replies to comments made by reader in the main body of his blog posts, structuring them as if taking part in an informal discussion:

I think “dirlada” was right. Any one in any walk of life may make honest mistakes, even sensible mistakes, but in that recent incest case it was over 100 people from 28 different agencies, all making some pretty obvious mistakes which was the worry. And right again, “Bionic Raspberry”. What about the offenders and the extended family too?

Oh, “crownarmourer”, what a temptation! Me as Lord Protector. No, I do not think so. I sussed out how power corrupted him when I was a 15-year-old history student.

Again, I must tell “incensed” that I simply am not Mr Tebbit. I lost that title. I don’t mind Tebbit, Norman or, as cabbies usually address me, “Norm” but I am not “Mr”. And I hope that you still might see the difference between the EU and the USSR. Millions of Poles, Czechs, Slovaks and others who have experienced both can do so. Oh, and just a thought: were not the progenitors of the BNP ready to sell out to Hitler?

Whereas other columnists may occasionally reply to comments as commenters themselves, Tebbit seems unwilling to maintain such a barrier between blog and response. Instead he selects what he believes are either the most interesting posts made, or the ones that he believes require the most refutation. This is curiously inventive, cementing as it does, a direct connection between him and his readers. If we consider that online journalism’s strength is that it allows such a two-way conversation, even in a textual medium, then Tebbit is unusual in that he treats this as an essential part of the process, but also leaves aside the traditional aloofness of the journalist in doing so. He blogs, they read, they comment, he reads in turn and comments in turn. It is both cyclical and personable, but also an acceptance that what the reader says and thinks is at least as worthy of consideration as what the author writes, within some parameters – Tebbit still chooses what to reply to, whereas the reader still chooses what to comment on.

Tebbit also refers to each commentator by name, or at least, screen name. Again, this implies a greater intimacy between reader and author, but also a shared subjectivity – Tebbit picks comments, not all of which he agrees with, but answers them in a personalised and informal fashion:

As for “john the bear” I am just sorry that he has so little faith in his country. He fears that if the UK left the EU our former partners would set out to destroy us. They are not that stupid. They export more to us than we to them. They would be the bigger losers. And they would be in breach of the GATT…

…I should apologise to “blustering colonel” for ignoring his kind invitation to visit Singapore. I have been there many times, the first of them in 1954, so I am not unaware of the immense achievements of Lee Kwan Yu and the people of Singapore. Indeed I only wish that we had had more leaders like him here.

We might have been as successful as Singapore, but we only had one, and she was not leader for long enough.

Whilst Tebbit’s politics may not be seen as always desirable by either this author or many OJR readers, to dismiss them or how Tebbit articulates them is to ignore how he has developed a currently unique relationship with his readers. The closest equivalent may be the ‘ombudsman’ employed by some US news organisations, who uses his or her column to respond to reader/viewer queries and complaints. The main difference between these however is that the ombudsman still retains his or her distance from the reader – he is an emissary of the ‘writer’, embodied in this case by the hierarchy of the newsroom – and responds to missives from otherwise passive readers, but only on his or her terms and in an official – or even officious – capacity.

Tebbit meanwhile does choose what to reply to, but beyond that is an openness to a variety of comments. Tebbit may not necessarily agree with some commenters but still lists some of their more notable comments and responds to them accordingly:

I noticed amongst those posting comments on this site a number of contributors, john the bear cub, Matthew Gris, mark999, frederik and others telling me the EU is a done deal, a good thing, and that I should shut up and learn to love it. Oddly enough, as mickeypee and rapscallion pointed out, none of them explain why we should put up with a government we did not elect and cannot change compelling us to do things which are clearly not in our interest.

Oliver was not convinced by my explanation of why the main parties are pro EU and asked me why Cameron is so, too. Well, I simply do not know. He has not told me.

I thought basset was a bit grumpy. He forgets that I stood down from the Cabinet and refused invitations to go back. And to suggest that I have more influence over voters than David Cameron is a bit unrealistic. If it were true, then perhaps Camp Cameron would ask themselves why.

The views exhibited are in fact varied, despite the political bias one might assume of a blogger who as a rule tends to delete or ignore posts that are not in line with his own views. Steven Duncombe’s fears in 1997 that the World Wide Web would simply facilitate a myriad of ‘virtual ghettos’ or echo chambers* have often been realised many times, yet Tebbit’s blog has become an unlikely alternative – there may be no agreement, but nor is disagreement dismissed out of hand or shouted down. Tebbit allows commenters to disagree with him, and simply disagrees in turn.

How best to contextualise this? Conservative media figures, primarily in the United States, have always demonstrated a strong rapport with their audiences, as demonstrated by the success of right-wing ‘shock jocks’ such as Rush Limbaugh and latterly Glen Beck. Yet this does not take into account, for example, the considerable differences that exist between American and British schools of conservatism.

Equally, it does not acknowledge that right wing broadcast media is precisely that: a powerful figure speaks to a mute but appreciative audience – and it is this authoritativeness as opposed to Tebbit’s openness with his audience that defines this sub-genre. Of course, many ‘shock jocks’ reply to e-mails and letters on their shows, but again this is more akin to the traditional ‘postbag’ section in both print and broadcast media, whereas – as said – Tebbit is much more willing to interact with his readers, without prompting. It is obvious from the tone and the ease that he undertakes this that it is through choice. The writer has become the listener.

It is what Nicholas Carr refers to as ‘Conservative Innovation’, wherein the innovative is combined with the old and established in order to create something genuinely new and promising. Carr did of course refer to this in the context of industrial production, but given its technological nature, it can also be applied to Tebbit’s blog. He combines the conservative with the electronic, the journalistic with the informal, and in doing so, creates a new kind of conversation between him and his audience.

* Stephen Duncombe, Notes From Underground ‘Zines And The Politics Of Alternative Culture (New York: Verso, 1997), p.72

Our point of view is not to search what the exact fact is, behind the existing economic slow down. We can say only what about is, that the print medium as a whole, (newpapers,magazines, periodicals) have been passing through a pitiable situation stubornly. The indomitable nagative affect , in the true sense,that has to face by the major newspaper organization is what to cope up with its extensive etablihment cost in huge amount as compared to other print medium like magazine,periodicals etc. It is evident, that, a handsful revenue from large quantity of advertisements that the newspapers were enjoying earlier, has come out to be shortend or be curtailed significantly. This shortfall in advertisement – might be an important cause of such drought in newspaper industry-but not be the one and only. I sniff another more causes could be there ! Today, in our fasterer life-style, we intake our required inforations and entertainments largely from the electronic media that can provide instantly what we demaqnd for. We have no such wastable time as well as patience to go with any further lengthy process of enjoying the same outcome from other sources or means. Time factor, has compelled the consumer audience to do so. Whenever, a very good alternative way is available as open to all, then why should look for another delayed one? The major portion of media audience today, have been exhibiting their greater exposure in electronic medium particularly in audio-visual medium. Such audience are being kept satisfied by the television medium duly.The keen ‘Advertisers’ are well known and aware of this- and pay their emphatic attention towards the electronic medium predominantly. The sponsors all, want to pay for their ads’ only to what could be disseminated widely,instantly and repeatedly. These advantages all at a time could be handled by the television medium only. It is quietly natural-best outcome would be rewarded highly.Television today, have been enjoying the sweet fruits of Ads. It is also undenieable that the pictorial presentation has a greater appeal and attraction to the audience as compared to other medium.It is futile to say,that ‘television’can enjoy the maximum advantages in this regard as it has greater command on the audience for its distinguishedcharacteristics.Televiion today, can easily and grab the lion’s share of launchable advertisements in the market.So why, the they could also be called ‘wealthy medium’definitely, as compared to other medium. Beside this, the internet publishers are fetching a considerably revenues from launchable advts for their pages well. While newspapers have been confronting toughest competition in this hurdle.A certain amount of advertisements that were going to newspapers,are now entering in the courtyard of the online news publishers. It is a significant matter indeed ! It is studies well, that the electronicmedium have greater impact value than print medium. It has wider range of audience which can transcend across the country even internationally. So, sponsors’interest or emphasis naturally would remain stick to the electronic medium vehemently. The advertisers are payingduly high reward for the best outcome. One point more to be taken to the account is,at the prime time of the television programme of any channel can accumulate the highest number of viewers who obviously go with by and large advertisements presented intermittently. Soch greater impact never could be expected at a time from other medium.

Newspapers particularly, have been residing presently at the declining position in such situation evolved due to economic downturn globally. Even now, newspapers are quite unable to battle with online publishing entrepreneurs also. If online publishing sector go ahead deliberately in organizing manner in future,it is believed that the greater ‘ fiscal success’ would shake hands with online publishers by replacing the newspapers boost significantly.

As the mass media deserve a social respect and dignity as well , they should hold good it by utilizing their power of influence, for the benefit of the society with a view to uplifting the standard of living of human life both physically and mentally. Ethically standardized presentations would require from the media organizations as to develop and retain the basic characteristics (like ideals and morality, sympathy, co-operation to other etc) of human beings which have been going to be extincted day by day. In the environment of crazy and flooded mass consumerism, the nature of mankind have significantly been affected. The extensive exposure of allurable products that oftenly induce and mislead human beings in obtaining the same irrespective of any proper judgement or assessment at all. Human beings today, fail to assess or judge on their cpacities in securing such expensive products for their use. Mass media have been acting as stimulant in this respect of mass consumerism diffusion and impulsing the society people drastically towards more to happen so. On the way of publishing contents for the consumer audience, the media have been establishing themselves as keen and shrewed agents for the big corporate houses. Today, we can not deny, that the big corporate houses want what,, is provided by the deflected as well as deviated media as to earn more revenues.The major presented contents involve Vulgurity and obscenity extensively which is not desirable. Earning more money always, does not necessarily mean ‘surrender of own existence and values’ that the present media usually do The mass media would require to think about their practices of such ‘humbuggery’, although trying to retain the dignified position in our society. The dealings of mass media, should never be concentrated towards earning money only.They are not business concern only, but at the sametime they are the institution for rendering education,developmental thoughts and ideas,focus on new horizon for new achievement for the society people also. They should never forget, that an ‘interdependency’ relationship is still existing between them and the society.The mass media should not treate our society as their ‘ Heavenly Market’ for generating revenue and where they can do whatever they like with the power of influence that they possess.

The most challenging days are waiting ahead for present media, where new concept of journalism in diverse ways have been emerging with handsful new opportunities and offer as to satisfy the needs of consumer audience. Many set-up in this regard have been on operation through online as to replace the conventional ‘ time consuming’ process of newpaper or other media organization. Such new ventures based on online activities would need lesser person engaged at least to serve the purpose of consumer audience pertainin a limited persons or group with specific interested areas. Such chaleanging alternative media for communication through unilateral or bilateral efforts,could establish their ventures robustly in near future.

It appears that journalists in all newspapers think alike and work according to the same set of values. It is studied also that the journalists hunt for packs; by and large they have the similar sense of what makes for news. They do not want to change their trend usually they feel comfortable as well as secured too. Neither these journalists extend their views from their whirlpool existence in different ways or angles nor they would have been allowed to move ahead innovatively by the newspaper organization. This approach of journalism can be designated as ‘pack journalism’. Further, how is that the journalists world over swear by that very ‘inverted pyramid structure’ when writing up the news? Such structure came into existence with the telegraph; the electronic media and the internet have a potential for experimenting with other format, but the journalist can not shed their old habits of thought and their old routines of working to deadlines. With round the clock news in news channels like CNN, BBC world and Star News and also in the internet, the traditional forms of journalism and the traditional routines of journalists have taken a thorough beating.

The front page of any newspaper is so important one, that it should carry most valuable and selective news of the day of which it belongs to. The firstpage must cater such choosy items of news which are special and ditinguised as compared other stored news in the newsgatherings. It carries the outlook as well as mission of the publishing organization which reflects the ‘news value’, and ultimately generates passion and appeal within the consumer readers. Here , a tasteful mind motivated by right attitude, is necessary to persue a very good presentable page No: 1 for any news daily. Proper selection apper to be a hard task as to pick up absolute pertinent ones from so many publishable events which can demand importance equally according to comparison.

To avoid the most challenging part of making a very good frontpage,newspaper organizations are adopting few tricky means or ways. Thus the newspaper manufacturers have virtually been able to intercept this growing challenge in making an appealing and attractive frontpage in sustainable manner. The news of sensitivity and of emotional nature, that can hit by virtue the sentiment of the people who have looked over the frontpage at least once for a moment. The consumer readers naturally,fall headlong over the newspaper as being inflenced and induced as well by scarring and splendid news presentation as provided in the frontpage, and remain stick to such ‘Induction’.

In the ethical perspective, the news on fatel accident, severe disaster or natural calamity which are intrinsically shocking and mournful, or anyatrocious murder or rape which belongs to inhuman part of our life, should never be published with greater exposure and in bold headline as accompanied by prominent photographs. In a word, it is inauthentic and provocative as well.Such carelessness is, stood as common practice of so many newspaper organizations as to sustain their commercial gain by extincting all morals and ethical values of journalism. In achieving just a commercial gain, newspapers of the present days,have been undergoing in the process of such culpable ‘ humiliation of ethical codes’now and then. The present newspapers are in a mess of deceiting the consumer readers.

Newspapers, by and large today, seriously engged in publishing political news profoundly keeping side all other needful matters of the society by paying no such considerable attention or priority at all.How do they dare it as being most prestigious and conscious institutions and have to go ahed with the society where they belong to.The indulgence of present media concerns with political affairs looks like that they are somehow obligated or accountable to the political personalities somehow. It seems to be that no other event of the socity, could be so value added and acceptable to the consumers or users.

Community journalism will identify and highlight the resources available in the respective community and the proper utilization of those resources available, for greater use in the national perspective. Greater reward or value could be collected as to contribute to the nation building from those explored resources even after endowing handsome value for it all satisfactorily. Thus the enrichment restored in many undisclosed resource units,would appear as more worthfull as well as worthwhile to the community people. The journalists involved in this regard would have tiredless efforts in segregating those overlooked or undisclosed resources of the community, as to pay back not only those apartly but also to impart greatly in nation building. For the development of any nation as the theorists say much of the development communication, I’d say community journalism might play a vital role in nation buildind and development through the development of community i.e.grass root as well as the unit of any nation. Development of any unit like community would definitely contribute finally to the fulfillment of greater objective of the nation. Such resources would need to be identified in the nick of time, by the die-hard efforts and ‘never-ending’ search ability of the journalist who would be involved in such dedicating works for community journalism.

Community journalism will identify and highlight the resources available in the respective community and the proper utilization of those resources available, for greater use in the national perspective. Greater reward or value could be collected as to contribute to the nation building from those explored resources even after endowing handsome value for it all satisfactorily. Thus the enrichment restored in many undisclosed resource units,would appear as more worthfull as well as worthwhile to the community people. The journalists involved in this regard would have tiredless efforts in segregating those overlooked or undisclosed resources of the community, as to pay back not only those apartly but also to impart greatly in nation building. For the development of any nation as the theorists say much of the development communication, I’d say community journalism might play a vital role in nation buildind and development through the development of community i.e.grass root as well as the unit of any nation. Development of any unit like community would definitely contribute finally to the fulfillment of greater objective of the nation. Such resources would need to be identified in the nick of time, by the die-hard efforts and ‘never-ending’ search ability of the journalist who would be involved in such dedicating works for community journalism.

With a view to presenting any matters of an event, a journalist collects whatever materials to make it effective and strengthy as well, is not allowed to publish in comlete manner. The editor’s yardstick does not permit any daring approaches in the presentation of the journalist. The editor wants to satisfy the need of the board of directors or the proprietor particularly. He remains ever alert, in preserving the commercial interests as well as the political. He intends to earn the political favour for his organization from the state rulling party and the ‘good look’of the board of directors or owner of the organization at the same drive, the editor plays a keen role in this respect by resisting the independence of journalist unduly. In persuing such objectful role ,the editorial wings are dedicatingly serving the purpose of the editor-in-chif. It is allegedly done so! By prohibiting any journalist from expressing or presenting the truth elaboratingly which is of public interest and benefit,is unethical and infringsment of the principle of journalism.A general people’s interest has supressingly been avoided. Does it bring any harm to the society as a whole in disclosing that suppressed part of journalistic works? So,why such distortion of news, is being entertained? Why such a dubious role is forced to play through the committed journalist by humiliating his ideals and morals? It looks like ‘a gun is fired by shouldering on another innocent’.Isn’t it ?

Today ,independence of journalism carries a literary gravity only, and has been plundered by the same group or persons who are involved with this greater part! A confliction or war remains within same species as held between mighty and weak in our society can be experienced in the arena of journalism profoundly. In the profession of journalism, a journalist can not transcend the editor’s barrier ethically or legally in unveiling an useful truth. A captivity has oftenly been conceded by the working journalists, staying with assured independence as guaranteed by the ehical codes of journalism.

For those not now following the strip, Redfern, a long-time WaPo veteran in Trudeau’s world, was laid off earlier this autumn and is now launching his own blog, a scenario not uncommon among many “real world” journalists. Fishing for tips, he chooses to launch the blog with an anecdote about Barack Obama playing basketball with U.S. troops in the Middle East.

Subsequent gags play to old lines against bloggers: their content is trivial; bigwigs don’t want to return their calls; their professional status is less than traditional media writers. Still, Redfern lands Obama on the phone; he gets his first inbound link. Ultimately, Redfern declares:

“It’s tough to leverage a byline in a media environment where anyone who can type gets a byline! I’m competing for eyeballs with millions of narcissists… almost none of whom expect to actually get paid!”

The series wraps up with a final gag about Redfern’s slacker ex-CIA son… who has his own blog.

Just as in Trudeau’s alternate universe, competition’s tougher today online than it was in print a generation ago. Redfern’s spot on – it’s tough to leverage a byline these days. But it can be done. (If Redfern supposedly was in part inspired by Bob Woodward, I am awaiting Trudeau’s version of Joshua Micah Marshall.)

The beauty of fiction is what it can tell us about our real lives. Here are three things Trudeau’s Rick Redfern did wrong in launching his blog, keeping him from better immediate success online (or, from losing his gig with the WaPo in the first place):

1) Start your blog before you leave the paper

As I’ve written before, building an economically viable audience can take months, if not years. Start the clock toward building that readership before you need it.

The real-world WaPo has taken one of the newspaper industry’s most aggressive approaches to staff blogging and chatting. If Redfern had worked at the real WaPo, he undoubtedly would have had the opportunity to start a blog long before he faced a buyout. He could have developed his blogging voice, as well as an online following, with the help of one of the newspaper industry’s top dot-com staffs.

That would have made a real Rick Redfern a far more valuable asset to the Post, perhaps helping him save his job. And even if it didn’t, he’d have a far easier time getting a base of existing online fans to follow him to a personal blog than he now faces building that base from scratch.

Reporters who don’t work for an outfit as aggressive as the WaPo ought to start blogging, too. Look at Curt Cavin’s OJR piece from last week, where wrote how he took a simple Q&A concept and built it into the most popular feature on his paper’s website.

2) Don’t change your game

If competition has made leveraging a byline online difficult, changing what that byline represents makes the task impossible. Redfern, an investigative reporter, should not have fallen into the trap stereotype that says blog entries must be short and superficial. If anything, going online allows Redfern the opportunity to write for a more engaged audience that craves greater detail.

I loved this e-mail that my wife received from a fan after she published a 5,360-word interview with violinist Rachel Barton Pine on her blog: “That RBP interview was just awesome. Isn’t it ironic that so many dead tree news sources are trying to imitate ‘Teh Internets’, and slashing article length, making them McInfoBites, and thus worthless, whilst here you do such a looooong lovely interview that would NEVER get printed in full in other print sources.”

Time spent on site has become the new fashionable metric for website success. What causes people to spend more time on a website? Longer articles.

Leave the short hoops anecdotes for Deadspin. Stay on your beat, and instead launch your blog with some solid evergreen pieces that explain, in plain, simple language, the players and issues on that beat. Take questions from readers, to discover what they want to know. Then assume, because you are now writing for a niche medium, that you can go long, in depth and intelligent and not lose any readers in the process.

Yes, your longer, in-depth pieces must offer real substance and engage your audience. But you are a professional reporter, right? If you can’t do that, you don’t deserve to beat the competition online.

3) It’s the “net” – so network

You can’t wait for inbound links to promote your blog. You must solicit them. Redfern should have gotten his son to link to his new blog, and he should be working his contacts back at the Post.

Let your fellow blogging journalists – at newspapers and independent – know when you have a scoop. Ask for links, and do not hesitate to link them when they post a fresh item. Ask other bloggers to make guest appearances on your blog, as you’d have guest “talking heads” on a TV news show. They’ll soon return the favor.

The real-world Washington Post has a voracious appetite for chat guests. Surely a real Rick Redfern could swing an invite from his former colleagues, drawing attention to his new blog in the process.

Newspaper bloggers should not hesitate to link former colleagues and competitors. If newspapers are going to sack loyal, hard-working reporters with multiple rounds of layoffs each year, journalists need to shift their loyalty from their publisher to their fellow reporters. After all, they’ll need the link help from those colleagues when they face the chop.

But die-hard Indy fans endured and, for them, Curt Cavin's blog on the Indianapolis Star website has become the place to go to for daily coverage of the newly re-unified IndyCar Series. (Heck, I read it every day.) I asked Curt to share with OJR readers his experience in growing the blog. - Robert]

As a 20-year reporter for the Indianapolis Star, I had been doing a motor sports Q&A online weekly for about five years before I learned my company was tracking viewer traffic on its blogs and basing some coverage decisions on those numbers.

I was discouraged that my contribution never earned a spot in the newspaper’s top 10 as the Indianapolis 500 is such a captivating and historical event for our community. Then I learned that my Q&A wasn’t being considered a blog because it was written weekly and not in the true spirit of a blog.

To this day, I’m perplexed by what a blog actually is. Oh, sure, I understand the term and I grasp its definition, but at its core the entry is written communication. Regardless of its label, I knew people were reading what I was writing; I just had to prove it.

That day, I vowed to answer questions from readers each morning to see if that made a difference in the blog tracking. I figured if I answered a half-dozen questions after breakfast (and sometimes before), people could get in the habit of reading when they arrived at work.

A month later, the newspaper’s next tracking report was distributed to the editors, and I snared a copy. The motor sports blog was third overall behind Indiana University basketball and a camera positioned atop a bank building where falcons were nesting. I was a distant third, but I was on the map.

Motivated, I continued to update my “blog” daily for about six months, even on Christmas morning. Because I didn’t always receive a copy of the newspaper’s tracking information, I didn’t know realize what a fan base was building, but it was.

From my perspective, more questions meant more opportunities to communicate what I knew about the sport and my experiences in it. I made conversational and friendly, showing my vulnerabilities and enjoyment of life and the sport. It was blog-like, one might say.

The other benefit was, some questions led to news tips, which led to breaking stories, which led to pats on the back from my boss, which led to better job reviews and more money in my paycheck. This cycle has grown exponentially, one day at a time.

In the height of racing season, I receive about 150 questions a day and answer about 10, almost all before 9 a.m. Nearly every reader submission offers a word of thanks for the effort I’m making.

I’ve come to realize that my company does not allow me to write on my off days, but the readers have understood. I haven’t kept track, but it’s safe to say that I have received questions from all 50 states and two dozen countries. Many of them have followed me to a weekly radio show that began in 2007.

Last fall, an online question about a couple of race fans getting together over cheeseburgers led to other readers inquiring how to be invited. When similar questions poured it, a friend suggested a community event during the Indianapolis 500 weekend that became known as the Carb Night Burger Bash.

About 700 people attended and more than $8,000 was raised for local charities. All because of a blog.

By the way, this Q&A has tracked No. 1 on The Star’s website almost every day for the past two years. Now the falcon camera is a distant third.

Last month Tunsion—aka Christmas Ape—came out of Internet anonymity with a KSK entry documenting his inebriation one ancient evening at (gasp) a sports bar. Turns out that was the Washington Post’s cue to fire him, within 48 hours of the post, for “discrediting the publication.”

The Web backlash to WaPo’s knee-jerk reaction was immediate and expected. For HR malpractice. For stodgy new-media ignorance. For axing a potential traffic cow.

But don’t quit your day job, Mike. KSK is of course booming on the heels of the incident, and Tunison is content, sort of, to be uncaged in that space.

We caught up with him over e-mail for a closer look at the whole mess.

OJR: Is there anything defensible about this? Or does a part of you think WaPo did what it had to do?

MT: I think The Post has a right to uphold and enforce whatever stodgy standards of conduct that it deems appropriate. I don’t they would have acted as extremely or as quickly as they did if it wasn’t first picked up by a journalism blog. In that case, the editors probably felt pressure from within the journalism community to cleanse whatever damage they thought I was doing to the Post brand.

OJR: Sounds like it was technically over your post about being drunk at a bar, but that seems a little far-fetched. There’s got to be more to it than that. They say you “discredited” the publication. But what was actually said to you. Anything verbal, or did it all come in memos?

MT: Far-fetched though it may seem, that’s what they said. The day after I put up the outing post, I got a call from the top editor of the Metro section, who was already making clear I was in deep shit and was probably going to be fired. He essentially wanted my reasons for doing so to run by personnel. The next day, I was called back into his office where he laid out the terms of my dismissal. He said the drunk picture coupled with the language while linking to my Post stories violated the paper’s standards.

OJR: Seems to me they would have been a bit better off to give you a slap on the wrist and leverage you for site traffic. Are you at all surprised they couldn’t see it that way?

MT: I figured the penalty would be less severe and there would be more room for discussion. I’m not surprised at all that they couldn’t find something for me to do with The Post’s Web operation. There’s a stunning lack of vision at The Washington Post when it comes to Web-exclusive content. Not to mention that the disconnect between The Post and its website is astounding. The Washington CityPaper did a great piece on that a few months ago. Look at Dan Steinberg’s D.C. Sports Bog. It’s probably the best executed sports blog by a mainstream publication and it’s barely promoted at all by the organization. Sure, one post makes it to page 2 of sports section in the print paper, but log onto The Post’s site and you’d never know it existed. You have to really dig through that unwieldy thing to find it.

OJR: Surely you had to be expecting a knee-jerk reaction of some sort. To what extent did you think it would be feasible for your two writing lives to coexist?

MT: I thought so. As I’ve said on the site, there was no overlap at all between what I did for the paper and the writing at KSK. I also made pains on the revealing post to not actually write out my name and the publication. You could only find those things by visiting The Post and clicking through the links. A Google search of my name or The Washington Post wouldn’t have brought it up, so no one would have discovered it except readers of Kissing Suzy Kolber. Now, readers of KSK and WaPo readers aren’t mutually exclusive, but you can be damn sure KSK readers didn’t think my employment there hurt the paper in any way.

OJR: It sucks to lose the 9 to 5, but how bitter are you, really, considering you come off as the good guy in all this?

MT: I’m a little bitter because I was never really given an opportunity to excel at The Post and as soon as I develop something for myself that garners some success, they find out about it and can me. When I’m doing uninteresting work, I’m going to need a creative outlet on the side.

OJR: How, if at all, are you pursuing other newspaper jobs? Or are you done with MSM? If so, why?

MT: I’m not going after any newspaper jobs at the moment. Partly because I don’t want to but also because they wouldn’t hire me even if I did. Just this past week, the guy who runs The Sporting News’ blog, The Sporting Blog, wanted to bring me on to do some work with them and he was shot down by higher-ups. The reason: because I’m too “controversial” after this firing. I’m sure I’m blackballed from a number of places, probably forever. It’s a little pathetic, really. The mainstream journalism community is so insular and at the same time so terrified. The situation is just going to get worse for them until they reevaluate more than just staff sizes. I have other aspirations, but I’m happy with blogging for now. I make about as much as I did at The Post, which wasn’t much, with writing for a few blogs. I can be happy with that for a bit.

OJR: How has your role on KSK changed through all this? Obviously you have more time to put toward it, but do you feel at all uncaged or liberated in terms of your content?

MT: KSK has never really been a place where I’ve felt limited in terms of what I can say, so the firing doesn’t change much. I have more time and am writing a little more, but it’s still the off-season and there’s only so much to write about. Before coming forward, I had to be more guarded with personal information, which I don’t anymore.

OJR: This is the best PR imaginable for KSK. How has site traffic looked since the coming-out party? Are you guys looking to expand the site out of this?

MT: There was a big initial burst of traffic right after the outing. We had 108,000 unique visitors the day after I got fired. We average around 22,000 or so per day. It’s still been a little higher since than it was before the incident. We probably gained a few readers, but most of the other people were there because it was in the news. As far as expanding, the firing coincided with moving the site to a new address after reaching a contract with a nascent blog network. There are big plans for that network. As far as KSK, there are things we’re planning on adding here and there, like a liveblog of a game every week during the season. Other than that, we’re just keeping with what’s worked for us.