The Good, The Bad, The Spin

Read all about it at the Las Vegas Sun.

If true, Target’s snubbing of “non-traditional media outlets” raises poignant questions about the emerging reality of how information gets disseminated–and how perceptions are formed.

It’s indisputable that bloggers not only break news, they are increasingly the shapers of opinion (especially if what Murphy’s Law says is true).

At my day job, I spend more and more time pitching stories to and sending releases to “non-traditional media outlets.” The traditional news media is no longer an emphasis–and some days, isn’t even an afterthought. It is instead another audience with which to bridge messages to constituents. And, it is often the case that “non-traditional” outlets are the only ones to run stories the news media ignore.

Target, though, makes a good point. There’s a call to be made about when and when not to respond to bloggers and incessant Internet idiots. In frequent cases, it’s simply another instance of a whiny consumer—and Target (as well as most organizations) is correct to ignore such commentary.

For Target to respond in the manner conveyed at Consumerist, however, smacks of arrogance, especially the lie that “we are unable to respond” and the unfitting corporate jargon in the term “core guest” That phrase alone is the understandable reason for Target to take a hit in this situation.

It’s not just that journalism is sinking down the toilet in terms of consumer interest and profit, it’s more that journalism has not kept up with consumer preferences in light of the increased democratization of information. This was hinted upon in a previous post, but NPR discussed today how parody journalism has become increasingly profitible by abandoning–and ridiculing–traditional news standards.