The New York Times Public Editor Byron Calame did some public handwringing about The Times's new blogs this Sunday in his lastest column, "The Times's New Blogs: More Information, Fewer Filters." He goes to great lengths to explain key differences between blog posts and news stories -- differences the readers in the blogosphere have understood for quite some time now. But still, important points for those Times readers who are being introduced to blogs for the first time. "...With blogs becoming part of the overall package of news, opinion, entertainment and information The Times now delivers, it's clearly time to assess what readers can expect from them. Readers can benefit, my review of the paper's early efforts suggests, even if those blogs don't deliver Times-quality

news content. The crucial factor is that The Times has to clearly distinguish blogs from its traditional news content — and readers have to keep in mind that they are different." Most of his column focuses on Andrew Sorkin's Dealbook, The New York Times blog that covers the world of Wall Street. Dealbook does break some of its own stories, but it primarily posts short updates and links to stories on other Web sites. It is complemented by Sorkin's editorial column every Sunday and offers a daily email summary of additional news and updates. Sorkin doesn't do all of this work himself.... Dealbook has three additional editorial staff. If ever there was a blog that had its act together, this would be it. But, Calame is still concerned. "Count me as a fan of the added value of this new blog as long as The Times makes it excruciatingly clear that most of DealBook is different from the more traditional, independently verified news content of the online and print versions of The Times." Sounds like sound advice for anyone blogging about Wall Street whether its published by The Times or anyone else. But, Calame's column made me remember an important point: there are still far more people on the Web who haven't read a blog than those who have. Bloggers should ponder Calame's concerns and decide how to adapt them to their own topics. The concern isn't so much that new readers will believe everything they read, but that they may not understand the role a blog can play for someone who wants to (or needs to) stay informed on a particular topic. Like any other blog, Dealbook could probably benefit from some content tailored for new readers. At IDI, we encourage clients to provide a special welcome to new users who sign up for email newsletters or who agree to participate in a new online campaign. How can this concept be adopted to blogs? Offer a special welcome email series that explains the who, what, why and how of that blog's operations. How inviting is the blogosphere to newcomers? How do blogs greet new readers? How well do blogs explain what they cover and why? Bloggers who want to grow their readership should know the answers to these types of questions. If Byron Calame were your public editor, what would he be writing about?