We Want Media

So, what is the difference between running the WSN Opinion blog and contributing to Gizmodo?

Well, ask Matt Buchanan, current co-Washington Square News Opinion editor and contributor to Gizmodo.

"Whereas I at times heavily edit and/or shape columns," he replied via e-mail. "I generally leave blog entries untouched, which are more prolific than I expected."

In a point of disclosure, I am also the film editor of WSN and edit the film blog. But Matt recently started contributing to Gawker Media's Gizmodo, the same tech blog that Peter Rojas started before creating Engadget. Matt's tech column has run in WSN for the last four years, originally titled "Hardwired" before recently being renamed "Functionally Obsolete."

"The best posts require original reporting," he says, relating to his recent work for Giz. "Calling people, [sic]emailing people, harassing them, generally. The best bloggers do as much reporting as 'real' reporters, so I'm not sure I find the distinction between the two all that relevant anymore."

Not to mention the name recognition that a respected tech blog can give over his own column. However, he still finds it easier to do a weekly column than do three or four posts a day.

"In general, it's made my writing cleaner and more economical, I think. Going from an 800+ word column a week to around 150 a post max generally is jarring, but in a good way. You learn to cut out what you don't need. It's made me a harsher editor over at WSN, but that's good. It's not something that just came with being a blogger, though. The credit has to go my editor, Brian Lam, who's constantly pushing me and showing me new things."