Differences of The Passionate Foodie

If you want information about food and wine, you have many diverse resources available, including magazines, newspapers and blogs. Yet not all of these resources are equal. My blog, like other blogs, has some significant differences from many magazines and newspapers, differences which can be potentially advantageous to the blogs.

First, blogs have a greater sense of immediacy and can be quicker to present food and wines news and reviews. Magazines, which may only be published once a month, are often completed at least a couple months ahead of time. So their news and reviews are usually at least a few months behind. Newspapers, though often published daily, generally restrict their food and wine coverage to once a week, usually on Wednesdays. So though their coverage is more current than magazines, it still can still lag behind some.

Blogs though can be posted on a daily basis, and can present news and reviews very quickly. For example, a blogger can attend an event or visit a restaurant and post a review on that same day. If an important piece of food or wine news arises, a blogger can post about it at any time, and does not have to wait for a specific day of the week.

Second, blogs may be able to provide more content than some print media. Except for those magazines and newspapers that are dedicated solely to food and wine, other magazines and newspapers have limited space available for such coverage. For example, the Boston Globe newspaper, Boston Herald newspaper and Boston Magazine all limit how many pages they can dedicate to food and wine. Blogs on the other hand have no such limitations. They can post as much content as they desire.

Third, blogs can provide more repeat information, including more updates, than most print media. When most magazines and newspapers publish a restaurant or wine review, they often fail to provide any further updates. This may be partially due to the limited space they possess to devote to coverage. So, their reviews may be out of date when you eventually visit the restaurat or try the wine. Blogs though can provide follow-ups as they don't have space limitations. A blogger can post about every visit they make to a restaurant, providing a current update on their prior reviews.

Fourth, blogs may cover matters that print media does not or would not cover. This is partially due to the limited coverage availabe to some print media. For example, the Boston Globe can only cover so many restaurants in a year. A blog has no such limitations so can cover any restaurant they desire, including small, quirky places that would not be big enough for newspaper coverage. The local newspapers also provide very little coverage to wine.

Now, remember that these are all potential advantages and not all blogs will capitalize on them as well as they should. And some magazines and newspapers are better than others. Bloggers should consider these matters and try to enhance their sites to take advantage of these matters. These potential advantages of blogs may also be a reason why magazines and newspapers are making more of an online presence in recent times.

What are your thoughts on these issues?