New Blog for Canadian Lawyer and Law Times

Writers from Canadian Lawyer and Law Times magazines have co-launched the Legal Feeds Blog. And with close to 40 posts in their first four weeks, it’s great to see such strong early volume and blogging enthusiasm! [and yes Gail, I was hoping a Clawbies mention would inspire everyone to keep up the early pace!]

One attribute that really stands out for me, and it’s really more about editorial approach than anything, is the mixed delivery styles for their blog content. Whether it’s an early preview to the day’s story, a roundup of newspaper headlines, or a short opinion piece — the approach isn’t perfectly uniform. As a reader, I like that. I enjoy blogs that can craft a long opinion piece in one post, but then counter with a short referential post that isn’t much more than a link drop. Having more than one posting style is definitely a plus in terms of variety, and also offers a different view of what each blogger deems important.

For the Legal Feeds blog, and similarly with FP Legal Post, the big value comes from tapping into a group of relevant journalists. They share a window into their daily reading and writing process, and in turn, readers see an additional human touch to their upcoming work. Yes, we know the news sooner; but their blogging also helps establish a connection to the author, and deliver a more complete picture. Is it better journalism? I think so. Consider the potential insights — to the writer, their approach, additional context to an upcoming story, or an underlying opinion. It’s not always there, but it definitely adds something to the reading experience when it is.

Five years ago, I’m not sure I cared who was writing the media I consumed. Not that I didn’t keep watch or have favourite writers, but it wasn’t part of my news reading routine. Today, whether it’s business, sports or legal media, I almost always review the byline credit prior to reading. At least to a degree, I think blogging journalists have changed that … and for the better.

So congrats to everyone at the Legal Feeds Blog, and welcome to the blogosphere!