---------- Forwarded message ----------
From:
Clark Robinson <robinsonchicago@gmail.com>
Date: Sun, Dec 5, 2010 at 6:37 PM
Subject: Critical Mass
To: Barrett Brown <
barriticus@gmail.com>
Barrett, here are my first jottings on this, add/change anything you can think of and send it back to me, then I will make the formatting and continuity nicer.
Clark
Critical Mass Initiative--Coordinated blogging
This plan has been part of Project PM from inception, before I got involved.
The idea is basically that multiple bloggers plan to post on the same topic more or less simultaneously, creating sufficient impact in the blogosphere to force mass-circulation media to notice the topic.
I would not expect that there would be co-ordination of viewpoints; some topics will benefit from analysis from divergent viewpoints, others may just invite spontaneous uniform outrage or whatever.
I would expect, however, that the topics would be ones that are not receiving attention in large-circulation media.
Need not be limited to political topics or topics inviting advocacy.
Committee --Erik, Barrett, Mark (& a few more, keep it small)
Solicit topic ideas (widely, from any sources)
Select topics
Enlist at least a couple of well known bloggers to do pieces on each given topic
Put out a call to many other writers to consider writing a post on the subject
Provide placement of posts for those writers without a home blog -- Committee should include people with connections to help get posts published, like Charles Johnson
Committee should also include a couple of people to perform editorial functions, to improve the likelihood of publication -- for lesser known writers only, of course
Editors will also follow-up with writers to achieve publication within the timeframe
Outreach: the committee with reach out to other blogs to be amenable to posting of critical-mass pieces.
Integrating this into the League: The League already has one-click switchover to a blogger-by-blogger presentation of the site, so League bloggers who are interested in this initiative can invite guest bloggers who will post on their sponsors page, thus widening the number of writers who can be engaged in the initiative. Hopefully bloggers who do not post on a given critical mass topic will call attention to good posts by others.