Our reporters are finding great value in producing blogs on their beats. The most loyal elements of the community to particular issues engage their writing online, and more than a few times the blogs have been a source of stories.
Now a Ball State University study is questioning the way in which newspapers have launched and managed their blogs. They studied political blogs, in particular, and concluded bloggers weren't posting often enough or engaging the audience in conversations nearly enough.
In short, the commitment wasn't there so the audience didn't materialize and the impact was minimal.
That may seem dead obvious, but it is at least good, reminding evidence of the need for consistent effort.