Blog Spotlight: Interview with Joey Sweeney of Philebrity.com

Without question, one the fastest growing media today is the internet. Blogs have become an extremely popular use for this medium for the sharing of information. With more and more people logging on and creating their own blogs it seems reasonable to investigate. Joey Sweeney editor and co-founder of Philebrity.com has been around the around the block a time or two. As a former staff writer for Philadelphia Weekly, Mr. Sweeney developed a unique love for his city and sent October of 2004 has been sharing his love for his city through his blog. I had the opportunity to discuss the development of blogs with Mr. Sweeney; he was more than willing to share his experience.

Q: What first attracted you to blogging?

A: To be honest, I really do not like most blogs - especially those of the personal variety, where you're supposed to care that the person got a new camera or that their cat is cute. What I do like about it is both the immediacy and the transparency, the sense that you kind of have to be honest and direct with people because there's something about blogs where you can smell bull a mile away. I quite like that.

Q: What subjects do you typically cover in your blogs?

A: As far as Philebrity, if it has anything to do at all with the city of Philadelphia (and the various worlds therein), we're interested.

Q: What would you like potential readers to know about your Philebrity?

A: I want potential readers to know that our Philebrity is real.

Q: Are there any other features, to offer readers, on your site besides your blog?

A: We're launching some stuff soon that will make Philebrity more user-friendly and practical, but I'm not at liberty right now to discuss it.

Q: What concept do you try to communicate to your readers?

A: I guess the site is written with the background knowledge that right now, Philadelphia might be one of the best cities in America to live because, in point of fact, it's actually the least like present-day America. I haven't been anywhere in the country, save for San Francisco and NYC, that is more in touch with its original libertarian (and libertine) ideals.

Q: What do you hope to accomplish through blogging?

A: It's our hope that we're able to say what traditional journalism isn't about the city; to guide people through this sometimes arcane and strange and funny and cynical place and to so with unmitigated joy for all of the good and bad that comes with it.

Q: How often do you update your blog?

A: Currently, between 8 and 12 times a day.

Q: Where do you get your inspiration for your blogs?

A: It's a healthy mix of reader tips and good old fashioned research.

Q: Do you ever have trouble finding inspiration to write about?

A: Sometimes, it's hard to do local politics without coming off wonky or boring. It's a challenge, but if you can convey actual useful information in there in a way that people can still digest as an entertainment, that's very rewarding.

Q: How do you defeat the occasional writers block?

A: I don't have time for writer's block. That is the refuge of those who somehow think that the world isn't moving ahead without them.

Q: How do you financially support your blog?

A: Advertising!

Q: Why do you think blogs have become so popular?

A: Because, to be frank, a lot of traditional media - i.e., print - took a long time to manufacture web versions of themselves that made any sense whatsoever. This is especially true of newspapers, even alt-weeklies. So in that long drag in between, people began to realize exactly what they wanted and in many cases what they weren't getting from print/online versions of print publications. When it became easy for people to start and maintain blogs, there was already an audience that was ripe for the picking.

Q: Do you see any changes in the future of blogging?

A: In some ways, I can see it starting to mimic the magazine business in terms of titles started versus titles failed. There's going to be a lot people that slip by the wayside. And plenty more to emerge. At some point, blogs will have to be more direct with the audience about how each blog in particular relates to what people's ideas of traditional journalism are. New rules will emerge; I guess is what I'm saying, and then they'll get broken all over again. But as far as the tech side goes, blogging has already shown it's great at integrating new types of content (witness: YouTube), and barring the odd update of software, I don't think it's going to change all that much.

Q: What advice would you give to others who are looking to get into blogging?

A: Have a concept, and stick to it.

Q: What have you learned since you began blogging?

A: People who work in offices have a LOT of free time.

As you may be able tell by, blogging is going to be around awhile. It is a medium that is available to everyone and should not be overlooked. It is important that society as whole understands where the media comes from.