Breaking News: This Isn’t Just A Fashion Blog
…. It may have, in fact it did, start out as one but my blog has evolved slowly over time.
This came about when I discovered that I not only wanted to write about topics other than fashion, but that I enjoyed it. First came my other blog, Around Town With Miss Molly, about events around Macon and Middle Georgia. I was *shocked* with the amount of traffic it drove. I thought it was smart to keep a separate blog.
Then came my, Would You Like Some Wine With That….?, about cooking and things like that.
Three blogs is a lot to maintain. And they were all getting significant traffic.
I tried to come up with some kind of name that would marry them all together, but after having so many people repeat the phrase ” Make It Work Molly” back to me I realized I had branded myself under that name. And really, it could be used for any topic. ” Make It Work” could also apply to food and wine, events, and even my growing topics of social media management, marketing and journalism.
My blog has been syndicated on and off with WMAZ ever since before I started working there over a year ago and has continued to be syndicated with them even afterwards. My most recent post can be seen in the screen shot below:
So I guess I was a little naive to believe that when I broke a really big story, that they would go ahead and post as per usual on their site. I sent my text in as usual to them so my blog would be posted. Next thing I knew, I had a call from a friend who had been a source saying WMAZ had reached out to them. I was so proud that my blog, you can read this original post here, had warranted such attention.
But then I read over it and got mad. The whole story hadn’t been reported. The whole story which I went at length to properly report each angle of, to contact multiple sources. And I wasn’t even given any kind of credit nor was my blog post even posted or referenced to at all on their site. (The 13WMAZ version is here.)
When I called WMAZ for comment, they of course told me that they went on their own and reached out to sources. This is true, they did. And one of my anonymous sources got the coverage they wanted. And really, honestly, I clearly did something right because I broke the story and a bigger organization picked it up. This is what happens in journalism.
But we’re in a new age of journalism. One in which many stories break digitally. One in which sources are pulled from everywhere. To be honest, I think the only real sticking point I have in this is that my blog is already syndicated with WMAZ on their Where You Live Page. Otherwise, would I have a leg to stand on?
I’m honestly not sure. Things in life, and business, are often not fair. But then there are the times in which we are to do the right things just because they are right, and because we want to preserve relationships which can be so easily broken.
I have spent most of my life in Macon, which is why I have taken pride in using my blog to promote this town, to show what is great about it, and to cultivate the relationships I have for the best- not just for promoting some story before I move on to the next market.
Will this really change things? Probably not. But one thing is for sure- my blog is a hell of a lot more than just some fashion blog- and 13WMAZ- where my grandfather and uncle both worked before me- the big tv station that everyone respects, certainly proved that today when they pulled a story off of my work.
Love to all yall,
Molly
