Syndicates face a similar situation, but have learned to accept the digital media to a certain degree. They too, however, charge a cost per editorial or cartoon posted online. Generally, this cost is related to a specific site/blog’s traffic. The more traffic on your blog or site, the more money you pay for the syndicated editorial or cartoon.

For old-timers, It seems “rational” to charge bloggers for content usage similar to how AP. Old-timers don’t understand new media. They don’t understand that digital intellectual property of any kind will be copied/hacked/decoded. The music industry and movie industries are fighting a similar battle in the old mindset. Gaming companies, who are attuned to digital culture, deal with the losses and still make a profit.

The problem for AP is that the brand itself will suffer (as it already is with this negative PR, specifically Michelle Malkin). Bloggers will simply use other sources that do not charge money for the stories. AP will decrease its influence and reach, thereby reducing its “brand.” You’ll start seeing bureau chiefs “retiring” as the cost cutting ax comes in.

AP should focus on making deals with large sites/blogs using a fee structure that is reasonable, not tyrannical as the current structure.

Instead of pushing bloggers away, who are a new and revolutionary source of news content, AP is using an old-timer method, which is reflective of its management. AP should instead focus on creating better blogger outreach.

Perhaps one of the geniuses at AP should have created an online discussion forum on an AP blog to ASK bloggers that use AP content what would be the BEST COURSE of action. This would involve the entire blogging community in the dialogue. AP – which obviously doesn’t understand Web 2.0 or how bloggers/social media operate – failed to involve YOU the blogger in a communal discussion that would affect YOU. Such a discussion is almost mandatory in today’s online 2.0 society.

Anyone with Web savvy could have advised AP to create a forum to include debate BEFORE implementing a fee structure. Alas, the old guard that runs the media companies further run respectable media brands into the ground.

I can’t wait to see how the AP “geniuses” are going to adapt to Web 3.0 aka the “Semantic Web” which is going to be rolled out in the next couple of years. The don’t even know what’s coming.

It’s sad to see a bunch of people unable to adapt to the times hurt a great media brand like AP.

Bloggers need to fighting the good fight and ask AP why they were not included in a new fee structure dialogue.

I wonder if Metalica had something to do with this?