Journalist as Brand?

Of all people, the Associated Press today speaks of a future in which the individual journalist becomes their own brand. This is a good read, especially for those late to the conversation. It talks about "entrepreneurial journalists" -- somewhere in America, Dan Gillmor flinches at his concept being lifted.

In earlier posts (You're Selling Truth and Sourcing vs. Brand), I spoke at length about the coming of the individual source, the one-man media. In sports, we see plenty of successful examples -- Paul Finebaum -- but far more failures.

The AP story looks at True/Slant as one of the new aggregators. Anyone remember what United Artists was? Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks, Charlie Chaplin and D.W. Griffith joined with a lawyer to create a collective that would give the actors more say in production. Mixed results, at best.

From the AP story, one very salient quote from Lewis Dvorkin, founder of True/Slant:

"From my 35 years in this business, from traditional to online, it is very clear that audiences are moving online and moving toward individual voices. They want to hear a voice they respect and that can cut through the noise of the Internet."

Journalism meets Long Tail search? The iTunes of information? Maybe. My money remains on one of the great name brands figuring it out and doing what Dvorkin suggests, because the value is in the name, as much as the brand. Don't know if I'd put my faith in a group that acknowledges the flexibility of truth on-line rather than an established news name (Look to the bottom of Sourcing vs. Brand for more specifics.)

Remember, United Artists didn't make significant money until it was taken over in the 1950s by industry pros. Then it became a powerhouse. Personally, I'm not seeing the battle ground for journalism in that way (refer back to last month's comments on brands becoming their own media).

Hey, didn't the Associated Press get started as a collaborative effort . . .