The deal with networks

Science blogging: The essential guide - Christie Wilcox, Bethany Brookshire, Jason G. Goldman 2016

The deal with networks

Danielle N. Lee

Over time, many science blogs that started as an individual effort have moved to large networks such as those at Scientific American and Discover. But what are the pros and cons of blogging in a network? How does it compare to blogging alone? Danielle Lee, postdoctoral researcher at Cornell University and blogger at Scientific American Blog Network, takes us through the pros and cons of working within a network.

I began science blogging in 2007. Urban Science Adventures! was a labor of love and a personal journal for my developing pedagogical philosophies. At the time, there were no mainstream science television programs that featured women or persons of color as hosts or regular contributors. Digital media was emerging and I wanted to position my blog as an online destination for audiences traditionally underserved by science and science communication.

My long-term blogging goal has always been to access a larger, higher platform so that I can affect conversations pertaining to access and diversity in the sciences. Yet when I began blogging, I was in graduate school completing my dissertation. Trying to find the time and mental energy to create engaging blog posts while juggling my real-life responsibilities of science research and outreach proved to be overwhelming sometimes. As an independent blogger I was responsible for everything, from creating the content to driving traffic to the blog, as well as handling web maintenance. To reach my goal I had to decide which was more important—marketing the blog or blogging.

As blogs became more popular as an alternative news and information source, my interest in blogging for a network increased. Science blogging was such a nascent and dynamic platform; belonging to a network represented a step up in my mind. It signaled that a group of peers recognized the value of a particular voice as a scientist and communicator. A network would be a signal that I was not alone and that my blog was engaging and likely interesting to broader audiences. I would feel honored to be invited to a network, to join a space—even an intellectual one—and to work alongside others whose work and words I admired.

Blogging on a network is akin to becoming a member of a co-operative or a franchise for a popular chain restaurant. In the co-operative example, groups of individuals who share a common mission come together and pool resources (money and audience) to host a blog network. Examples include Scientopia and the Southern Fried Science Network. They include under the network’s banner a roster of well-known blogs, each by strong contributors.

In the franchise example, an established media or publishing company creates a blog network as a new communication offering, both to appeal to their built-in audiences and to attract new and different demographics to the brand. Organizations such as National Geographic and Scientific American use financial resources and connections to attract strong—and often already popular—bloggers to their organizations. Typically, an opportunity to join one of these networks is offered only after a blogger has already independently demonstrated his or her communication prowess.

I wrote as an independent science blogger for three years before joining the co-operative Southern Fried Science Blog Network. While there, I created SouthernPlayalisticEvolutionMusic, a blog that explained evolutionary biology with hip-hop songs.1 One year later, in 2011, I was invited to join the newly established Scientific American Blog Network. I accepted because I felt I needed a space that would allow me to develop a mature voice and discuss more advanced biological concepts with more sophisticated readers. I also longed to interact more with other science bloggers. I did not need to join a network to create this new science blog, but allying myself with an emerging cluster of other science blogs felt like the best move for me at the time. I did not want my blog to get lost in the rapidly expanding science-blogging world.

Is it worth joining a blog network? That depends on the goals and strengths of your blog. It is worth a pause if absolute freedom is important to you. Although most networks large and small assure bloggers that they will have autonomy, blog posts can be removed or altered by the network editor. It is worth considering whether you are interested in the increased exposure for your work that comes with joining a network, and whether you would rather focus more on your content (and other real-life science activities) than on managing the blog’s logistics and on acquiring traffic. For the independent blogger who has found his or her voice, networked blogging offers several benefits: increased exposure, a certain level of “klout” depending on the network’s reputation, access to financial resources (for writers and their blogs), and professional development.

Increased exposure

When it comes to attracting readers, networks are easier to find in the vast World Wide Web. At the height of popularity of Urban Science Adventures!, between spring 2008 and spring 2011, the site averaged eight to ten thousand page views per month. The Urban Scientist at Scientific American has had more page views in a single year (291,500 from April 1, 2013, to April 30, 2014) than Urban Science Adventures! has had in its entire history (284,155 from May 2007 to April 2014).

Networks attract more readers not only from built-in audiences of a brand name publication or organization, but also due to the collective reach of its team of bloggers. With several or even dozens of individuals helping to push out and share each other’s content, blog posts are more likely to reach broader audiences. At smaller co-op networks each blogger often automatically tweets out links to all new posts on the network. At larger media-owned networks individual bloggers do the same, while the company also often has a live feed of updates that goes out around the clock. When you consider the cumulative effect of all of these multiple audiences over various social media platforms, then it’s easy to see how the reach of a given blog post is generally far greater in a network than when an individual blogger is in charge of distribution.

Blogging within a community can mean support, but it also comes with the risk of getting lost in the crowd. When visitors arrive at the main page of a network they are offered many choices. At smaller and medium-size networks, new visitors are likely to visit several of the blogs. At larger networks, the options may be overwhelming and a reader will only pick a few to visit or only visit his or her favorite blog and move on. In addition, at larger networks bloggers can lose some individuality: in some cases bloggers are no longer referred to by name, but rather become “blogger at (fill in the blank) network.” Even more concerning to me is the risk of a networked blog losing its unique voice and appeal. The distinctiveness of some blogs may become washed out as new readers push for a more familiar “scientific tone” from member blogs because of bloggers’ affiliation with a traditional science publishing organization.

A higher platform for your message

There is strength in numbers, and established blog networks can really buoy the careers of nascent bloggers. For networks with recognized media credentials, affiliation can bring additional respectability and credibility to your outreach. Morever, it can make aquiring media credentials to attend and cover scientific conferences and other events easier. Freelancers often have to present several samples of materials that have been published at recognizable outlets in order to get press passes to attend meetings. Affiliation with a publishing company network helps bloggers overcome this hurdle.

Deeper pockets

Blogging is fun and thanks to easy-to-use platforms, starting a blog is relatively straightforward. But glitches still occur. When I was in Tanzania conducting field research, I was not able to post reliably; my Internet access was spotty. Because I was part of a network, my blog editor was able to upload pictures on my behalf and format my posts as needed. I was able to continue posting dynamic pieces with the help of the team I had available to assist me.

Networks are also more advantageous than independently owned blogs when it comes to fixing major maintence issues. In the summer of 2012, the Fab Lab with Crazy Aunt Lindsey was on its way to becoming the hottest science outreach video series program on the web.2 “Crazy Aunt” Lindsey Murphy had recently completed shooting season three of her web show, which was hosted at her own domain. Along with amazing blog posts about after-school science activities, all of her other content was compromised when her site was hacked. Although she had backed up the content through her second season, her newest and most creative content was lost: repairing the server was just too expensive. “When it’s just you responsible for everything—the content, the writing, the performing, the hosting—you realize it’s so many different responsibilities,” Murphy explained.

Smaller co-op network communities often appoint someone or pay a third party to address these types of issues to prevent a loss of content. Larger networks managed by companies usually have dedicated personnel to pre-empt and address major issues like these. Having someone—or even better, a team—with expertise in solving such problems is a time- and mind-saver.

Protection from random viruses or deliberate attacks is especially important at blog networks with high levels of traffic. For networks like Freethought Blogs that routinely blog about incendiary topics, having extra heavy security and web support is essential. During Ian Cromwell’s time at Freethought Blogs (writing his “Crommunist” Manifesto), he recalls five or six significant attacks on the network that affected availability.

Financial opportunities

As flattering as an invite to blog for a network may be, it does not usually mean a big payday. While there is a chance you may be offered money, payment is certainly not universal. Science blogging networks backed by large publishing and media companies (for example, Scientific American, Popular Science, Discover, and National Geographic) usually pay regular contributors. Some of the smaller, emergent networks (such as Double X Science) pay contributors when they can. A more likely outcome is an increased opportunity to contribute freelance pieces to other outlets and to speak to wider audiences, by virtue of having a more prominent platform. A freelancer can earn about the same amount of money for a single article submitted to general audience magazines and news websites (like Scientific American or Ebony.com) as a network blogger earns for four or more blog posts per month.

Although the pay earned for blog posts may seem exploitative to some, the benefit of having a blog hosted by a major network is that it is easier to pitch to other outlets. Name-dropping an association with a popular network comes in handy when pitching to editors elsewhere. It becomes easier to find work and connect with editors at news websites that often commission longer, more in-depth pieces and that pay more, too (like Slate or Mother Jones) by being connected with a media brand that lends credibility to your work.

Blogging at a major network increased my visibility to the extent that I now receive invitations several times a year to speak about blogging and science communication at conferences and at universities as well as to give talks about my research. Many of these engagements come with money to cover my travel and lodging costs plus an honorarium, but not all them. Be mindful that not all invitations to share your expertise—via writing or in person—will offer compensation. Eager, novice writers must be careful to balance the prospect of increased exposure against the risk of professional exploitation.

Professional development

I began as a niche blogger: as an African American science blogger I was one of just a few science bloggers from an underrepresented minority group. Since joining a network I have become recognized as a professional writer and an advocate for diversity in science communication. Since I write for a network with cachet among those active in publishing and other media, I can leverage my proximity to a popular brand, in particular a brand that is all about science, to influence science media delivery to underserved audiences. I have participated in discussions concerning diversity in science communication with members of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the National Association of Science Writers, and the National Association of Black Journalists.

Bringing individual writers together under one tent creates multiple networking opportunities for everyone. Especially if there are heavy hitters in the network, the opportunities for young writers and science outreach professionals are immense. In addition, do not underestimate the benefit of having access to editors. They can open doors. For example, in 2013 I was able to organize the first science journalism workshop for the National Association of Black Journalists. Thanks to our shared affiliation, Scientific American news editor Robin Lloyd volunteered to attend the meeting as one of the featured panelists.

Finally, I found that belonging to a network, where I was digitally flanked by other amazing scientists and science writers, motivated me to step up my own game. I am more thoughtful about my posts. I research my hard-hitting topics more carefully. I am more conscientious of image appropriation and links I use in my posts. And I am more mindful of copyright and legal infringement risks—of my own material and that of others—than when I was blogging independently.

My blogging has matured, as have my ideas about professional science outreach and communication, since joining a network. I doubt that my writing or my online activism would have grown in such a way if I had continued to blog independently. Specifically, my ideas concerning feminism, diversity, and inclusion in science and science education have been positively influenced by my blog network peers. I compare the topics I cover to those of others in the network, and I consider the tags used for each post. Although I may speak on certain issues or offer a particular perspective, I want to be sure that my content is complementary to other conversations already occuring on the network and within the field of science communication in general.

When your blog stands alongside other blogs that provide thought-provoking and engaging content, it inspires you to aspire. When you read or view dynamic pieces on your network’s front page, you feel motivated to bring your best to the table: to your colleagues and to all of your readers. Blogging on a network has not been without its pitfalls, but affiliation with a high-profile, commonly recognized media brand has been a boon for me professionally, and for my message.

Danielle N. Lee is a postdoctoral researcher at Cornell University. She also runs the blog The Urban Scientist at the Scientific American Blog Network. Danielle was named one of the White House Champions of Change in STEM Diversity and Access in 2014, is one of the 2014 Ebony Power 100, and is a 2015 TED fellow.

Danielle is based in Ithaca, N.Y. Find her at her website, http://about.me/DNLee, or follow her on Twitter, @DNLee5.

Notes

1. Danielle N. Lee, “And a New Science Blog Is Born . . . SouthernPlayalistic EvolutionMusic,” The Urban Scientist, September 15, 2010, http://urban-science.blogspot.com/2010/09/and-new-science-blog-is.html.

2. Lindsey Murphy, “UPDATED: Crazy Aunt Lindsey and the Big Bang Theory (Also: How Not to Lose It All Online),” Lindsey Inc., http://lindseymurphy.com/crazy-aunt-lindsey-and-the-big-bang-theory-also-how-to-not-lose-it-all-online.