VALUE AD-ED

Over on the sidebar there's an ad blinking away at you. It's for an online survey by the Greater Cleveland Marketing Alliance, which is paying to run it here and on seventeen other Ohio blogs that are part of the new Meet The Bloggers Ad Network. As the network's name suggests, we're all doing it (and inviting other bloggers to join us) in order to raise money to pay for transcripts and other costs of Meet The Bloggers.

I really, really want you to click on that ad. Here's why:

MTB started nine months ago as a way to get the candidates for Mayor of Cleveland to talk about issues that several of us felt were just not getting aired in the local MSM. The first interview, with Robert Triozzi, took place on August 3. By the time the October primary rolled around we had succeeded in interviewing all seven candidates. Since then, we've managed to post sessions with most of the Democrats and several Republicans running for statewide office, a lot of Congressional candidates (especially in the 13th, where MTB developed an Akron-Lorain wing that covered the crowded primary like a blanket ), the new chair of the Ohio Democratic Party, the new President of Cleveland City Council, and lots of other public figures. We even hosted podcast debates between the Democratic candidates for Governor and the Democratic candidates for Attorney General.

All of these interviews are posted as unedited podcasts at the MTB website; some are also posted as transcripts. If you've been following them, you know that the sound quality of the podcasts has improved dramatically; that's the result of George Nemeth's personal investments in recording equipment. The transcripts have been occasional because each one of those takes an investment, too. The more of this we do, and the better we do it, the more it costs.

Hence, the MTB Ad Network Hence, the ad blinking over there on the sidebar... and the steady stream of ads that I hope will succeed it.

Last week the lead editorial in Crain's Cleveland Business (subscriber only) advised readers who want to know more about Ted Strickland's policy outlook to check out his Meet The Bloggers sessions. That's a great tribute, from an unexpected direction, to the value of this unique blogospheric enterprise.

If you think it's valuable, too, then here's what you can do to help: Drag your mouse over to that blinking box on the sidebar, click through and take the GCMA survey. It's short, it's simple, and it will help the MTB Ad Network give our first advertiser their money's worth.