In reply to Nic:
> (In reply to Chris the Tall)
>
> I think you're missing the point - with one (or two?) exceptions, posters are criticising UKC, not Katherine. As I said, I do actually quite fancy the trip, but I would rather that UKC separated the articles (which are usually quite good) from the advertising.
Let me explain.
One of the questions for the application for an editorial position at an outdoor magazine recently was: How do you plan to reduce contributor costs?
Pick up a magazine these days and many are ghosts of their former selves; Trail is basically a walking guide and a gear catalogue, many front covers are adverts, not paid, but used to persuade advertisers to take out ad contracts.
Getting advertising to fund a media is a very hard work and involves more than here's some space, it costs this much, do you want it? I have to personally work hard everyday for UKC's advertisers to make sure they are getting value for money and that it is increasing their bottom line.
The line between editorial and advertising is increasingly blurred, we try hard to keep the two seperate and on the whole we succeed, but you will see some places on the site where it is blurred.
In 2008 editorially we published 182 feature articles, 22 features so far this year: plus Destination articles, FAQ's, around 50 news reports a month, gear reviews.
http://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/older.html?category=1
If we had to pay the full rate for these, at old skool rates, we'd go bust. Media has changed, some we pay for (as well as paying Jack and Kevin we now how have a small articles budget which we have to be careful how to spend), some we get free, some we do deals in exchange for some advertising.
In this particular article there is some advice for strategies for a climbing trip; it won't be relevant to all and to many nothing in it will be new; but to some, especially new climbers there is some good advice there. Katherine did it in exchange for some pimpage of her small company. She documented good advice from a real trip to a great area. Thanks Katherine
It was one of several articles published the last couple of week, they include:
Toubkal and the Atlas Mountains, The Great Puffin Saga, Stop Press - An adventure on Lundy, What is it like to be caught in an Avalanche?, Winter Climbing Round-Up - The Big Freeze, "Dizzy Fingers" - El Capitan by Karen Darke, The Making of a Carabiner: a visit to DMM etc.... and 13 news items so far in February.
Most can read the Media these days and comprehend it, and also revel in deconstructing it,....and people LOVE commenting on articles and news, and that is appreciated.
But let me tell you something, this barrage of negativity has negative effect on people who write articles and even those who do newsworthy ascents.
So much so that some won't write articles or report their ascents as they get raked over the coals by all and sundry (the truth is a small number of posters) on the forums.
Think before you post.
Cheers,
Mick