Washingtonpost.com: In a Blog World, Gossip Runs Out of Ink

Byline: Robert MacMillan

The Internet's indiscriminate promise to give everyone's voice a channel is forcing traditional media to try whatever it can to keep the paychecks flowing. But one octogenarian veteran of dead-trees-media says she's had her fill.

Liz Smith tells the New York Times in an article today that the approach she has taken toward gossip over three decades probably wouldn't land her a job in the current kidney-punching environment of modern blogs. Her editor, Col Allan , agreed, the Times reported: "It's rare for a successful columnist not to have a mean streak and she doesn't have a mean streak... These days it would be difficult to carve out a position for yourself without that, partly because people look for it."

Smith lamented to the Times that there are "so many places to get the down and dirty, I don't even try ... With the whole world writing gossip, where is the place for the professional gossip?" She also said that she reads six newspapers a day but leaves the blogs behind. "I only have a few years left to live, and I don't have time for them," she said. "Besides, I don't believe them."

The 82-year-old Smith made such a name for herself over the years that she's the gossip-of-choice for many stars, making Smith privy to Nicole Kidman 's eating habits and Lauren Bacall 's latest dip into public life with her memoirs, the Times reported. But Allan and others note that her lack of "edge" makes her less preferable to young readers than "interchangeable mass market magazines and faceless blogs." MSNBC gossip Jeannette Walls added that Smith's decision "not to exist on schadenfreude" is something that would not get her very far in 2005.

The Times also interviewed Ann Gerhart , who co-wrote The Reliable Source column at The Washington Post from 1995 to 1999: "The Internet and blogs have returned gossip to its earliest human roots -- the kind of gossip that the priests told you was a venal sin," said Ms. Gerhart. "You can make it up. You can speculate wildly. You can accuse people of the most taboo practices, all in this sort of merry way."

Smith's lead item in her column today falls short in the dirt quotient, since one tidbit seems to be based entirely on the TV listings -- "FLASH! Today and tomorrow on Oprah , you can catch two of the most gossiped-about women in the world -- Priscilla Presley and daughter Lisa Marie ! Both talk candidly about Elvis , Michael, their careers, their loves." This could have gone to press in 1985 as well as 2005, but she managed to slip in one reference to the 21st century in the next sentence: "If you can't get to a TV in mid-afternoon, this is one for your TiVo." Not too shabby for an 82-year-old.

The Day the Music Died?

While Smith readies herself for embalming in newsprint, Clear Channel is trying to shake a little sand out of its shoes by podcasting clips from its radio shows, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday.

"Clear Channel's podcasting initiative will begin by May. The company will allow listeners to download programming such as comedy skits by popular morning show hosts. But music programming, which involves complicated licensing and royalty issues, won't be included in the podcasts. Podcasting in general is focused mostly on talk-radio formats."

The company also is kicking off a weekly concert series called "Stripped" that will feature live, free online shows by musicians such as Rob Thomas from the band Matchbox 20 , as well as John Legend , Jesse McCartney and Gavin DeGraw . (Note that National Public Radio beat Clear Channel here with last weekend's live Internet broadcast of a concert by the band Interpol at DC's 9:30 Club) "The artists will perform free to promote their albums, Clear Channel said. Where appropriate, local radio stations will be encouraged to promote the online concert on the air and on their Web sites, it said," the Journal reported.

Clear Channel Internet chief Evan Harrison said the effort is designed to "create a stronger relationship with the listener and the advertiser." But what about the music? Oh right, that's not what this is about.

Coffee, Curry and 'Casting

The BBC came out with its own podcasting article on Friday, featuring liberal amounts of chest-beating from former MTV VJ Adam Curry . "It is totally going to kill the business model of radio," thinks Curry. "I just did a tour of Madison Avenue where all the big brands and advertising agencies of the world are.... And they are scared to death of the next generation -- like my daughter who is 14 -- who don't listen to radio."

The BBC also quotes Dave Winer , designer of the RSS (Really Simple Syndication) technology that many news media sites (including washingtonpost.com) and bloggers hope will get their material in front of more people. Winer says he doesn't think podcasting will yield big money dividends. "Podcasting is going to be a medium of niches, with 'audiences' measured in the single digits, like e-mail or blogs. ... Maybe in a few years, maybe six or seven digits. But it will have to sustain interest beyond the hype balloon."

Curry isn't having it, however. Flush with his success from selling $4,000 worth of coffee machines because of a referral link to Amazon from his Web site, he thinks that podcasting will be his ticket to the big time, as he and a partner have launched a "venture, called PodShow ... to help ordinary people produce, post, distribute and market their podcasts." Curry: "I should be knighted for this. ... People are going to be so happy to sit at home, make their podcast, and make a little money."

Coffee machines? Didn't this guy rock at one time? Adam, if you're reading, drop us a line and tell us you were just joking about the knighthood.

... and Candy

Lots of people collect things that leave their friends and relatives muttering, "Well, if it's interesting to them..." That's how I see Pez dispensers. I've never worked in an office without at least one Pez-head, but I've never understood the allure, though I do like the candy.

That said, this is for the legions of Pez people, courtesy of CNET's News.com : "Under a recently granted licensing agreement with Pez Candy, a gadget design company Lincoln West Studios will soon begin selling MP3 players modeled after the big-headed plastic treat sleeves. Based on Lincoln West's plans, which were first detailed Thursday in a blog posted to the company's Web site, the Pez MP3 will arrive sometime this summer." News.com reported that it will be built around a Samsung chip and feature 512MB capacity and an LCD screen. The players will sell for $129 and be sold on the Lincoln West Web site. One thousand units are expected in the shipment.

Uncle Sam, Your Favorite eBay Pay Pal

As April 15 fast approaches, some of the millions of people who sell things on eBay are getting a little nervous about whether they owe federal taxes on their sales. The Associated Press highlighted the case of Sunni Wojnarowsky , who makes some extra scratch by selling baby and children's clothes on eBay.

"The additional dollars are great, but does she really need to hassle with the paperwork and report her small profit to the Internal Revenue Service? Her question, posed to the online auction site's discussion board for sellers, generated much advice -- and more confusion," the AP reported. "In tax law, there is no clear, bright line that separates fun from profit, or a hobby from a business. But IRS instructions make it clear that all income -- a category that includes bribes, gambling winnings, kickbacks and money made in illegal activities -- can be taxed."

Some cases are clear -- one good way to determine the tax burden is whether the selling constitutes a hobby or a business. Other times, the AP said, it's not so clear. One eBay seller, Bob Miller , told the wire service that it's best to consult a professional: "When the person that you owe the money to can throw you in jail, it's always a good idea to get professional advice," he said. We asked the IRS , and a spokesman referred us to a list that people can use to help define their tax status.

Correction

In Friday's column I wrote about Wired.com's report on the Grafedia project, a fascinating blend of graffiti, art and modern communications. Unfortunately, I misattributed a quote to the project's founder, John Geraci . The quote -- "Like, graffiti is so self-centered. It's like a dog pissing on a pole or something -- 'I was here.' Grafedia, at least the stuff I was trying to do, people see something totally new that they hadn't noticed" -- was actually said by Daniel Camp , a Grafedia fan from Sonoma, Calif.

Send links and comments to robertDOTmacmillanATwashingtonpost.com .