Tim Dunlop has just announced that he will be running a blog for News Limited, on their news.com.au site. The title is Blogocracy, and it’s going to start on Monday.
Tim’s blog, Road to Surfdom, will continue, which is good since it’s always been my favorite among Australian blogs. I was reading the Crikey report on this, and it made an observation that had also occurred to me.
At the very least, the News Limited move suggests that a a back door into journalism is ajar. Don’t want to do a communications course followed by a cadetship to break into journalism? Consider starting up a blog – if you can make it good enough to get noticed.
Tim isn’t the first to follow this route. Back in the Cambrian era of Australian blogging (2003), Gareth Parker was one of the pioneers. He got a job with the West Australian, but giving up blogging was part of the deal, if I recall correctly. Admittedly, Gareth was a journalism student, so it wasn’t just the blog that got him the job, but it didn’t do any harm.
John Quiggin 
Gareth did a media course though I think.
Your comment and my edit must have crossed!
I’m obviously not in the Australian media and I’m not on staff, simply freelancing, but blogging has certainly led to a decent income tapping a keyboard. I would very strongly recommend it as an alternative route into journalism (or as would be more appropriate in my case, opinionating).
All of my contacts have come from the blog and the voice established with it.
Well deserved, but do you have to be called Tim to get one of these gigs?
Having checked the special rule book issued only to Tims, Yes. Apparently there’s something about the name that attracts commissioning editors.