LA Observed October 11, 2011

LA Observed

October 11, 2011

Having reviewed my overall impression of the “Above the Fold” section yesterday, I now better understand what this website is about.

I think this blog is for ‘Tweeners – neither the very young nor the very traditional. It’s for busy people who want their news shortened, aggregated and localized-but not TOO local. Their model is to include many articles that will be picked up by out-of-towners. They do not have the same constrictions as, say, the Patch.com – on hyper-local.

It is also kind of insider and hip news, not necessarily the most important. There is, for example, an emphasis on the medical marijuana situation in Los Angeles these past two days. That speaks to a certain group of people who use it, believe it is a good business, or wish it to be legalized for other reasons. I don’t think the tone of the articles is militant legalization. So it is not aimed to those leftover hippies and potheads who are Johnny-one-notes on this thing. This is a more sophisticated crowd of educated professionals who have really developed their opinions through other means.

It is not the snarky tone that is evident in Gawker, which is definitely a gossip rag. This is geared with the young, hip professional or savvy businessperson or media person in mind. This pot issue may be something that affects their business, their clients or their neighborhoods.

There are also articles – a lot, actually, on Bay Area stuff – like Steve Job’s life and death. But they are articles that give us a rare inside view into the man, like what kind of car he drove (2007 MB) and that the license plate was not on it. I think that speaks to the awe that most of us feel naturally for this very private man and his creative genius. Jobs persona is inspirational to all of us, not just the techy crowd. But a lot of techy business professionals may be targeted.

Otherwise, there is an article on the Elizabeth Taylor jewelry, something most of us are curious about. Once again it is the spotlight on the private life of someone who iconic and rarified. It is human nature to want to look in to their private world. I don’t think this is a gossip rag; I think it is optimization to use Jobs and Taylor on the front page and subsequently under other headings.

There is a media-savvy component to this audience. These are people who are interested in the pop culture. That would explain the article combining surfing with the aerospace industry. The combination would seem way off base were it not for the fact that truly, Southern California insiders know that a lot of these aerospace companies were created by surfers and began at the beach. RAND is still in Malibu, although it is more of a think tank now. 

On the other hand, there is an article on kicking hybrids out of he carpool lanes in the Bay Area. I gather that this is to generalize that how it affects San Francisco is how it affects Los Angeles. I am not sure if that is a legitimate conclusion or assumption. The idea is that having hybrids in the carpool lane was good for traffic. Then again, that business of rewarding people who have extra money to buy these expensive vehicles puts the onus on those of us who cannot afford them. So it leads the reader to question what kind of car the author drives, and how he got that one in there about the Bay Area drivers.

Blogging is quite informal and broad-spectrum. It is immediate, which doesn’t always mean the best judgment is applied. But blogs can be corrected or removed or moved down the queue. It is liquid, not static. And it responds with the events of the day, rather than the events of yesterday and last night. It has a tremendous potential with breaking news and developing stories.

I still don’t get LA Observed yet, though.