Welcome to the Blogosphere, AJC

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution just announced it will print its last physical paper on December 31 and go fully digital in January, making the AJC bloggers just like us. Who said blogging is dead?

Welcome to the jungle, friends. We’ve got cookies, broken CMS plugins, and thirty experts with zero citations by cup one.

The publisher promises all the modern trimmings. New mobile app before year’s end. More video, podcasts, newsletters, and a continued ePaper for folks who like their daily in PDF cosplay. They even teased events and membership perks. Translation; they’re starting a blog with extras. We’ve been expecting you.

There is also a sustainability flourish. Fewer trucks. Fewer trees. Fewer polybags. More virtue. I like trees too, even the ones holding up my deer stand.

Since this is a milestone, Peach Pundit offers a neighborly welcome kit.

Starter pack for new bloggers at legacy mastheads

• Disable the auto-play video that chases readers down the page. Your bounce rate will thank you.
• If your headline promises “what really happened,” actually tell us what really happened in paragraph three, not paragraph sixteen.
• You are no longer bound by inches of columns on paper, so now there’s no excuse for not being thorough.
• Link like you mean it: primary docs, opponents, rivals, even critics.
• Pick a comment policy and stick to it. Otherwise your replies will read like Nextdoor after a fireworks show. Ask me how I know.
• Voice matters: lose the corporate varnish. Be human, be clear, keep it tight, keep receipts.
• Add a one-click “copy link” button. Bloggers and politicos live on text chains.
• Don’t forget the roadshow you promised. We’ll be here in Cherokee with BBQ and questions about your paywall.

And for a limited time we will give any reporter at the AJC a free t-shirt to let the world know about their new, elevated status:

Just send your t-shirt size and shipping address to tips@peachpundit.com.

Not an AJC reporter? You can buy yours in Peach Pundit the Merch Shop™.

To be clear, I am rooting for them to be successful. Georgia needs more reporting and more sunlight, even if they are biased… just like us. The AJC says they are expanding beats, opening bureaus, and chasing digital subscribers like they mean it. We’ve even heard rumors that they be adding more conservative voices to their roster and if that’s true, good. That competition makes everyone sharper, including us loudmouths with WordPress logins.

A final tip from one blogger to another. When you hit “Publish,” you will immediately spot the typo you missed twelve times. It is a law of nature. Fix it fast and keep moving. The news cycle will not wait for your style guide.

So, congrats, AJC! Print had a great run. Now come on in. Mind the pop-ups. And if your new app needs beta testers, the Peach Pundit crowd is full of unpaid interns with opinions. Lots of them.