If you’re interested in getting a blogging gig at Gawker you might like to read how the new editor at Gridskipper, Chris Mohney, got the job by writing an anonymous ‘Gawker Watch’ blog. Chris writes:
‘The “stunt” I pulled was writing an anonymous blog called Gawkerist that paid an absurd level of attention to Gawker Media blogs and bloggers. Everything about Gawkerist was meticulously, cynically planned, except the end result—actually working for Gawker Media publisher Nick Denton. I only told two people about Gawkerist—my girlfriend and an old pal safely ensconced in hometown Alabama. To both, I explained that since New York media types were always interested in Gawker Media (albeit sometimes begrudgingly), it seemed like a logical topic to attract their attention. After picking the target, I next had to figure out the logistics.
Gawkerist had to be anonymous, as I thought a mystery blogger would arouse more buzz than a blogger with a name and face, however non-famous. I implemented a paranoid series of steps (probably laughable to anyone with actual technical skills) to make sure no one could trace my blog, e-mails or comments back to me. I also resolved to indulge in no personal asides, keeping the Gawkerist voice clear of blogger navel-gazing. I fully intended to reveal myself eventually, but I didn’t want someone else to out me prematurely.’
Read more at Do Not Try This At Home: One Man’s Harrowing (And Slightly Ironic) Attempt to Get a Media Gig
That’s funny.
I know of a similar situation with Triple J (australian young persons uber radio station run by the ABC) journo Steve Cannane who got his start at the J’s by writing an article critical of the ABC.
It seems like it certainly is a tactic that can be used to get the attention of the decision makers in an organisation. Though it really depends on the organisation in question.
God, if I landed a job everytime I criticized a company I’d have about 20 jobs right now. Its more a matter of luck: being in the right place and the right time.
Personally though I couldn’t imagine working for Triple JJJ, yuk, yuk, yuk.. young peoples station? I didn’t like it when I was 18 and I now I’m not as young any more I still don’t like it. Dig or Classic FM, hmmm, now theres a thought, but I’d have to move to Sydney….Maybe if I criticize ABC Local Radio South West (WA) they’ll give me the morning presenters job? It’d give me more time to blog during the rest of the day :-)
Hi Darran,
could you please make your feed full text. It’s annoying to have to leave your feed reader for the other half of the text. Thank you very much in advance!
Sorry Hermann but I only use partial feeds out of frustration with other sites republishing my content without acknowledgement or permission. Most of my readers dont mind surfing into my site – sorry for the inconveinience but it’s the only solution I know at this stage.
I love Triple J. They’ve almost got this mythology about them amongst people who love them because of what it stands for and how it follows throughon it year after year.
Have listened since I first really discovered it at Uni when Merrick & Rosso did drive. Nowdays I’m a total media junkie and listen to alot of different radio through the day yet I still I spend a fair amount of time at the youth headquaters at least after 1pm even though I don’t like alot of their music.
The presenters, content and j ethos are great. Myf Warhurst, The Chaser guys with Today Today , Roy & HG, Rosie Beaton, Terri Psiakis and Steve Cannane’s half hour of daily current affairs on Hack (available via Podcasts) all just deliver what Triple J means to me.
Though I’ve always found that JJJ is an aquired taste. Even through uni and after uni only one person in any of my social circles listens regularly to more than just a single program.
When you look at their history, Triple J is an institution. Beside the young Aussie musicians that all got their start via JJJ just listen to nearly every metropolitan ABC radio station and you’ll hear someone that got their start on JJJ. Then when you look at commercial FM stations you’ll also find alot of former j talent and if you switch on the telly you’ll also see current and former all over the box. By far the best radio station in the world.
Makes sense. I hate that people have to suffer, because of some fuckheads out there. It’s sad that you can see this at so many places: Captcha controls and registrations (which I hate also), because of Comment spammers, Anti-Virus/Adware Software against Viruses/Adware because of other fuckers, Anti-Spam-Solutions against E-Mail Spammers. Everything costing the majority of people money and time. When will this end?
Its one way to get yourself a job, but it comes down to timing and quality writing, and the ability to publicise ones self quickly and aim that exposure at the right people.
How many other people, trying the same thing, would just get passed over without a seconds thought?
It must take some extrodinary skills to be able to market yourself via this mechanism, so its strange that the normal route was not working – perhaps indicative of the volume of applicants for any one job, and the ability of people to talk themselves up without neccessarily having the skills to walk the walk.
Perhaps Chris should take the opportunity to ask why his orignal applications were not successful – maybe something he can learn for future intervies, if he ever decides to move on.
actually Duncan,
Steve Cananne runs what’s possible australia’s hardest hitting current affairs show. Because it’s not 7:30 report, he can go on edgier, less mainstream subjects – but they do a lot of good stuff. There’s a few MP3’s on the website if you’re interested in changing your mind.
I haven’t listened in a while – but it was interesting, challenging, informative and not very like Triple J at all.
Is this similar to Blog PageRank Wrath (BPW) mentioned a week or so back? Instead it’s Blog PageRank Attention Seeking (BPAS) – i’ll trademark that term :P Posting blogs about a site in order to draw their attention to you.
For anyone following video games – the Nintendo ON video that came out just before E3 – a really really well done video that had the gaming community thinking it might have been real (because it was such good quality) was a fake – with the intent of getting a job with nintendo. It didn’t work though. http://www.1up.com/do/feature?cId=3141783
Although i guess the gaming precedent is established – Video game developers wanting to get a job often creates mods (modifications) for games produced by some of the big studios they want to work with. The popular “Onslaught” mode withing Unreal Tournament 2004 was started by volunteers, and Epic thought it was so good they hired them and integrated it into the game. Safe with CounterStrike – a free modification that was packaged with the game and sold over 1,000,000 copies.
What other industries does this sort of set-up work?