Blogger launches reality TV consultancy

Finding a successful market niche nowadays is not that easy. Emma Ashton, author of the blog 'Reality Ravings', has proven that there is possibilities. I found this news article 'Blogger launches reality TV consultancy for producers and contestants' on Mumbrella. The heading immediately attracted me as reality TV is such a big hype at the moment. The article itself though has one big lack. If you want to sell your business successfully I guess the least you could expect from a phone-to-phone service provider is to make some sort of contact details available at the bottom of the story. Nevertheless, the comments section underneath is quite interesting and well-structured. The article also provides linkages to other related websites about Emma Ashton like Reality Ravings and Punch. A range of social media features on the bottom of the story are included to spread the word. 

The news article describes how Emma Ashton, a successful blogger and television guest speaker has started a new business for reality TV consultancy. She realised that a lot of ordinary people with no experience in the field of television would like to pursue a position in a reality show. But as we all know the television business is tough and competition is already waiting for you. So how will someone with no skills and know-how be able to make it into the preselection of a show? This is where Emma Ashton with her consultation service comes in giving helpful advise via phone for the application look and the actual interview.

But is this service really a credible and trustworthy source to consider contacting? Hayes, Singer and Ceppos argue that being a blogger does not necessarily define someone as a 'journalist'. The propensity to put personal spin on information dissemination raises doubts in most media consumers. Nevertheless, contemporary journalism practice requires a usage of different communication tools, for example blogs and social media platforms. Besides her blog Emma Ashton also uses Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Reality-Ravings/201977069825001) and Twitter (http://twitter.com/#!/realityraver) to spread the word about her new business. She definitely already has a reputation in the media landscape, since she is not only writing a blog about Reality Ravings. Instead she uses a mixture of commentary and reporting.  

There is also evidence that an increasing number of reporters have also joined the blogosphere already. Hayes, Singer and Ceppos state that "new media forms inherently foster trust among users - that they are credible by nature". In other words, a free accessible publishing platform like a blog encourages people/journalists to communicate more open and free, thus it enhances the transparency. Although this works well in theory, practice shows different responses. So far, controversial comments have been made on Emma Ashton's reality TV consultancy business:

It seems like the majority is disappointed about her approach with her new business. Instead of charging contestants for the service, she might have suggested a free trial first. Thus, satisfied customers would be able to share the positive experience with others. Being a blogger and opening a new business with such an image is probably not the easiest way to get the business running. In order to gain credibility and authenticity it has to be "someone who gives them information they can trust".

Online news article and references:
http://mumbrella.com.au/blogger-launches-reality-tv-consultancy-for-producers-and-contestants-61231

Hayes, A.S., Singer, J.B. & Ceppos, J. (2007). Shifting roles, enduring values: The credible journalist in the digital age. Journal of mass media ethics, vol.22, no.4, pp. 262-279.