I just got off the phone with a reporter from a major Manila daily. She had been following my blog posts on Asian Energy Advisors on a particular subject and asked, by email, if she could use that material. My answer was “yes” - everything on my websites is published under a “attribution only” Creative Commons license. That means any one can use it in any manner they wish, even for profit, and even to make derivative works, as long as they give proper attribution to me.

But when she called she said something to the effect, “We can’t cite a blog, so I may need to do a phone interview with you.” My head about hit the table. They can’t cite a blog? In the year 2007? The New York Times, just to name one major daily, does it all the time.

Actually, journalism is not my expertise and I want to help out the Philippine energy beat reporters all that I can. So don’t hesitate to contact me. I’ll be glad to chat with any of them any time. But I”m telling you - it’s much better done through email, comments, and blog posts. Phone or face-to-face interviews are rarely a good substitute (except for doing due diligence, perhaps). I may begin declining phone interviews much more frequently. I prefer to be in the open, on the record, and unfiltered - although I realize there will be need for exceptions at times. The on-line conversations are much more robust.

Reporters have a very difficult time getting the story straight - believe me, I can appreciate that. Plus they are often dealing in areas outside their sphere of decent expertise, which makes things even more difficult.

If you have a question, shoot me an email or post a comment, or if you really prefer to, call. I’ll do whatever I can to assist. If you get it wrong, I have my own soapbox and Google has no problems finding it.