By Andy Tarnoff Publisher Published Nov 17, 2006 at 9:26 AM
News is not a sermon.

Remember that phrase, because it blows the minds of the old-school media in Milwaukee and nationwide.  Up until the Web really took off, news was still a one-way transfer of information -- "professional" journalists and editors told you what was important, and you chose to believe it or not.

Then this little thing called the blog came along.

Reputable blogs have leveled the playing field.  No longer just self-indulgent ramblings about some dude's cat in Ohio (though there's still plenty of that), citizen journalism has forced news organizations to change the way they do business.  For the forward-thinking organizations, it's no longer standing on that mountain, shouting news down from a megaphone.  We're all in this together now, and we all have an equal say in how the story gets told.

There's only one problem: with millions of random blogs floating around out there, how do you fight through the clutter?  How do you ensure that your blog gets read?  That's what we at OnMilwaukee.com have struggled with for months, and starting now, we think we've found the answer.

We invite you to post your Readers Blog about all topics Milwaukee.  Registering is free and just takes a few clicks.  You can upload a bio, photo and more.  Your Member ID, the same account the lets you sign up for OMC e-mail newsletters and contests, is also what you'll use to post our famous Talkbacks.  We've worked very hard to make sure it's really easy.  It's packed with features, including the ability to rate each other's content.  Play with it a little, and we think you'll like it.

But here's the best part.  We hardly invented the concept of blogging.  But we are now putting your content right alongside ours, on our homepage, in our search engines … everywhere.  We won't post any or every blog -- quality is key, here -- but if you have something good to say, your blog will be readily accessible to the more than 40,000 Milwaukeeans who read OnMilwaukee.com every day.

This is the future of Internet publishing, Milwaukee. We're excited to dive further into community-driven journalism -- and this is just the start.

Post your blog today by clicking here.

Andy is the president, publisher and founder of OnMilwaukee. He returned to Milwaukee in 1996 after living on the East Coast for nine years, where he wrote for The Dallas Morning News Washington Bureau and worked in the White House Office of Communications. He was also Associate Editor of The GW Hatchet, his college newspaper at The George Washington University.

Before launching OnMilwaukee.com in 1998 at age 23, he worked in public relations for two Milwaukee firms, most of the time daydreaming about starting his own publication.

Hobbies include running when he finds the time, fixing the rust on his '75 MGB, mowing the lawn at his cottage in the Northwoods, and making an annual pilgrimage to Phoenix for Brewers Spring Training.