Sessions at SXSW Interactive 2011 about Blogging on Monday 14th March

Film geeks, political buffs and gossip lovers may argue, but nowhere has the impact of blogging and podcasting been more dramatic in the past few years than the sports world. In a space dominated exclusively by those with access to the field, the press box and the locker room, the audience has grown completely accustomed to stories being broken by a fan with little more than a phone and a Twitter account almost overnight. Fans and voices outside the velvet rope of media credentialing are not only reporting on the stories of the day, they're making and breaking stories with increasing frequency. They're also emerging as some of the most important influencers, connecting directly with one of the most coveted audience demographics filled with young, passionate adults.

How has this democratization disrupted the existing models for big sports leagues, teams, players, coaches and media outlets? What can other industries learn from the creative and technical innovators in sports media today? What challenges and advances within are other industries and communities ignoring at their peril?

LEVEL: Beginner

As the SXSW Interactive Festival continues to grow, it often becomes harder to discover /network with the specific type of people you want to network with. Hence a full slate of daytime Meet Ups are scheduled for the 2011 event. These Meet Ups are definitely not a panel session -- nor do they offer any kind of formal presentation or AV setup. On the contrary, these sessions are a room where many different conversations and (and will) go on at once. This timeslot is for registrants to network with other SXSW Interactive, Gold and Platinum registrants who are interested in traveling & travel blogging. Cash bar onsite.

LEVEL: Intermediate

Celebrating their 15 year anniversary, Ain’t It Cool News is one of the longest running film and television sites on the web. Founder Harry Knowles will take us through the last 15 years and what might be ahead for Ain’t It Cool News.

We live in an era in which the brands of individuals are ascendent, and the brands of publishers are falling. When Andrew Sullivan's blog moved to the Atlantic Monthly's website, it increased their traffic by 30%. Who has the bigger brand? The power of personal networks and personal enthusiasms is increasingly driving the internet, and smart publishers are becoming a constellation of the brands of their contributors — think of the Huffington Post, for example.

In the midst of all this, the economics of being a content creator are changing. Writers, bloggers, and other content creators are making less money from writing and more from "punditry" — from speaking engagements and other forms of personal brand licensing.

How can publishers succeed in this environment? How can content creators succeed in this environment? We don't have all the answers, but we promise to overshare about our experiences building websites -- Nerve.com and Babble.com — while blogging, writing a book and raising a family.

Much of blogging is linking to other posts or offering secondary analysis. But, how does one become the source of information everyone is discussing? This panel will review tips on how to secure expert interviews, use technologies to conduct interviews, and write material for an online audience.

LEVEL: Intermediate

A surge of vegan bloggers has been using the internet to make change in the way people think about animals through new forms of activism. VeganMoFo (the vegan month of food) and worldwide Vegan Bakesales to raise money for causes and promote veganism are just some of the ways that we are breaking out of the stereotypes of the past and creating a revolution. Learn creative ways to promote your message and engage your community on and off the web and more about food activism and using your culinary skills to promote compassion.

LEVEL: Beginner

There’s no mistaking that new media has changed the landscape of marketing, commerce, and fashion. It seems that everyone these days has a blog, and the fashion blogger subset has become an industry force to be reckoned with: they sit on the front row of Fashion Week, they appear in national publications, they guest design for major brands, and companies hire them to wear their clothes. Trends are now influenced from the bottom up, with more fashion bloggers dictating what people buy rather than what's seen on the runway. Let's discuss what makes a fashion blogger a taste maker and why brands are sitting up and taking notice.

LEVEL: Beginner