“Hunt rodents, not mastodons,” said technology shark Andy Ihnatko at an event last night.

Ihnatko discussed the importance of creating web and journalism content part-time and for multiple publications.

Essentially, should you take a restrictive staff job with a single newspaper or magazine?  Not when print news is on its deathbed.  (RIP).  Freelance is the way to go.

Ihnatko’s main plug was “creating your personal brand,” in other words, making your name and image recognizable by a wide audience.

How did Ihnatko do it?  Ridiculous sideburns, a man-ponytail, string ties, and a cowboy hat.  Also, he contributes to the Chicago Sun-Times, CBS Early Show, and MacBreak Weekly, not to mention his 18,000 Twitter followers.  A huge chunk of the tech world can instantly recognize this web guru.

Ihnatko walks the fine line between being “a journalist” and “some guy with a blog.”  But as the web dominates the printed word, the division gets hazier and more abstract.  After all, a journalism degree is just a piece of paper.

So get your name out there and get recognized!  If you write solid, interesting material and possess a stable fan base, then you might be the next Andy Ihnatko.  Or the next Onward State.  ;-)

[Source] [Image]