Reuters and Pluck have announced a strategic partnership aimed at syndicating third-party blog content as part of Reuters news and information service. In return for its $7 million investment in Pluck, Reuters will receive an undisclosed share of ownership of the company.

Pluck's blog syndication network, BlogBurst, acts as a conduit between traditional media sources, such as newspapers, and a library of over 2800 hand-picked blogs -all with the purpose of enhancing traditional journalism by adding a touch of social media.

BlogBurst syndicated blogs are already being integrated into the Reuters network. In the coming weeks, BlogBurst will be offered to media partners who use Reuters content as part of their own news services.

Chris Ahearn, Reuters Media President, comments on the deal, "With Pluck, we will help our worldwide media partners offer their readers smart and fast access to the best in the blogosphere. This is part of Reuters continuing strategy to embrace new digital platforms, including user-generated and moderated content as well as community tools, to deliver next-generation news and information."

Dave Panos, Pluck Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer, adds, "This alliance with Reuters will deliver the most extensive network of blog content through the world's largest international news and financial information source. The combined service will provide a turnkey solution for traditional media companies who want to deliver a richer and more personalized news and information experience to their audience."

This is the question on my mind. How does BlogBurst choose which blogs it syndicates? Apparently the company has an internal system for determining whom the "top bloggers" are, but what sort of criteria must a blogger meet to measure to BlogBurst's syndication standards?

Do they look at straight statistics like visitors and page views? Is there a focus on the size of a particular blog's community, particularly the volume of comments received? Does the total amount of advertising revenue generated by the blog play any role in BlogBurst's decision whether or not to syndicate?

Mainstream syndication for a blog that is already generating healthy revenues from advertising could be the springboard into untold bogging profits. Consequently, it will be paramount for A-list bloggers to keep a close eye on which blogs get picked up by BlogBurst, and ascertain what criteria may have been met in order to merit syndication.

Tags: Reuters, Pluck, BlogBurst, Blogs, Blogging

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