A Profile on Lisa Stone

Internet journalism, or online journalism, is becoming increasingly popular, thanks to the scores of individuals who have made the move from writing offline to writing online. Traditional media sources like television, newspaper, and radio are constantly challenged as more and more viewers, readers, and listeners move their eyes and ears away from TV screens, the car radio, and a good-old newspaper, and redirect their attention to the computer screen (or thanks to Apple, the IPad, IPhone or IPod).

Blogs, internet forums, discussion boards, and chats have become home to hundreds of millions of people who are able to freely express their thoughts on matters ranging from President Obama to the latest celebrity diet, without ever leaving their couch. With the ability to write about almost anything, and the possibility of having it reach almost anyone, the internet holds endless potential for those who wish to be heard. Lisa Stone, a celebrity in her own name in the internet world, is no stranger to this reality.

Stone is the co-founder of BlogHer Inc. In 2005, Stone and two other insightful women, Elisa Camahort Page and Jory Des Jardins, hosted a conference for women who blog. Prompted by the question, “Where are all the women bloggers?” an overwhelmingly positive response to the conference, and the humongous numbers of women who blog, BlogHer Inc. was created. Today, in 2010, BlogHer is home to the largest community of women who blog, thanks in big part to Ms. Stone.

BlogHer hosts the BlogHer Conferences, the world’s largest conference for women in social media, BlogHer Publishing Network, one of the most esteemed female-authored publishing networks of blogs, and BlogHer.com, a leading social media site. As a political and media blogger on BlogHer, a blogger on her own personal blog, Surfette, and an avid public speaker, Stone is taking the online world by storm. Based on her history, Stone arguably knows what she is doing. In 1997, she left traditional journalism behind and made the official move from writing offline to writing online when she began working for Women.com. Under her supervision, Women.com grew to a Top-30 site. In 2002, her hard work paid off; she became the first Internet journalist to be awarded a Neiman Fellowship by Harvard University. She has also written for the likes of the Los Angeles Times, the New York Times, CNN, and the Oakland Tribune, among others. It was in 2004 that Stone officially began blogging.

Stone has been blogging ever since; and has built quite an impressive fan base for herself. Fans will in fact have the chance to listen to Stone speak at the upcoming BlogHer 2010 conference in New York City. The White House Project and BlogHer are teaming up to co-host a new, half day workshop on August 5th at the BlogHer 10’ conference. Female bloggers with an interest in public policy and politics will be instructed on how to become public servants.

To sign up for this event, go to http://blogher10.eventbrite.com/.

The BlogHer conferences are without say one of the most unique and exciting aspects of the Blogging Empire that Stone has worked so hard to build. An empire that is full of interesting and intelligent women who are willing to share their thoughts, opinions, emotions, and stories to all.

To read the blogs, or even create your own, www.blogher.com is only a click away. Blog on!