Over the past few months, I've heard “Hey man, why aren't you writing about the music scene anymore?” just about every time I go out. And, after explaining that my journalism career is on hiatus, invariably I get the same reaction: That's nice, but can't you at least keep writing the blog?

I know it's meant as a compliment, but it's also a huge reminder that people prefer familiarity to, well, unfamiliarity. It's why, despite my best attempts, I still listen to more Nirvana and Radiohead than Carrie Underwood and My Chemical Romance.

But in local entertainment journalism, it's time for a change – a big change. As you might have heard, SE Live (along with many other print media products in America) is virtually dead. The whole business model was in free fall – circulation dropping, profits down and lots of local talent and wonderful stories being ignored.

But it's gone – relegated to a section of the Thursday newspaper -- and now it's time to do things a different way.

That's the idea behind re-launching Banned Promotions. As much as I've loved writing for the Southeast Missourian, Off! Magazine and SE Live, the world of local entertainment and pop culture is moving so fast that it has become impossible for local media to keep up, especially with limited means. And over the past few years, I've found I can better inform by blogging. The best blogs often offer more than the printed word, including a wonderfully intelligent, personal and irreverent way to communicate with the reader. You may have even noticed that the Missourian now has 20-plus blogs, with more and more being launched all the time.

My guess is that someday soon blogging will be the backbone of any newspaper. Journalists have discovered, happily, that information is available everywhere for anything these days. But readers still crave informed analysis by lively writers, which is something BP can focus on as it takes local A&E coverage from mass circulation to niche-publication. So while I've got lots to learn about blogging journalism, I'm eager to be a part of the new conversation … and you should be, too.

But how will BP be different from the old SE Live coverage?

The honest answer is that BP is a work in progress. For those that know me, I'll be writing with much the same style and scathing honesty that you've grown accustomed to the past five years. But now, material can be broader in scope, even more creative. My hope is that BP will become where the worlds of local entertainment, media and pop culture collide.

We will also be experimenting with new features. Expect to see earlier sneak peeks at new music, more analysis and entertainment news and even better “interactive” elements. Translation: BP will be more of a group effort, with everyone, especially the arts community, participating.

I encourage you to take on this task as well. As with any form of journalism, a big part of the job is to turn information into a running dialogue with the reader. I'm thinking some of the best A&E coverage will be interviews, reviews and debates with people who see the issue from the “inside”. When I write anything, I always test out my ideas on people who often know far more about a topic than I do. BP can help all of us do the same.

As for that original question: What about the music coverage? It will run every month and updated, as seen in the Missourian, periodically with info written up in a blog. Some of the other BP staff have even mentioned a blogging partnership with semissourian.com. No doubt, it will be a learning experience for us all. But as the great John Wooden once put it: "It's what you learn after you know it all that counts."

www.bannedpromotions.com/communicationbreakdown