This month, the Federal Trade Commission announced new rules aimed at increasing transparency in social media advertising. Starting Dec. 1, bloggers and other users of social media tools, such as Twitter and Facebook, must disclose if they have received any type of payment in exchange for promotion, advertising or endorsement.

The newspaper business isn't dying; it's morphing.

Last week, I made a presentation about social media to several hundred people at a Carmel Chamber of Commerce luncheon. We talked about Facebook and Twitter, YouTube and Flickr, LinkedIn, blogging and more. I didn't answer the "how-to" question. I answered the "whether-to" question. With some important cautions, my answer was "yes."

In 2009, blogging is not optional. If you have a business, you must have a Web site. If you have a Web site, you must have a blog!

The Indianapolis Star, the state's largest daily newspaper, has scaled back its roster of critics in recent years — a reduction in coverage that put the onus on local arts promoters to get the word out through other channels, such as blogs.