Spending a week skiing alone in Calgary gave me plenty of time for reflection about blogs and this site. While it has been apparent to me for sometime that there is no point in focusing solely on blogs, I frequently question how important other forms of new media are. I'm an avid fan of new technologies, but I don't think that things like podcasts and vlogs will ever replace blogs. I have enjoyed listening to the InsidePRpodcast, but find that when I want information about something quickly, I would much rather read it. Just as we continue to read newspapers (as either print copies or online), watch the news on television, and listen to the radio (although these days, many of us only do this while driving), we won't just use one type of new media exclusively.
My suggestion is that any site thinking of launching either a blog, a podcast, or a vlog should realize that each has its advantages. A blog (via newsfeeds and the fact that it is easy to simply visually scan the headlines) can get a story out quickly, and should probably adapt punchier, shorter writing. Podcasts seem to be better for discussion and interviews (particularly the latter, as it fails miserably when transcribed either online or in print). Vlogs are obviously better when there is visual content involved, and these will probably grow in popularity as internet speeds increase.
Ideally, an organisation wanting to use a combination of the above would recognize the differences. Content in one should not be identical to that in the others, but rather should be related. I'm talking synergy here.