The problem is that unlike Cypherpunks or the Bitcoin people, LW is not a group whose agenda can be summarized meaningfully in a soundbite. This normally means that there isn't going to be any media interest in it, except insofar as it might get entangled with some other news story by accident.
The only other way for a blog/website to get publicity is if it's interesting enough to gain a very wide audience. However, the audience size that's necessary for traditional media to take note is probably incompatible with the intellectual standards that are supposed to be followed here.
Be less wrong
How's that for a soundbite?
Recently reporters from two major national magazines contacted me in preparation for doing stories on Bitcoin. This reminded me that Wired magazine did a cover story on the Cypherpunks in its second issue. I think the LessWrong community is already larger and more active than Cypherpunks were back then, and potentially more influential, but there hasn't been much publicity on us. I'm tempted to suggest doing a story on LessWrong to one of the reporters. Is this a good idea, or bad?
More generally, do we want more publicity, and if so what's the best way to go about getting it?
ETA: Would it be bad etiquette to reveal the names of these magazines at this point, or even to say as much as I've said?