Hi Jeff, I think you're dead right that you've got to write about the things that interest you.

There's no doubt though that the WordPress News category is well-covered ( the Tavern and Post Status leading the way in that category imo, no doubt others will have their personal favourites that speak to them).

A newcomer in that category would struggle to get traction, unless they are doing something extraordinary.

Delighted to see you mention Chris Lema - an inspirational blogger and a great example of a WordPress non-News site.

Personally, I'd love to see more sites focusing in detail on how WordPress is used in a specific vertical, even though it might not be one that is directly within my sphere of interest there's always something you can learn from it.

So far as content for the Tavern - it's great as it is, don't dilute the beer!