Can blogs compete with traditional journalism?
When exploring the reasons not to blog, I mentioned using the blog to expose products or entertainment before their official release. This is just another function of the blog, other than the function as diary. While I am considered if blogs are literary, there exists others who ask if bloggers are journalists. Now, there are others pursuing this (see my classmate’s blog Democracy or Debacle) so I am ill-fit to provide commentary on the topic.
However, I would like to reiterate the literary qualities of the blog, specifically its reach: like stories, novels, autobiographies (really, a book of any form) the blog can cover any topic, and have influence on other entities.
In the USA Today article “Fact vs. Opinion: Who Wins Online?” Peter Johnson asks traditional media journalists what impact blogs have. For those he interviews, they see a specific line that separates blogs from true journalism: opinion. “Independent bloggers are free to “traffic in unsourced material and street buzz, but news organizations must kept to the facts,” says Michael Clemente, who runs ABC News’ digital media.” Even so, executives say that the Web has opened up a wide variety of new outlets for reporters.”
Specifically, reporters keep blogs, which Brian Williams likens to a reporter’s notebook, something he wishes Walter Cronkite had kept. These can show thought processes, info that wasn’t published, and specifically, some subjectivity. Journalists can blog, as long as they retain objectivity; the idea is to the leave the subjectivity and opinion to those who only blog. Maybe journalism will have to rethink it’s objectivity codes to keep up with the blog… but that’s another topic.
Blogs cover many subjects of importance, influencing reporters and civilians alike. Here are some examples of the topics covered by blogs:
Politics: The Daily Kos
War: Today in Iraq
General News: Infomaniac: Behind the News
Education: The DC Education Blog
However, I would like to reiterate the literary qualities of the blog, specifically its reach: like stories, novels, autobiographies (really, a book of any form) the blog can cover any topic, and have influence on other entities.
In the USA Today article “Fact vs. Opinion: Who Wins Online?” Peter Johnson asks traditional media journalists what impact blogs have. For those he interviews, they see a specific line that separates blogs from true journalism: opinion. “Independent bloggers are free to “traffic in unsourced material and street buzz, but news organizations must kept to the facts,” says Michael Clemente, who runs ABC News’ digital media.” Even so, executives say that the Web has opened up a wide variety of new outlets for reporters.”
Specifically, reporters keep blogs, which Brian Williams likens to a reporter’s notebook, something he wishes Walter Cronkite had kept. These can show thought processes, info that wasn’t published, and specifically, some subjectivity. Journalists can blog, as long as they retain objectivity; the idea is to the leave the subjectivity and opinion to those who only blog. Maybe journalism will have to rethink it’s objectivity codes to keep up with the blog… but that’s another topic.
Blogs cover many subjects of importance, influencing reporters and civilians alike. Here are some examples of the topics covered by blogs:
Politics: The Daily Kos
War: Today in Iraq
General News: Infomaniac: Behind the News
Education: The DC Education Blog
posted by KK at 2:53 PM
2 Comments:
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