“A weblog, or simply a blog, is a web application which contains periodic, reverse chronologically ordered posts on a common webpage.� (Weblog- Wikipedia, ¶1)Weblogs began in 1999 and were primarily used as online diaries for only a handful of people. Since then, the popularity of such sites has grown and in recent times, weblogs have often been used to present news and current events online. This method of journalism can effectively present the news without the hinderance of an editor, unlike most other mainstream forms of journalism.
According to Bray, (March 24, 2003, p.1)The war in Iraq has been one of the key factors in the rise of blogging as a tool in journalism, as many journalists in the war torn country choose to use their online diaries as a method of reporting on the little details that paint a clear image of the conflict. This is one of the major benefits of internet blogging – journalists are able to present more detailed descriptions of events without having to discard information which is considered not newsworthy. Furthermore, journalistic blogging allows for news that is update to the minute, as reporters are able to update information on-the-spot, as events unfold. This is also makes blogs highly useful for reporting in courtrooms, where cameras and tape recorders are not allowed.
Journalistic blogging is said to present the news in a more personal manner, and also tell smaller, more exclusive stories than other news outlets. However, a consequence of this is that these weblogs can present biased opinions and their credibility as a news source is questionable. For example, in a recent democratic convention in the US, a group of 30 bloggers were invited to report on the convention in the blogs. Of course, those invited were supporters of the Democratic National Committee and the convention received nothing but good press in the blogs (Halloran, July 29, 2004, p. 1). A specific example of a simarlarly biased blog is The Blogspirator. The site presents a very anti-democratic view of the US election campaign, so even though it poses as a news blog, its credibility is questionable.
Journalistic Blogs are steadily growing in popularity; Chicago Tribune columnist Eric Zorn’s blog gets up to 10,000 views a day, as he shares instantly with readers all the smallest leads that Zorn himself investigates. One of the most popular blogs run by a journalist was that of Daniel Weintraub, who kept a regularly updated column at the Sacramento Bee about the recent California recall election, in which actor Arnold Schwarzenegger was a candidate. The blog was considered essential reading around the US, as Weintraub gave his readers all the latest gossip about the election campaign. However, Schwarzenegger’s opponents complained that Weintraub’s blog was biased against them. These complaints, along with complaints from people in the newsroom about double standards regarding editing, led to the Bee’s decision to begin editing Weintraub’s blog. As a result, Weintraub’s readers were outraged, as the blog lost its spontaneity and ‘spunk’. The decision to force the blog to be edited also made it more difficult for it to be kept up to date with all the latest developments like it once did. (Heyboer, December, 2003, p. 10)
There is no doubt that an edited news blog makes it a more reliable source, as it becomes less a piece of opinion and more a fair-minded approach to presenting the news. Without the editing process, there is little difference between a news blog by a reporter and an online diary in which an average person comments on current affairs. However, it can also be said that editing the blog subtracts from the true spirit of weblogging; the fact that what is said in a news blog is unedited makes it more like a radio or television broadcast as once it is posted the statements cannot be retracted. Either way, when an online newspaper uses a blog for reporting the news, there are both advantages and disadvantages of editing the blog.
Journalism is fairly new form of blogging, and although it is a fairly new combination, there are benefits to be gained from reporting the news through weblogs. Blogs are an effective method of providing up to date, on the spot reports. However, there are also pitfalls. Weblogs typical present the news with heavy bias, but editing them seems to make it a more watered down version of a typical weblog.
News Blogs - Advantages
News Blogs - Disadvantages
News Blogs in Iraq
News Blogs - Editing
News Blogs vs. Online Diaries
Bray, Hiawatha. (2003) "Conflict on Iraq Gives Rise to Journalists' Online Diaries" Knight Ridder Tribune Business News, Mar 24, 2003. pg. 1
Halloran, Liz. (2004) "Web diarists at political convention fall short of fresh, irreverent analysis" Knight Ridder Tribune Business News, Jul 29, 2004. pg. 1.
Heyboer, Kelly. (2003) “Bloggin’ in the Newsroom,� American Journalism Review, Vol.25, Iss. 8; Dec., p. 10.
Online. (Accessed 2004) "Weblogs - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia" [1]
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Matthew Prentice 23:58, 28 Oct 2004 (EST)
