The application of weblogs in the journalism industry faces some problems, but this relatively new medium has some advantages in comparison to traditional forms of reporting. Unlike some other more traditional media, weblogs can be updated almost immediately, providing the most up to date information of any media sources. Furthermore, blogs are able to provide much more detailed and personal information as they are typically restricted by neither time nor space. Another advantage is a journalist can report to a blog from almost any location in the world, as the technology required to create a weblog is widely available.
Weblogs in the news are for more spontaneous than any other media as they can provide up to date reports at any time, unlike such media as newspapers and magazines, where the information must be withheld until the release of the given publication. Even television and radio news is restricted to being updated only during the scheduled bulletins, unless an event is deemed important enough to interrupt scheduled programming. Blogs however can be updated at any time, as the reporter can update from anywhere using a laptop or PC. This spontaneity gives the readers the impression that the blog is almost in real time, which is one of the most appealing aspects of weblogs as a news source. (Heyboer, 2003)
The fact that some blogs by journalists are not altered by an editor is another appealing aspect of the online journals. While it can cause the problems, such as the credibility of the information being questioned, it can also make the information appear more genuine, as the report may be viewed as raw facts, rather than a spin story used to support a media sources biased views. This is in stark contrast to the more traditional news sources, which are often believed to be biased and avoid reporting on issues that may reflect poorly on them, or the businesses that run them. Also, blogs are able to provide much more detailed reports than any other medium, as they aren’t restricted by time or space. This allows for much more detailed and personal journalism than other media.
Perhaps the biggest advantage weblogs have over the more traditional news sources is that they can be used to report from almost any location. For example, in courtrooms, where cameras are not allowed, weblogs are a highly effective way of reporting events in an up to the minute manner. (Heyboer, 2003) Obviously, television reports would not be as effective in such an environment as they would not be able to provide visuals, and print media would not be able to give up to date reports, as the information would have to be withheld until the release of the publication. Weblogs can be set up from almost any location; all that is required to do so is a PC or laptop with internet access as services such as ‘Blogger’ can be used to create one. For this reason, blogs are ideal for ideal for reporting from obscure locations, such as the war torn country of Iraq.
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.
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