From M/Cyclopedia of New Media
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Catherine Miller's Page of Thoughts
- I am studying a Bachelor of Mass Communication. I am a first year student and I major in PR and Media and Communication
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- Marketing
- Communication in the New Economy
- Writing for Creative Industries
- Strategic Speech Communication
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- Marketing and Audience Research
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- Public Relations Theory and Practice
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RESEARCH PROPOSAL AND PROJECT
Corporate Blogging
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Catherine Miller 09:23, 1 Aug 2004 (EST)
[edit] Annotated Bibliography
[edit] Blogging- The New Subculture
Blogging- An Overview
- Thomier, J. (2004) “Blogging for beginners,� internet.au, Issue 104, pp. 50-51.
- The author, Jacinta Thomier, uses her web review to explain the basics of blogging, and the communicative requirements to becoming a ‘good’ blogger. She clearly outlines the question many ask, “What is a blog?� as well as the many options for hosting blogs, and where to begin. Her most simple definition is that weblogs are chronologically organised sites that are frequently updated, and offer personal commentary and links. To enhance a weblog, Thomier suggests adding a mailing list, and using a blogging tool called blogrolling, which links blogs to other blogs. She stresses that anyone with an internet connection could set up a blog, as long as they are willing to update it regularly.
Rebecca Blood (2004) “Rebecca’s Pocket,� retrieved August 4, 2004, from Rebecca's Pocket
- This weblog has been included as it is a great representation of the online community of blogging. This is Rebecca Blood’s blog, titled Rebecca’s Pocket, which she created in 1999. Rebecca’s Pocket gets approximately 30,000 visitors monthly from pure word of mouth. Her blog contains information on anything, including film reviews, journalism, culture, politics and even information about blogs. Her success has led to The Weblog Handbook, a book on weblogs, which guides people interested in starting their own weblog, and discusses the skills needed to maintain a weblog, as well as the weblog etiquette. Rebecca Blood also recognises the need to place weblogs into a larger cultural and media context in order to understand the profound implications of weblogs to society.
- Blood, R. (2002) The Weblog Handbook:Practical Advice on Creating and Maintaining Your Blog, Cambridge: Perseus Publishing, ISBN 073820756X.
- This book is the first to explain the powerful impact weblogs have had on communication and culture in society. The author, Rebecca Blood, has been creating websites for 8 years, and maintains her own extremely successful blog (refer to above annotation). Her book explains to readers everything necessary to know in order to gain an understanding of weblogs. She highlights that by building a weblog, one will build self-awareness, improve and enhance critical thinking skills, develop a reputation, and be more connected to society in general. The preferred weblog etiquette, and points to gain credibility are also discussed in detail to ensure that the weblog community understands the basic principles required to become an ethical weblogger. Blood believes that to find an audience and remain successful over the long period, blogs must remain unique.
- Grossman, L. (2004) “Meet Joe Blog,� Time Magazine, 28 June, p.42
- While blogs are new media, it is easy to forget just how new they actually are. Grossman reinforces their newness, affirming that it is only in the past 5 years that blogs have emerged as a popular alternative to mainstream news outlets. Furthermore, the article exemplifies the impacting phenomenon of blogs, highlighting that Pyra Labs (which makes software for creating blogs) had 970, 000 users by 2002. To provide an example of the kind of people using blogs, Grossman has honed in on five significant bloggers, and how they have contributed to this important new global community. They each reveal the stories behind their blogs and why they are worth a visit. The article also mentions Salam Pax, whose blog has parlayed into a book and movie deal. An earlier article cited below converses the significance of blogging to Pax.
The Infamous Salam Pax
McCarthy, R. (2003, Jun. 14) “The diary of Salam Pax� Sydney Morning Herald, retrieved August 3, 2004, from Go to article
- With the war in Iraq, war blogs proliferated, some even gaining an international following. Over all the other mediums, such as the world’s most prominent newspapers and television networks, it was Salam Pax, an Iraqi, who provided the most immediate account of life during the war. This was achieved at a very low cost, via his weblog, Where is Raed? While there are privacy risks associated with blogging, Pax has become famous by revealing all in his blog; he did this knowing that he was taking the biggest risk of all (more than 200, 000 people went missing under Saddam). Reports of his weblog filtered into newspapers and radio broadcasts around the US and Britain. McCarthy captures how one man could create such an impact, both politically and culturally, due not only to his ability to capture the hearts of many, but also because of the availability of the new internet technology, blogging.
Wynhausen, E. (2004, May 20) “Salam Pax succumbs to unbearable weight of blogging,� The Australian, retrieved August 3, 2004, from Go to article
- This article is also on the subject of Salam Pax, the Iraqi man whose blog provided the most compelling account of the war's progress. Millions of people were so dependent on Pax’s blog, that when he went offline, they feared that Iraqi police may have taken him. Although his blog has yielded, Pax has become the virtual essence of Iraq. His blog has been transformed into ‘old media’ form, and has been published in book form, although he believes that his weblog provided more immediate and realistic coverage. This article clarifies the vast impact blogging can have as a communication medium in society, and that this ‘new’ internet technology still blurs with old media forms.
Educational Blogging
Richardson, W. (2004, Jan/Feb) “Blogging and RSS,� Multimedia & Internet @ Schools, retrieved August 2, 2004 from Blogging and RSS
- Librarians and teachers have discovered the major benefits of weblogs, and regard them as a breakthrough internet technology, extremely beneficial for students to engage in. They view this progressive technology as not only a powerful research tool, but also a major communication avenue for students and their parents. They also view weblogs as a suitable way to publish student work, and a cheaper alternative to traditional course management systems. Before posting student work on the internet, schools must seriously consider the privacy laws and each district must feel comfortable with the idea of a weblog. The article goes as far as to explain how to start a weblog.
Political Blogging
Hansard Society (2004) “MPs and Blogging: a modern way to communicate?� retrieved August 3, 2004, from Go to Article
- The Hansard Society researches the potential of political blogging, revealing that the use of blogging as a new media form “can increase the transparency and accessibility of parliamentarians and their work.� This website reviews the book, Political Blogs- Craze or Convention? which examines whether blogs can act as an alternative source to traditional channels of political communication throughout the UK. The research consisted of monitoring various political blogs, and publics were asked to assess the blogs and their relevance to the political realm. The results show that blogging has the potential to be very significant in raising major political debates, as not only are they extremely cost-effective, they also provide a variety of view points.
Harmon, A. (2004, Feb. 5) “Survey Finds ‘Opinion Leaders’ Logging On For Political News,� The New York Times, retrieved August 2, 2004, from Go to article
- Harmon uses the data from the George Washington survey to conclude that Americans who retrieve their campaign information from the internet are much more likely to serve as an opinion leader in their community. This study proves that in the new economy, the internet is becoming a conclusive way to communicate and reach publics. Although traditional media still have more of a political influence than the internet, the George Washington survey exemplifies the growing emergence of the internet. Publics are also keener on the uptake of political blogs, as they are interactive, allowing discussion to take place between visitors and the actual author of the blog.
Corporate Blogging
- Stone, B. (2002) Blogging: Genius strategies for instant Web Content, Indianapolis:New Riders Publishing, ISBN 0735712999.
- In chapter 10 Stone discusses the emergence of corporate blogging, which are blogs that are maintained by companies in order to spread the word about products and services. Many companies are launching blogs as they are an effective distribution method to keep readers and clients up-to-date with news and information that may be of interest. Huge media companies such as FoxNews.com, MSNBC.com, Wall Street Journal and The Guardian, UK are all utilising blogs, as they see it as a more rapid communication channel that has the benefit of instant feedback. Macromedia (another company that recommends blogs) feels blogs are an absolute necessity, commenting that “a tech company that doesn’t embrace weblogs will seem dated.� Stone concludes this chapter by forecasting that larger companies and organisations should maintain their own blogs, as this is the best and most simple way to achieve knowledge management (sharing and flow of information).
- The Economist (2004) “Blogging goes to work,� The Economist, 13 Mar. 2004, p.11.
- This article is explaining (mostly from Ross Mayfield’s, the founder of Socialtext, a firm based in California, point of view) that blogging has the potential to be useful in business. He believes that Wikis (a web page that can be edited by any reader) have the capacity to replace other forms of groupware. The article concludes on a more humorous note, acknowledging that perhaps teenagers (who represent half of all bloggers) may have discovered a highly successful method for companies to use to communicate with their clients. This article illuminates another way blogging can be used to communicate effectively in a business environment.
Conlin, M., and Park, A. (20004, Jun. 28) “Blogging with the Boss’s Blessing,� Business Week, retrieved July 31, 2004 from Go to Article
- Conlin and Park investigate why it is that businesses, including Microsoft, Dell and Nike, are increasingly advising their executives to become corporate bloggers. These companies regard blogging as imperative in the workplace and view that it will have an economic impact on their companies. In a highly networked era, executives view blogging as one of the better and more efficient ways to communicate with their clients. And it seems that consumers agree, and find that information via blogging is more accurate and undistorted. However, the article also warns of the legal situations that can arise if blogging is not used appropriately.
- Lasica, J. D. (2002) "Weblogs:A New Source of News", in J. Rodzville (ed.)We've Got Blog, Cambridge: Perseus Publishing, pp. 171-182 ISBN 0738207411.
- We’ve Got Blog is a collection of writings by various authors. Each author explains how weblogs are changing and redefining the culture in which we live. One author, J. D. Lasica, argues that weblogs are not completely overriding mainstream media organisations, but are continually being used as an alternative news source. Furthermore, she believes that traditional media will soon start relying on weblogs to retrieve information. While newspapers tend to hold more credibility and have their mistakes filtered out, Lasica purports that they have become homogenised. In contrast, blogs appeal to such wide audiences because of their "raw, honest, individualistic, highly opinionated and passionate nature, often striking an emotional chord". Lasica deems that media organisations and corporate companies would benefit from incorporating blogs into their websites.
Catherine Miller 09:00, 13 Aug 2004 (EST)
