September 18, 2007
There are many changes taking place throughout the newsroom these days, especially with the increasing use of Web logs. “Blog” is actually short for “web log.” A professional blog is a website where entries are written in chronological order and usually contain commentary on certain subjects such as politics, local news, etc. The blog website can also provide an opportunity for its readers to engage in a discussion regarding the topic of the blog. Users who have personal blogs usually use them more as a diary. Many staff journalists of local newspapers nationwide utilize the act of blogging as a tool. They use blogs to publish editorial jobs done on the side or provide commentary about the newspaper industry, changing the face of journalism.
Most mainstream journalists write their own blogs. The first known use of a blog on a news site was in August of 1998, when Jonathan Dube of The Charlotte Observer published one chronicling Hurricane Bonnie (1). Since then, Dube has advanced to many journalism positions, including Founder of Cyberjournalist.net, to be discussed later.
John Robinson is editor of the News & Record in Greensboro, North Carolina. He expresses that the use of blogging for his particular staff arose due to the importance recognized with interacting and talking with readers. He claims that blogging provides an extra outlet where the newspaper can acknowledge errors, note awards the paper has won, or rebuttal against complaints (2).
For most newspapers however, blogging goes much further. Many journalists publish their own editorials in order to open them up for a thorough interactive discussion amongst readers. There are also direct-reporting blogs where, for example, a government official may post a blog informing readers about a certain topic “in his own voice while still maintaining the fundamental journalistic values of integrity and trust (1).” Blogging on the internet also allows readers to obtain more information regarding a topic by clicking on links provided by the blog writer.
Blogs obtained by newspapers may also provide readers an opportunity to submit their own article for review and publishing on the newspaper blog. This is referred to as participatory journalism (3). The act of personal blogging arose as a free-speech movement and journalists embraced this in an act of following through with democracy. There may also be events and doings that a reporter may be unaware of. This gives citizens a chance to inform the public on such things as a meeting they’ve attended, for example.
Some traditional media outlets, such as the New York Times, object to participatory journalism, arguing that by indulging in participatory journalism, journalists are abandoning the value of objectivity. To become a journalist, one must acquire a fair amount of knowledge and experience. After all, the goal of journalism is to convey the “thruth,” with no ulterior motives. Participator journalism is criticized in that an article may not be unbiased.
Regardless, blogging provides journalists with another medium, and interactive medium where they can get to know their readers. In a newspaper, there is limited space. On the internet, the amount of space to write and post links is endless. Though most reporters aren’t paid any more for producing a blog, many claim that being able to elaborate on information is much more fulfilling than being bound to so many words in a printed article, due to space. “We try to tell stories in a different way, not as a result of us having online content but as a result of trying to understand what readers want from us and how to deliver the information better,” says Robinson.
The act of a news reporter posting blogs on behalf of a newspaper is oftentimes referred to as cyber journalism. In fact, there are now web-sites which encourage and honor journalists posting blogs. Cyberjournalist.net “is a news and resource site that focuses on how the Internet, convergence and new technologies are changing the media (4).” This website provides the cyber-journalists with tips and tools for web logging, news and commentary regarding online journalism, and how to use the internet as a reporting tool.
With the changing technology, it’s important for our traditional news reporters to keep up to date. Blogging, though controversial now, can be used as a very enlightening tool to reach “the people.” As long as journalists stick to the fundamentals and core values of reporting the news, blogging will further advance the disbursement of news, keeping citizens well informed on facts and opinions. With the slow degradation of print newspapers, a journalists job has reached a turning point. “In print, we’ve been able to kid ourselves for decades that every reader is savoring every word of our prose. Online, it’s painfully clear what readers do and don’t care about (4).”
Lynae Cuddy is a senior at Grand Valley State University. She's studying advertising and public relations, as well as philosophy. She is currently employed at Regent Broadcasting in Grand Rapids, Mich.