Web logs or “blogs” for short have exploded in popularity since the turn of the millennium. They have provided anyone with internet access and basic computer skills to broadcast their thoughts, feelings and experiences for the world to see. Blogs give the opportunity for us to interact with people all around the globe who share similar interests or whose posts strike a reaction in us in some way.
A relatively new concept that has spawned from the emergence of this new phenomenon is “citizen” or “grassroots” journalism. This concept uses blogging to publish announcements or descriptions about things occurring around us in real-time. These days “breaking news” can often be found on someone’s blog far sooner than that of major news outlets. Sullivan (2002) claims “Blogging is changing the media world and could, I think, foment a revolution in how journalism functions in our culture' ...[it might represent] a publishing revolution more profound than anything since the printing press”.
The style in which blogs present news is different to that of traditional media. While major news services broadcast information to an audience via one-way communication, blogs are designed to attract and encourage social comment. Gillmor (2004) states “Grassroots journalists are dismantling Big Media's monopoly on the news, transforming it from a lecture to a conversation”. Bloggers invite the audience to be a part of stories through expression of opinion and commentary. Traditional news services have realised the growing popularity in this style and have begun to invite viewer comment at the base of stories in their online formats.
Citizen journalism through Blogging provides an alternative version of news than that of mainstream media. However this can be a double-edged sword. Information published through blogging may be more accurate as it may come from an eye-witness first-hand, or it may be biased or inaccurate due to the author not bearing the responsibility to his or her audience a professional journalist does. What is for sure is that the use of blogging for citizen journalism is an attractive concept, as many believe society has become susceptible to manipulation as a result of the stranglehold large media companies have on the industry. And while I believe there will always be a need for professional media, everyday citizens will continue to have more input to our news.
References:
Gillmor, D 2004, "We the media: grassroots journalism by the people, for the people", O'Reilly Media, Sebastopol, California, viewed 29 October 2009
Sullivan, A 2002, "The blogging revolution", Wired.com, viewed 29 October 2009
No comments:
Post a Comment