Is blogging innovating journalism?

Journalism in a democratic society is more critical than most people realize. Journalism informs the public on issues that most certainly would go by the wayside without a sector designed to report on it. Journalism keeps things within in a democracy honest and forthright. Through newspapers, magazines, television and now the Internet, information is plentiful and immediate.

Blogging, in its simplest from is publishing text on the Internet by anyone for anyone. Blogs can be produced by anyone with an Internet connection and, because of the “proliferation of the Internet”, can be syndicated and subscribed to. Unlike traditional news media, blogs offer readers an opportunity to contribute to, and interact with, the content.

Blogs, as it pertains to journalists and journalism, has its benefits and its issues. Blogs, and on a larger scale the Internet, offer unlimited amounts of space. Traditionally, journalists were constrained by the finite size of a newspaper or magazine. Not only do blogs offer infinite space but blogs are not held to the same standards of other news media, yet. Meaning journalists can report on the story in more detail, inject their own opinions and interact with their audience. In many cases, journalists should consider blogging to make the newsgathering and reporting process democratic. News organizations have always held the key to the gate, blogs have the ability to keep the gate unlocked.

The interactivity of blogs gives innovation journalists a way to immediately receive feedback from “the market” and become a part of the community. The immediacy of blogs changes the way news is reported – when, why and how it is reported. Blogs often break news stories and, depending on its newsworthiness, causes mainstream media to react.

Baltatzis top 5 concepts (in no particular order)
1. Journalism is crucial to democracy and blogs can become crucial to journalism.
2. Blogs help news media “build legitimacy in targeted communities and societies.”
3. Blogs can be useful as resources.
4. “By blogging some beats … publications would expand their audience as well as attract new readers.”
5. If blogs aren’t innovating journalism, at the very least they’re challenging traditional media.


-Matt M.