Is blogging Innovative Journalism?

In the article "Is blogging Innovating Journalism" by Patrick Baltazis there are five main concepts/ideas.  They are: 

1) Background information on innovation journalism

2) The definition of what blogging is

3) The significance of blogs to journalists

4) The major issues in blogging 

5) Why newspapers should blog

Journalism is important in a democratic society because without journalism there would not be democracy. Whether social, political or economic, innovative ideas enable different interests groups to gain leadership on a society.  They in turn are of special interest in a democratic discourse.  Journalism and free press, committed to honoring journalism makes it possible for different interests to have an active voice and participate.  

According to Baltazis blogging is: Emerging technologies converging into new ones, the roaming of ideas and technology with at mission.  It gives the readers the option of being a journalist.  Baltazis explains that "the blog is a publishing innovation, a digital news wire that, due to the proliferation of the Internet, low production and distribution costs, ease of use and really simple syndication (RSS), creates a new and powerful push-pull publishing concept."  

Blogs are very relevant to any journalist doing professional or crafted work.  Blogs can help journalist gain ideas using different services.  Reading other blogs can open a journalists eyes to concepts they had not thought of before.  If the information is trustworthy these ideas may turn out to be the journalists latest story or an idea they may want to look further into.  

According to Baltazis "Magazines and papers should consider blogging to build their legitimacy in targeted communities and societies.  The transitional nature of business and media consumption must be considered if publishing houses want to prevail in their chosen markets."  If journalist enter the blogging world they are able to reach a number of people they would not have before.  Baltazis states that  "Communities breed on relevant and reliable information.  A newspaper or blog can grow if it provides relevant and reliable information to leaders in its targeted communities.  The difference between traditional papers and blogs are that the latter can be more 'open' to their audiences, letting readers participate in making stories, and, in extreme cases, letting readers publish their own stories."  Blogs are a way to build communities of special interest groups which in turn could gain a journalist a larger following.     

Blogging is innovative journalism because its changing the way news is being read.  A lot of people get their news from blogs rather than reading a newspaper or watching television.  Many blogs have their own communities of readers,  if journalist choose to blog these could be a new and innovative way for them to gain new followers.  

-Carly Youngren