There's a good story in the Star today about the blurring of the lines between Journalism and Blogging. The article is centered around sports journalism/blogging, but it's pretty easy to take the leap between sports (which tends to be the leader in many social issues including racial barriers and medical care). Blogging has become major source of information for a lot of people -- as newspapers/tv stations have continued to cut back in reporting staff (and also supplying slanted points of view), bloggers have come on the scene to provide additional insights/points of view on the news of the day. The New York Islanders have even opened up one press box for bloggers who will be credentialed to cover games.
Even here in KC politics, the TIF Commission Report wasn't released until the local bloggers requested its release.
The media world is changing. Media outlets will struggle with it. Local politicians will struggle with it. And there is a certain amount of "power" that will come from being a political blogger. It's our responsibility to use this power wisely...and to help do what the traditional media has long sense forgotten its purpose was under the first amendment of the Constitution...to be a watchdog of the government.
The definition of blogging is fairly loose, so there's nothing preventing a blog from being a journalistic endeavor. Rather than publish once a day, you can use a blog to do quick updates. And while blog entries tend to be more informal, unedited, and less rigorously fact-checked than news reports, they don't have to be.
Bloggers can be journalists, and newspapers can add news blogs to their toolbag. I just hope they don't see this as a way to layoff reporters (we'll just replace them with bloggers). Building trust with your audience takes the same skills whether you're a blogger or a journalist, and writers of all stripes deserve to be compensated.
Posted by: Brad | June 24, 2007 at 09:06 PM
bloggers are simply picking up where traditional media outlets have faltered: being the watchdog for good and transparent government.
as a blogger with a journalism degree, i don't find it all that different... i just set my own schedule and don't have to worry about an editor or publisher messing with my content.
Posted by: DaveKCMO | June 25, 2007 at 06:23 PM
hey disco Dave, why did you ban me from your site? I can't agree with what you say in your blog even though your wrong.
Posted by: Jon | June 27, 2007 at 08:36 PM