My first impression of blogs growing up was having the close
minded thought that they only pertained to video game junkies, or people
fighting over what was happening on the show Lost. I felt like they were just a place where people with no time on their hands went to fight over topics that were of no significance,
stirring up virtual fights for their own entertainment. Little did I know that blogs have a very
significant role in the world of mass media today. There are over 70 million World Press blogs
worldwide, and “4 out of 5 internet users visit social networks and blogs” (http://thesocialskinny.com/100-more-social-media-statistics-for-2012/).
With “readership greater than many
well-established mainstream publications,” (Converging Media) reporters, political
activists, tech junkies and many other people with different interests have the
ability to combine visual aids, video, and writing through a digital medium
that allows interactive discussion between the readers and writer. This technological convergence of media is
changing the way the world is receiving their news and information. Instead of having to read an article in the
paper, then turning on the TV to get video coverage, the consumer is now able
to do all of that at once. A great
example of this is through the blog “The Fix” which is Chris Cillizza’s
political blog for the Washington Post (http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/). This blog incorporates everything that a
consumer would want in looking for engaging political news and activity. Whether they want to read an article, see the
latest photo’s or links to video on anything Washington, it is there! With some posts gaining over 1000 comments,
it is obvious to see that blogs have the capability to not only inform the
public, but also engage them in current news to help them form their own views
and be a more informed citizen.
While there are many great blogs
out there that are very credible, there are certain things that they must
contain to keep the reader engaged and make them come back. Journalism
2.0 states that if your posts are short and to the point, you are able to post
more. Frequency of posts is very
important to the reader, which is what brings them back to see what is new. The greatest feature of blogs is that they
are able to share links to other sites, blogs, or video that can enhance what the
writer is saying or give other views on a topic to help further the
conversation being initiated. Blogs are
also able to give a visual appeal that newspapers and television cannot
provide. With different backgrounds, images sprinkled in the text, and other
interactive features you are able to provide, blogs become an interactive news experience
that has never been seen before. Through
the ability to engage the viewers with this interactive news experience, blogs
are becoming an enormous mass medium for the media. A more informed an interactive public will
only help and move our society forward to becoming more engaged citizens of the
world.
While I agree with most of your statements about the rising credibility and usefulness of blogs, i feel like more can be said about the specificity of blogs. For example, in your example of the 'Lost' blog or 'The Fix' you gave no mention of the specificity of each blog post. What is so wonderful about blogs, as opposed to newspaper articles and such, is that each has a direct and meaningful title as well as a subject category. On 'The Fix' Chris Cillizza has a title for each post like "What would prompt Todd Akin to end his Senate campaign" and above it says "Controversial Statements." This not only lets the reader know that Todd Akin ended his Senate campaign but it probably came after a controversial statement made by himself. This is not to discredit your opinion and slant of what makes a blog good, just an additional highlight feature blogs offer that newspaper articles don't. I enjoyed your final paragraph about the interactive features of a blog and how that makes the experience better for readers. I think the interactive qualities are whats making blogs more and more popular. The reader can be distracted within the blog instead of outside the blog. Where a reader would be distracted by the tv, computer, or cell phone while reading a newspaper, in a blog the reader becomes distracted by other features of the blog. It creates its own addiction to distraction and provides the support so that the reader doesn't exit the blog and finds new information and sections of the blog. Overall this was a very good post about credible and interactive blogs. Thank you!
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