Negative aspects of blogging

However, the occurrence of misinformation is higher than other traditional media outlets. Traditional journalists argue that information from blogs cannot be trusted because there is “ no quality control, peer review and editorial selection” (Meikle 2005: 81). Therefore, the quantity of information produced within such a low cost and effort at a high speed makes misinformation a frightening problem to deal with (Ingram 2007: 1). Goodrum (cited in Ingram 2007: 2) further emphasises this point “ traditional media may have privileges, but they also have responsibilities”, hence will not misinform the public. A survey conducted by University of South California asserts that 66 percent prefer traditional media outlets for more serious issues, such as political news (Harper 2007: 1). In addition, due to the amount of misinformation generated by blogs, critics have indicated that bloggers have not merited a right to speak so publicly, “ stating that publicity needs to be earned to a certain standard” (Cohen 2006: 163). Kawamoto (2003: 16) believes that individuals who publish online information should be credited professionals working for “ a legitimate news organization”. Therefore, it is in this aspect that blogs lack consumers’ trust, causing more conventional forms of media to take advantage of this fact.


The term ‘truth’ is a highly significant word for bloggers. Truth is what they believe is missing in mainstream media. In the ongoing Iraq war, bloggers sent independent reporters to Baghdad or party conventions to seek information feared was filtered out by conventional media outlets. Consider the example of the Abu Graib prisoner abuse photographs shot and circulated outside military channels. Rumsfeild elaborates this point,

“ We’re functioning with peacetime constraints, with legal requirements, in a wartime situation in the Information age, where people are running around with digital cameras and taking these unbelievable photographs and then passing them off, against the law, to the media” (Jenkins 2006: 215).


Blogs reveal the ‘unsaid truth’ by exposing sceptics’ doubt and insecurity about issues. They play on audiences’ emotions and reactions, thereby causing a greater impact on the public as compared with print/broadcast journalism (Lovink 2007: 7-8). Lovink further states that the practice of blogging is a “ nihilistic venture” because media ownership is questioned and attacked by the public sphere (Lovink 2007: 8). Bloggers are put in a favourable position of media observers, hence they pursue what they believe is the ‘ truth’ and have no intention of stopping. However, ‘ truth’ is unavoidably subjective. As Lovink (2007: 11) continues to argue,

“ blogging is a relentless pursuit in the age of exhaustion. They explore what happens once you’ve smashed the illusion that there is a persona behind the avalanche of similar lifestyles choices and pop identities within online social networks”.

Therefore, the blogging community offers the public unlimited amount of resources of what they perceive to be ‘ truth’ (The Economist Limited 2006: 2). However, these definitions of ‘ truth’ may instead be misinformation.