Positive aspects of blogging

The interactive quality of blogs is perhaps one of the most challenging features that traditional journalism is threatened by. Stovall (2004: 30) states that the weblog’s interactivity will cause a dramatic change in journalism. Lasica (2002, cited in Stovall 2004: 30) believes that the weblog may contribute to new forms of journalism, in terms of public discourse. Participants are free to upload whatever they feel is significant, from articles to announcements, hence indicating that the gatekeeping and editorial selection process does not exist in blogs (Meikle 2005: 71). Bloggers have more freedom in expressing their opinions without having to provide adequate information, a characteristic that is pertinent to traditional journalism (Landman, cited in Lovink 2006: 119). Due to the blog’s personal and subjective form, traditional media notion of one-way communication has changed into a site for multilateral interaction (Landman, cited in Lovink 2006: 120). For example, Howard Dean’s staff in the election campaign used blogging to foster a personal relationship with his supporters.

“They deployed ‘smart mob’- style tactics to quickly launch rallies, drawing together thousands of people at a time when other candidates were still speaking to half-empty rooms” (Jenkins 2006: 210).

In addition, blogging has become so user-friendly- it just takes a click of the mouse to facilitate an online debate (Meikle 2005: 71). Viewers can also connect to other related articles through information links provided on the blog. For instance, Streamtime (an international support campaign for new media initiatives in Iraq) provides links to

“ information from the former Yugoslavia about cartoonists and Belgrade humour, stories about first web- experiences and information exchanged in the former Yugoslavia during the 90’s war” (Landman, cited in Lovink 2006: 119).

It is thus evident that user-generated content on the Internet has caused a decline in influence of traditional sources of information (Dooley 2006: 2). Lovink (2007: 3) emphasises that traditional media has fallen short in incorporating open, interactive messages from their communities. Therefore, blogging provides an interaction that traditional forms of journalism cannot match.


Blogging’s appeal, an aspect that traditional journalism is threatened by, lies in the consistent changes of information formatting. This is much unlike the rigid formats of conventional journalism that contribute to its readers’ loss of interest (Landman, cited in Lovink 2006: 119). Blogs’ design piloted by open and free publishing, accessibility and “ low-to no literacy and multi-linguality” is another characteristic of its appeal (Landman, cited in Lovink 2006: 126). Their straightforward nature, allowing new participants to publish articles inexpensively further cements their appeal. (Shaughnessy 2007: 2). In addition, the audience for blogs is indefinite (Cohen 2006: 164). This means that blogs as a form of journalism is more accessible because its circulation is not defined by the traditional and geographical boundaries that constitute print/broadcast media. Hence,

“ reporters anywhere in the world can take photos or videos of a demonstration, write about it, and email the full package for quick posting on a website” (Kawamoto 2003: 15).

Therefore, journalists are more cautious with material posted online, as any piece of contentious information can be detrimental to their career. Bloggers, as free agents of their work, are less likely to account to anyone about controversial material (Landman, cited in Lovink 2007: 4). Thus, bloggers can write controversial opinion pieces, without facing risks that the article might not get published or worse ‘unread’.


Blogs normally provide an alternative view of the article, unlike traditional media whose views are of a mainstream dominant group. They believe that the mainstream media has already voiced out dominant views, hence it was their obligation to provide the unconventional position missing in the corporate-controlled media (Wall, cited in Kawamoto 2003: 115). For example, in Streamtime, Cecile Landman looks for articles, which provide fresh insight on how Iraqis struggle in the war (Lovink 2006: 118). Hence, blogging is an added dimension to the public sphere that enhances democracy through its ability to speak for the minority (Cohen 2006: 163). According to Jenkins (2006: 208), blogging incorporates new techniques into journalism: “ access, participation, reciprocity, and peer-to-peer”. For example, in Streamtime, information is compiled from both existing Iraqi blogs and further verified with other Iraqis and credited journalists (Landman, cited in Lovink 2006: 126). Therefore, it is evident that blogging as journalism not only voices marginalised views, but also provides accurate accounts. It is in this sense that mass media has lost their claim on ‘ truth’ and are not in the position to hold authority (Lovink 2007: 10).


Bloggers are not as retractable as professional journalists because they are allowed to remain anonymous. They are thus able to comment on sensitive topics, which might have been censored by the government in traditional media outlets. In addition, traditional journalists may not get their articles published because it does not cater to the newspapers’ agenda; hence blogs offers a different option (Devine, cited in Dooley 2006: 2). In the digital age, information in blogs is not bound by territorial limits. Blogging has become a form of communication to express views, however controversial, without being penalised. For example, the comment “ We don’t want a racist government!” would have gone unpublished in more conservative countries like Singapore (Landman, cited in Lovink 2006: 123). Media organizations filtered out ‘ inappropriate’ messages, cultivating the demand for participatory media forms (Jenkins 2006: 210). Therefore, due to the freedom of posting any form of content, blogs appear to be the catalysts “ causing normalization and banalization” (Lovink 2007: 2).


According to Stovall (2004: 32), no media organization can attempt to match the constant update of information, however they are in certain ways similar to 24-hour television news. Niles (cited in Terdiman 2007: 1) states that the web directly publishes articles from its sources, allowing audiences immediate access globally. Hence, blogs are a source of up-to-date information, creating a ‘media black hole’ where newspapers have a time gap in which no news is published. Due to this immense speed of information update, blogs have become the first medium that audiences (including journalists) seek information For example in the recent Virginia school massacre, students were able to learn details of the event at a much quicker pace (Ingram 2007: 1).