Is blogging threatening traditional journalism?

In the 21st century, digital journalism as a mainstream is fast becoming a trend (Kawamoto 2003: 7). Conventional journalism threatened by the popularity of the bloggers has begun to fight back. The Economist Newspaper Limited (2006: 2) states that the Web has allowed anyone with an Internet connection and a keyboard to the exclusive world of qualified media representatives. The popularity of blogging clearly indicates that they are becoming symbols of new media, especially in the today’s contemporary society (Ingram 2007: 1). Therefore, this essay will firstly discuss the positive aspects of blogging that threatened traditional journalism: interactivity, appeal of blogging by consumers, alternative views, ‘anonymousity’ and media ownership (not applicable to blogs). Secondly, this essay will also discuss the negative aspects of blogging advantageous to conventional journalism: misinformation and the ‘ quest of truth’. Lastly, this essay will analyse the solutions that traditional journalism has taken, in order to compete with this new form of journalism.

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).

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.

Solutions undertaken by traditional journalism

Traditional forms of journalism have adapted in line with the emergence of blogs in order to retain its competitive edge (Rosen & Merrit 1994, cited in Kuhn & Neveu 2002: 204-5). Walker (cited in Jenkins 2006: 1) elaborates that old media are evolving into more transparent, efficient and interactive mediums, in order to compete. Conventional media has begun to form new businesses both on- and offline (The Economist Newspaper Limited 2006: 1). Investing in free daily papers, such as Melbourne’s MX is one example.


The increase of journalists who have turned to blogging instead of more conventional media outlets clearly shows that traditional journalism has started to integrate blogging into their agenda. This can be seen by the creation of conservative columnist Andrew Sullivan’s blog, whose blog attracts a large readership (Flew 2005: 78). Bloggers have started to take on journalistic role by controlling not only “ powers-that-be”, but also conventional journalism through their analysis on news and the manner of reportage. This is evident by the fact that mainstream media publishes “ pajama bloggers’ personal critiques and counter-perspectives” (Lovink 2006: 120). In fact, even big media companies have taken advantage of blogging. For instance, Newsvine, financed by former Disney and ESPN executives, is based on citizen journalism (Shaughnessy 2007: 1). Therefore, mainstream media has clearly dealt with competition from the practice of blogging.


Although there is a decline of interest in newspapers, media organizations have viewed the Internet as a chance to reinvent themselves, in order to challenge the consequences of the popularity of blogging (Fine, cited in Cho 2007: 1). Traditional journalists, in a bid to recapture audience’s attention, have begun to post news online (Tunstall, cited in Kuhn & Neveu 2006: 227). Editors have recognised competition from blogs and are hence attempting to adjust to 21st century readership (Pecquerie, cited in Fitzgerald 2007: 1). By using the Internet in creative and interactive measures, it has become clear that traditional journalism have begun to fight back. PBS, for example, has directed audiences to their website for more detailed information (Kawamoto 2003: 11). Another example can be seen in how Minnesota Public Radio has invited the public to participate in publishing news (youtube). This can be seen below in the youtube video.


In addition, big media organizations have begun to bend their conventional rules towards online journalism (Sandoval 2007: 1). This can be seen by how editors now perceive news as a “ conversation with readers, rather than a lecture from journalists” (Villa, cited in Harper 2007: 1). However, there is hope for traditional reporting. Fine (cited in Cho 2007: 1) states that

“ there will always be an audience for the things that old media do best: pursuing investigative journalism, keeping governments accountable and providing local stories you won’t get anywhere else. She adds that even though newspapers’ average operating margin slipped to 17 percent in 2006, and won’t be as profitable as before, that does not mean they are doomed”.

Therefore, the slow but noticeable change in traditional journalism has indicated that the practice of blogging is a challenging threat to overcome.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Trippi (cited in Jenkins 2006: 210) aptly sums up the argument,

“ While TV was a medium that rendered us dumb, disengaged, and disconnected, the Internet makes us smarter, more involved and better informed”.

In contemporary society where convergence culture has become the trend, it has become increasingly effortless for anyone to publish comments (Blood 2000: 5). Therefore, citizen journalism has begun to define traditional media’s editorial agenda (Luckhurst 2007: 2-3). It is in this sense that the practice of blogging- providing information and experience, has become the new form of journalism (Stovall 2004: 228). Therefore, blogging has indeed posed challenges to traditional conceptions of journalism. However, their relentless pursuit of ‘ truth’ may also be their downfall and hence be advantageous to traditional journalism instead.


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