Discussions

Is blogging = to journalism?

Posted by LillyMouse • 3/13/08 • Subscribe to this Discussion [RSS] • Report This Topic

This Q is being bandied about and I wondered what the masses thought on blogcatalog?

1. Are you an independent publisher, a online journalist or a blogger?

User Comments

3/13/08

Toppy

There seems to be two questions in your message.

1) Is blogging = to journalism?
2) Are you an independent publisher, an online journalist or a blogger?

First question is pretty easy. Blogging is not equal to journalism, you can check in a dictionary what journalism is and many blogs just don't match it in content and quality.

Question two could fall into ego and semantics, will be interesting to see some of the answers. I'm a blogger, almost.

That being said blogs are not about competing with 'journalism' or mainstream media, etc, etc. It's a whole different beast.

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3/13/08

clioandme

There was a discussion on this question last fall in one of the groups here, Blog Straight Talk. I thought the answer would be straightforward, but the course of the discussion showed I was wrong: www.blogcatalog.com/group/blog-straight-talk/discuss/entry/smackdown-journa...

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1. 3/13/08
  
  LillyMouse
  
  Crickey, I'm not sure I have time to read such a long and windy discussion! I thought this would be a yay or nay!
  
  Perhaps blogging doesn't need any comparison to journalism - perhaps it stands proudly independent... whew. Okay let's just forget this question! lol!
3/13/08

Manictastic

Blogging isn't completely equal to journalism. Journalists, for instance, have normally enjoyed an education in reporting the news. They are also obliged to fulfil a number of rules to be "neutral". They should always be able to support the things which they say. But, of course, journalism standards have lowered in recent years because of commercialism.

Bloggers can publish anything they want. They are often very biased and they can blatantly lie without to heavy consequences. But, if you have a news blog, you will probably mostly do opinion and not present sole facts. Yet, news blogs should try and respect some/all the codes which are in place for real journalists.

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3/13/08

Kiwipulse

Blogging as I know is the new media in the 21st century. I wrote a post about and the videos explained it very clearly!
www.kiwipulse.com/blogging-101-great-videos-for-startup-bloggers/

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3/13/08

kristilinauer

I have yet to see a blog that I would consider "journalism".

Journalists have an obligation to report the facts--apart from bias and opinion, although many these days have strayed from this.

Bloggers, on the other hand, may write about current events, but usually do so from their own point of view, freely sharing their opinions.

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3/13/08

Shiley

I don't think blogging and journalism are the same. As a journalist you go out and chase a beat, dig for the truth (you hope), and you have to be objective. As a blogger I have my own opinion and as a reader you're subjected to that opinion. As a reporter, unless you are doing yellow journalism, it's just the facts and if you have an opinion you're not suppose to voice it.

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3/13/08

whojaybe

Blogging = Writer, doesn't have to be a journalist though...

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3/14/08

jackpayne

Blogging is a new form of journalism.

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3/14/08

JeanR

Journalism and blogging are not the same thing. Too much personal opinion is included in blog entries to be classified as journalism. Journalists also have a code of ethics they usually follow that includes being factual and impartial and there is no such code for bloggers.

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1. 3/15/08
  
  LillyMouse
  
  Do journalists claim to do the impossible by claiming to be objective...? how possible is it, really, to separate yourself from your emotions or opinions?
3/15/08

clioandme

I'd say some of the blogs on this list blur the distinctions between blogging and journalism, whatever they might be: www.blogcatalog.com/discuss/entry/worlds-50-most-powerful-blogs

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3/15/08

bloggingmix

A good blogger is a good journalist. A good journalist may not necessarily be a good blogger. I guess there's more to blogging than simply writing (SEO, tones, approaches etc.) but I'm not saying that journalism is plain writing either.

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3/15/08

friedclyde

the real question is....

is journalism = journalism nowadys?

the media is bought and news is sold

some bloggers are true journalists.....

i did a Pgd in journalism.....so did my gf...n now we r bloggers...

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3/15/08

Toppy

Lilymouse, I guess you don't believe in the legal system either? Judges are supposed to be neutral as well.

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3/15/08

musampa

never

blogging = money 80%

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3/15/08

kaybday

I'm not sure there is a straightforward answer. Just about every working journalist I know blogs. So they're bloggers too. And many bloggers support the professional standards working journalists do--I see blogs every day that impress me--The Issue, Politics Anew, Ron Silliman's (easily the most influential poetry blog in the world) and there are too many to name. I don't think you can say bloggers are/are not journalists. We're all writers. Some of us do a mix. Many of us use blog software to publish independently, practice journalism and do other things to have fun and make money.

Journalism preaches lack of bias, but too often advocacy journalism is practiced. Without telling the reader. I think you can espouse any cause as long as you tell the reader--this is something I personally feel strongly about.

I judge a blog by its cover I guess. Like a book.

best, Kay

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3/15/08

kdawg68

Journalism is something best left to professionals, although I do think it's possible for blogging to lead to a professional career as a journalist.

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3/24/09

TheSunMaker

comment removed by the community.

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3/24/09

thetravellerreturns

i think its easy to write like a journalist, personally i dont like the style of a newspaper journo, theres no taste to it, i think its good to have your own style.

i got sucked into writing like a journo but stopped instantly and kept my own style.

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