Many journalists are wary of blogs. The usual complaint is that there are millions of blogs out there and most of there are catering for an audience of one.
But this misses the point of how the blogging format can be used in journalism. I recently suggested to the Knight New Media Center at USC Annenberg that it should use a blog to cover a conference on science journalism online. The blog by the students covering the event was one of the highlights of the event.
My students at UBC’s School of Journalism have had to keep a blog as part of their assignments this semester. They each have a beat. But in a 21st century twist, they are blogging around the topic instead of writing traditional news stories. Blogging allows them greater freedom to explore, discuss and comment, providing a forum for critical thought, rather than just reporting.
If you are still skeptical about blogs, have a read of the 16 ways the news media can use blogs. Best of all, there are links to examples from news organisations as diverse as the BBC, NPR, The Sydney Morning Herald and Men’s Health.
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