Blogs help create a sense of community as opposed to traditional news sources which are very closed and isolated. People are able to freely express themselves while sharing their passions and knowledge. Blogs allow an open space for everyday people to discuss things ranging from food, fashion, to politics as well as to find inspiration. However, I don’t believe that blogs can take over traditional news sources because both are in their own lane and should not be compared or put against one another. With that being said, many people try to downplay blogs and state that they are not at the same level as news sources. In the article “Why Bloggers Can’t Replace the Work of Professional Journalists,” Tony Rogers states that “The problem with having blogs replace newspapers is that most bloggers don’t produce news stories on their own. Instead, they tend to comment on news stories already out there — stories produced by professional journalists.” In this statement, he belittled bloggers by indirectly calling them nonprofessionals. It is disappointing to know that people have such negative stereotypes of bloggers, viewing them all as people who sit in front of their computers, relaxing at home, taking ideas and news from traditional news sources, and just adding their opinion. It brings about the question of what determines if a person should be labeled as a professional/real reporter. It is as though it is being stated that you need to be working for a top notch news station such as CNN to be looked at as being professional or worthy of gaining respect from the media world. Blogs are more beneficial to the current and future generations while traditional news sources are more relatable for the previous generations. Another reason why blogs would not be able to take over news sources is because the only time a blog is acknowledged is if it is popular and is under a source such as CNN or BBC. In “The Rise of the Professional Blogger,” Benjamin Carlson states that “an immense proportion of the online readership—roughly 42% of all blog traffic—flows to the top 50 blogs. Users hunting for blogs typically end up directed by search engines to the same group of highly-linked, already popular sites.” This shows that everyday bloggers or “amateurs” are underappreciated and never receive the opportunity to showcase their knowledge and opinions for many to see. For example, if you want to find out more information about fashion, you would only be taken to the highest ranking blogs that could help you with fashion. The main issue is that the older generations are afraid that since blogs are catching and keeping the attention of the youth, it will soon take over considering that “microblogging fulfills a need for an even faster mode of communication. By encouraging shorter posts, it lowers users’ requirement of time and thought investment” (Why We Twitter: Understanding Microblogging Usage and Communities). Blogging is very much quicker than news sources and that is why many people in today’s society prefer it over the news from sources such as the New York Times. Since both blogs and news sources cater to different audiences, one can never take over the other and become more popular. It all depends on the type of person you are and what your preference may be. If you enjoy having open discussions, learning about something while considering someone’s opinion about that topic, or if you enjoy a modern way of keeping up with the current events, blogging is the route to choose. However, if you appreciate objective, factual information, a traditional news source is the way to go.
Feb 07