Anyone with an opinion and a computer can be a blogger. The effect of their opinion depends on who sees that blog. Take me for example. I am a blogger, unintentional though it may be, due to the requirements of a journalism class and now my opinions are available to anyone able to find my blog.
And while the number of people reading this blog may be limited, many blogs have large numbers of very dedicated readers. Many people consider them as a source of news. And how can you blame readers when blogs are so easily found in mainstream media? The Denver Post website has an entire page dedicated to their blogs. Blogs are a part of the way society communicates.
However I don’t think that means that blogs should be allowed to effect mainstream media that they did during the 2004 Presidential election. When 60 Minutes II reported that President George W. Bush may have been given special treatment during his time in the National Guard, bloggers quickly published posts questioning the authenticity of the documents upon which the whole story was based. This set off a chain reaction of blogs and traditional news stories, all trying to prove or disprove the credibility of someone else’s story. It all seemed to become more like gossip than actual news coverage.
Blogs serve a purpose. They offer an outlet for expression to the opinionated, and allow mainstream media to expand on their coverage of a topic. Blogs are broadening the spectrum of communication, which should be encouraged, but I believe that caution should be used when crossing blogs with traditional news coverage. Opinions should be heard, just not confused with facts.
Blogs are still a new toy in the Internet age. I think over time we will develop a way to better incorporate blogs into mainstream media and wonder how we ever lived with without them, but for now I am still skeptical of what I read in a blog.
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