Comments on: The blurred lines between blogging and journalism

By: Condé Nast bridge the gap between bloggers and publishers

Condé Nast bridge the gap between bloggers and publishers — Sat, 23 Jul 2011 13:00:32 +0000

[...] this isn’t the first example we’ve seen of publishers working with bloggers (The Guardian introduced ‘beat bloggers’ to increase coverage of local events), it’s one of the most interesting in terms of how the [...]

By: M Buckley

M Buckley — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 08:28:43 +0000

This discussion looks set to run for years.

Bloggers have had a difficult time showing that what they write is of value to the
public and the idea of shared intellectual capital is relatively new in Ireland.

The question of using one’s real name interests me a lot.
The paranoia that insisted one use avatars and “nom de plumes” in chat rooms
is largely gone now, I think. People are proud to present their true identities
on Twitter and studying who follows whom is almost a social hobby.
When I started blogging, a high-profile American blogger had been sent death threats, ensuring that she literally locked herself into her home. This added to a sense of insecurity in the blogging community.
However this is now history.

While the lines may be blurred between journalism and blogging in the eyes of some bloggers,
the two activities are very different, or so personal experience shows me.

Mornings in a newspaper office are usually spent calming nerves and apologising.
So far, nobody has asked for any apologies, no matter what I write in my blog.

By: SinÃ©ad

SinÃ©ad — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 17:17:57 +0000

I found it really interesting that out of the 244 Irish bloggers I surveyed last year for my research a massive 52% said that they consider their blogging as a form of journalism (and over 58% of them use their real name online). The lines are definitely becoming blurred.

By: Joe

Joe — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 17:07:44 +0000

I think there is decent line in terms of a content standpoint. Journalists are payed to deliver an overview of an event based upon on details not a personal context, they are payed on the ongoing quality of their work. A blogger I think is more opinion based usually driven by a passion for a subject.

By: Lauren Fisher

Lauren Fisher — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 14:04:24 +0000

I would have to agree only up to a point – then it starts to get down to the type of blog. Some are much more focused on news (or discusssion of) whereas some are completely the opposite and would read almost like a diary. Different purposes mean different writing styles, but any blogger worth their salt would also be aware of legal constraints.
You’re dead on about the tension and that’s something I’ve noticed through feedback even on this post alone. It reflects, I think, a change in journalism and that will only become more apparent in the coming months and years. Thank you for your comment!

By: M Buckley

M Buckley — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 11:36:18 +0000

I think that the question of editorial authority is central to this discussion.

Journalists work within a stringent body of legal constraints.

Bloggers tend to have more freedom in what they write and many blogs are closer to literature than to journalism.

I am particularly interested in the tensions between employed journalists and citizen bloggers who seem to be gathering many followers on the Internet.

A really thought provoking post. Thank you for sharing.

By: Christian

Christian — Sat, 03 Jul 2010 12:52:05 +0000

Not sure it’s semantics, and I’d also say payment has nothing to do with it. If people are using the wrong words to describe what they are doing then it’s bad English in my opinion. Oxford describes a Blog (Weblog) as “a personal website on which an individual records opinions, links to other sites, etc. on a regular basis” and a journalist as “a person who writes for newspapers or magazines or prepares news to be broadcast on radio or television”. Now I accept that the definition of a journalist should be expanded to include any broadcast medium, but I believe the defining point is ‘news’. As a blogger I do not report the news. I may write a commentary on current affairs etc. but that doesn’t make me a journalist. Consider the widely accept term ‘columnist’. I suggest that columnist and blogger are inter-changeable but not journalist.

By: Lauren Fisher

Lauren Fisher — Sat, 03 Jul 2010 12:37:43 +0000

Payment is obviously a key criteria! But not sure if it’s enough of a differentiator in itself. Things obviously get tricky when payment comes into it from bloggers – where the money has come from, full disclosure etc. and it’s an interesting point.

By: Ronan

Ronan — Sat, 03 Jul 2010 10:12:50 +0000

For me, I’m a blogger rather than a journalist. Although what the two do are extremely similar, I won’t consider myself a journalist until someone gets around to paying me for what I do.

By: Lauren Fisher

Lauren Fisher — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 15:54:52 +0000

Interesting – and looking at the points I’d say that most bloggers (or the ones I know!) would adhere to these. I think it’s coming down to semantics, and personal interpretation. If Mike Arrington for example called himself a journalist or a blogger, neither would surprise me or seem odd.
The thing I just kept thinking as I wrote the post was that it matters less and less, when the 2 are moving so close together. Is it just a matter of terminology, or does it go deeper than that?

By: Christian

Christian — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 15:33:58 +0000

The NUJ (National Union of Journalists for UK and Ireland) sets out the responsibilities of a journalist – http://www.nuj.org.uk/innerPagenuj.html?docid=174

Would it not be safe to say that if you follow these points, whether you write for an online or offline publication, or whether you get paid or not, then you are a journalist?