Blogging A Cultural Phenomenon
Blogging is changing the media world and could, I think, foment a revolution in how journalism functions. Blogs have become a cultural phenomenon because they offer a simple, cheap way for anyone with an internet connection to start their own global publication. The result is that the spheres of journalism, politics, public relations – to name a few – have been changed inexorably by the rise of bloggers who offer alternative voices that hadn't been heard before. Blogs are more compelling than the old style of news-writing because the bloggers have a voice and emotions and are speaking direct to you. Celebrities, specially movie stars, enjoy the chance to communicate directly with their fans. Unfortunately, most of them don't stick with it long enough to make their blogs compelling reading. But a few do it very well.
Blogs do two things. First off, blogs are personal. Almost all of them are imbued with the temper of their writer. This personal touch is much more in tune with our current sensibility than were the opinionated magazines and newspapers of old.
The second thing blogs do is - seize the means of production. It's hard to underestimate what a huge deal this is. For as long as journalism has existed, writers of whatever kind have had one route to readers: They needed an editor and a publisher. Even in the most benign scenario, this process subtly distorts journalism. You find yourself almost unconsciously writing to please a handful of people - the editors looking for a certain kind of story, the publishers seeking to push a particular venture, or the advertisers who influence the editors and owners. Blogging simply bypasses this ancient ritual.
Over the past few weeks I have found myself addicted to reading blogs. The best ones offer a wonderfully brainy, personal and irreverent way of seeing the world. The way many of the blogs become part of the media as a news or a feature, my guess is that someday soon, blogs will be the backbone of print media. So while I have got lots to learn from blogs, I am always eager to be part of that conversation. I observe a big part of blogs is to encourage readers to turn the blog into a running dialogue between the bloggers and the readers.
Blogs do two things. First off, blogs are personal. Almost all of them are imbued with the temper of their writer. This personal touch is much more in tune with our current sensibility than were the opinionated magazines and newspapers of old.
The second thing blogs do is - seize the means of production. It's hard to underestimate what a huge deal this is. For as long as journalism has existed, writers of whatever kind have had one route to readers: They needed an editor and a publisher. Even in the most benign scenario, this process subtly distorts journalism. You find yourself almost unconsciously writing to please a handful of people - the editors looking for a certain kind of story, the publishers seeking to push a particular venture, or the advertisers who influence the editors and owners. Blogging simply bypasses this ancient ritual.
Over the past few weeks I have found myself addicted to reading blogs. The best ones offer a wonderfully brainy, personal and irreverent way of seeing the world. The way many of the blogs become part of the media as a news or a feature, my guess is that someday soon, blogs will be the backbone of print media. So while I have got lots to learn from blogs, I am always eager to be part of that conversation. I observe a big part of blogs is to encourage readers to turn the blog into a running dialogue between the bloggers and the readers.
posted by Tilak Rishi | 5:00 PM
1 Comments:
Very true. I always find it interesting to read blogs of various Indian celebrities and even those from outside India like that of Paulo Cohelo, Iacocaah etc. I also feel that if used responsibly and sensibly blogs can help students and young people in their career. I wrote an article for a local newspaper covering this.
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