Blogs are less formal than traditional news sources and come in different types, from personal diary to exposing inaccurate reporting. Some blogs are politically motivated, while others offer alternative news sources. Some journalists also write blogs to provide more information or their own opinions.
The term “blog” is a shortened form of “web logs”. The term casual is used because the medium tends to be less formal than traditional sources of news and information. There are different types of blogs, from those of the personal diary type to those intended to offer the public more information, or more accurate information, than is made available by the normal news outlets. Professional journalists and businesses also use certain types of blogs.
Blog diary types were how blogs got their start. This casual stream of writing and consciousness detailing various aspects of one’s life has become to the Internet what reality shows are to television. Most people like to get a glimpse into someone else’s life.
“New media” is a term used to describe certain types of blogs that expose inaccurate or dishonest reporting, as well as unintentional omissions by the mainstream media. In the US, Little Green Footballs is a good example. The owner, Charles Johnson, is credited with exposing the now dubbed “Rathergate” scandal, which used documents that turned out to be forgeries in an attempt to discredit President Bush regarding his military service.
Johnson also exposed photographer Adnan Hajj, who was hired by Reuters, after grossly doctored photos were submitted by this photographer during the Lebanese-Israeli conflict. LGF and other blog types were quick to investigate other Hajj photographs, exposing many that appear to be dubious and intentionally altered to make matters worse. Reuters subsequently removed nearly 1,000 photographs and is no longer accepting Hajj’s work.
There are also those types of blogs that are politically motivated and attempt to offer a conservative voice, believing many mainstream media sources display a liberal bias. There are also leftist blogs. The authors of these web logs are able to provide information to the public without sugar, without being particularly objective and without worrying about politically correct niceties. In other cases, there are types of blogs that may not be biased at all but simply want to give the public other options for getting news.
While many types of blogs are often frowned upon or seen as unprofessional by many members of the mainstream media, there are in fact some journalists who write blogs as well. Instead of being limited by column space, they can link to a blog in a story and readers can visit that page for more details. A journalist may also offer her point of view or add her opinion in a blog, which is not professional conduct in a real report.
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