Warblogs are personal weblogs that focus on ongoing wars, often written by soldiers, aid workers, or journalists. They provide unique information and personal perspectives on political issues related to a war. Warblogs became popular after the 9/11 attacks and have expanded the number of internet users who create their own blogs. Some warblog writers have gone on to write for established media, and some soldiers and citizens have collected their blog posts as books or have been featured in documentaries. However, critics may be skeptical of personal reports without editing or review.
A warblog is a type of weblog that usually focuses on the issues or events of an ongoing war. Often the authors of warblogs have been soldiers, aid workers or journalists close to or witnessing firsthand the events of a war. Like other weblogs, or blogs, they are usually written from a first-person perspective, relating events as the author saw or experienced them. Some of these warblogs have been seen as a form of reporting that provides unique information. Less often, a warblog may present a personal view of political issues related to a war, without the author being close to the war itself.
Warblogs were first identified as a unique type of blog that dealt with the aftermath of September 11, 2001, the terrorist attacks on the United States, and that country’s response to them. At first, they were part of a larger online discussion about terrorist attacks. They developed further during US involvement in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Sometimes they are associated with snapshot reports from journalists covering a war. The warblog idea has also come to include personal accounts of warfare by active combatants, ex-soldiers, or local citizens.
After the start of the US wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, personal accounts of soldiers and citizens have increased in popularity and attention. Some considered them different, or even more accurate, accounts of the wars. Some observers were uneasy at how they differed from journalist reports or official accounts. Others have welcomed the alternative perspective. In this way, they are often seen as an example of how news sources have grown on the Internet.
Some warblog writers went on to write formally for established media. Some American soldiers and Iraqi citizens have collected their blog posts as books. Others have been featured in documentaries or even dramatized.
In some cases, warblogging has been seen as a form of citizen denunciation. This type of reporting is usually thought of as a series of personal stories published by someone with no formal training in journalism. Some readers have seen it as a more comprehensive description of the war than the normal reports. On the other hand, critics may be skeptical of personal reports that have not been edited or reviewed or were written by a person without a journalism background.
The first instances of the use of the term warblog came just a few years after the term blog became popular. It appeared in newspapers a few weeks after the 9/11 attacks. Some credit warblogs with greatly expanding the number of Internet users who have created their own blogs.
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