The Importance of Blogging in Journalism Today

The Importance of Blogging in Journalism Today

By David Stent

Journalism is heading into a new era, an unprecedented one that has allowed anybody with even the shoddiest of writing abilities to become part of the profession. The causation of this is the ‘web log’ or ‘blog’. Originally these were daily diaries of individuals posted on the internet for strangers to read, enjoy and critique, now they serve a much greater purpose as a source of information to quite possibly hundreds of millions of people.

The dying generation of journalists has largely fobbed blogs off as ‘too common’ or ‘journalism without merit’. Yet most writers under the 50 barrier have quickly had to accept this form of writing, as it has become an essential tool of the writer, both amateur and professional, of connecting with their audiences.

Bill Thompson blogged for the BBC in 2005 on this exact notion, saying this seven years ago is some great foresight in this ever-evolving online landscape. "The real point of getting a journalist blogging at this early stage in his or her career is that the bloggers, in all their variety, with all their different skills and abilities and interests and biases, are reshaping the world in which professional journalists operate just as much as the telephone shook up the profession in the first half of the 20th Century."

With the decline of the traditional media, blogs have seen their role in supplying information, news and otherwise, increase exponentially over the last few years. This is not to say the traditional media is dead, far from it. In 2010 99% of links in blogs came from newspapers and broadcast outlets, with just 1% of original reporting. Of that 99%, 4 media outlets; BBC, CNN, New York Times and the Washington Post accounted for 80% of all links from those blogs. It is evident therefore that a reliance on traditional media outlets for information is still hugely prevalent.

The issue that print media has is that they do not have the accessibility, interactivity and have to compete with polarizing production costs. Bloggers can produce content absolutely free of charge whereas news outlets must pay many people decent salaries to produce the information that they do. It is a battle that they may not be able to win in the long term.

Surely though an individual blog cannot have the same devastating impact as a story from a major media outlet can? What can the words of one unknown, lone blogger do to effect change in the minds in many? The answer is a lot, and companies are weary now to this fact, employing divisions of people just to handle their online presence and reputation. Another BBC blog highlighted one such situation in the early days of blogging and Internet activism back in 2005. A blogger, Jeff Jarvis, had received bad customer service from Dell Computers and he proceeded to blog about his bad feelings. His impact was somewhat severe and this incident is now used as a template in how to avoid such events.

A journalist needs to blog, simple as that. A good, well-kept blog can act as a curriculum vitae, a showcase of their talents. It can also pull audiences to their writings in print format. For a journalist not to embrace such an easy tool that can only help them, would be to shoot themselves in the proverbial foot.

Sources:

·       http://www.ojr.org/ojr/robert/931/

·       http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/4492150.stm

·       http://web.mit.edu/comm-forum/mit4/papers/harper.pdf

·       http://thenewsaboutthenews.blogspot.com/2011/01/importance-to-blogging.html

·       http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blog

·       http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/4976276.stm

·       http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6482016/ns/politics/t/bloggers-offer-no-apologies-over-impact-news/#.Tyea2bL8hm4

Book Review - Resident Alien by Rian Malan

A book review that I did for my journalism course...

Unafraid to deal with the controversial, the taboo or the bizarre, Rian Malan’s Resident Alien is a collection of published material from over the world that tells the stories which others won’t. Agree or disagree with the man’s personal views, his arguments are clear and concise, and always exceptionally written.

Collected from works for publications from some of the world’s leading newspapers and magazines, Malan lifts the metaphorical stone in the search for answers and stories that uncover uneasy truths. Whether it be the much publicised questioning of worldwide Aids statistics or the long forgotten Boers of Tanzania there is always a message or opinion which leads you to question your own, a refreshing and enthralling read.

Rian Malan has been a divisive and often disliked member of South Africa’s literary community ever since the publication of his first book, My Traitor’s Heart, which detailed his experiences and internal conflicts growing up in Apartheid South Africa. The pieces in Resident Alien work on the same basis of his personal issues with certain subjects and his crusades against what he believes to be right and wrong. With one writer saying it is, “the finest collection of journalism published in South Africa”, one thing for sure is its brilliance.

Along the way Malan takes us throughout Africa, to America and all over his native South Africa meeting some of the most colourful, crazy and weird people, each with their own amazing tales. There is the last Afrikaner, a petite old white lady, the sole survivor of the other Great Trek to Tanzania. Banished from her own people for bearing the child of her black lover decades before, she stayed when others left living in her mud-hut with her offspring and in turn theirs, she remains ironically racist. Then there is are the father and son truckers of Angola. A bird fanatic and poachers of Uganda. Better-known figures of Thabo Mbeki and music industry moguls make their appearances, although not always getting pleasant commentary. His cast are nothing short of fascinating and the stories that they hold and are associated even more.

His opinions are always meticulously justified and rather than dragging one through boring political discussion (of which he is thoroughly capable), he brings you along on his journey, enabling you with the knowledge to how he came to his views. In his highly controversial pieces on Aids statistics, he was labelled an outright Aids denialist, whereas he rather questioned the reality to overblown Aids figures. One must read what he has to say carefully as it is often increasingly shocking the more one understands the situations he details.

Malan’s work here is not all serious; there are many charming tales of characters who etched their mark in the world. Tales of nature’s beauty and beauty pageants, the pseudo-Irish civil war and Zimbabwean Jewish rockabilly punk bands who toured the world.

One cannot question this man’s ability to write, Rian Malan can certainly write. And the reader, if willing to open their mind, will find their opinions challenged, changed and come out with a different outlook on the society in which we live. There is a reason his articles are the main features in magazines such as Rolling Stone, Esquire and The Maverick, and that’s his brilliance.

Can Web Journalism Replace Traditional Media?

Can Web Journalism Replace Traditional Media? By David Stent

Four years ago the CEO of Microsoft, Steve Balmer, stated in an interview with the Washington Post that, “There will be no media consumption in 10 years that is not delivered over an IP network. There will be no newspapers, no magazines that are delivered in paper form. Everything gets delivered in electronic form.” Now with six years to go until we see if his prediction comes true or not, it is beginning to look more and more likely.

If we were to look back not even two decades such a statement would have been fobbed off by most, yet the rate at which technology is advancing and connecting the world is so rapid it seems very likely that web journalism could very well replace traditional media.

A recent documentary, Page One, on the New York Times explores this exact question. Surely a behemoth, an American institution such as the New York Times need not worry about whether some unknown Internet writers and bloggers could ever become bigger than them? The editors and the writers of the NYT certainly seem worried that they can.

There are many factors as to how this will happen, the most obvious of them being what does the reader want?  In this day and age where information is so readily available, the convenience and accessibility factors of worldly news are starting to trump that of quality. Internet readers want quick bite sized titbits of information to satisfy them, a six-month investigative expose rarely keeps one glued when it is on a computer screen.

The New York Times are one of the fortunate companies that have both a regular national and international readership that allows them to keep afloat with constant sales and advertising revenue, other smaller print outlets have not been able to keep up. It has become far cheaper and easier to advertise online, and such advertisement reaches a far wider audience.

Two very telling facts here is that in America in 2008 & 2009 more than 30,000 newsroom jobs were lost, and in 2010 40 newspapers were forced to stop their presses, of these only 2 went online. It is obvious the change from traditional media to online is happening at a frightening pace. Who could have foreseen an entire industry collapse within a decade?

Online media doesn’t necessarily have to mean that bloggers are to replace the roles of journalists in society, but the move from traditional press media to an online format is as likely as the evolution from horse drawn carriages to motor vehicles. It is something that should be embraced, not feared. Using the New York Times as an example again, the have had to change their business model in order to use technology as an advantage of theirs, and this can be seen in their excellent online publications that are available on tablet computers.

Ultimately the problem that print publications face is that the loss of advertising revenue to the Internet is so crippling that without moving to become an online media source their business is most likely doomed. The balance between maintaining a presence in the print industry and being successful online is tough to balance, especially with the increase bloggers, Twitter and the like.

Sources:

·       http://www.thetechbrief.com/2008/03/31/print-media-vs-online-media-who-will-win/

·       http://www.takepart.com/pageone

·       http://liesdamnedliesstatistics.com/mediafuturereporthighres.pdf

·       http://www.sellingcommunications.com/The_Future_of_Print.546.0.html

·       http://www.journalism.org/analysis_report/new_media_old_media

    http://stateofthemedia.org/

Restaurant Review - Doyu

Here is a restaurant review for the my journalism course....

Restaurant Review – Doyu

There is not much fanfare when it comes to this small, family-owned Chinese restaurant
yet the attraction to this establishment lies not in aesthetics but rather in its authenticity.
Inconspicuously situated down a side road in Rondebosch, a stereotypical Chinese
lantern is the only indicator of its existence.

The décor is somewhat Far-eastern 80’s chic, a few favourable reviews are pasted on
the windows and scribbling’s of past customers don the walls. It is an intimate venue of
roughly 10 tables, but such intimacy assures both good service and a quality meal.

Doyu knows their customer base well. The family supplies two menus, one
typically ‘western’ Chinese and another more traditional menu. If you aren’t feeling
adventurous stick to what you know, have your chicken Chow-Mein and you will no
doubt be wholly satisfied. But the treat of Doyu lies in the surprise. Ask the lovely
daughter of the owners, who works the counter, to suggest what is good and let it be a
surprise.

My meal of Cumin pork ribs, spicy bean curd and what can only be described as a sort
of large seafood spring-roll, left me both sufficiently full and blown away by the tastes
that I barely knew existed. Some delightfully subtle, others wonderfully invasive.

With meals being between R50 – R100, it is more expensive than the common Chinese
establishment; then again portions are so large you can have it again for lunch and
supper the next day. The restaurant lacks much atmosphere and this may see one
prefer a take-away.

Asian restaurants have become common and uninteresting; Doyu though has found a
niche in that it has stuck to an orthodox menu of Chinese cuisine. It is not about pretty
portions or romanticism here, it is about the food and the food is truly amazing.

James Blake's EP - Enough Thunder

Here we have an album review I wrote for the journalism course I completed last year....

James Blake – Enough Thunder EP

James Blake’s music crosses several genres combining elements of each which more
often than not form into a beautiful cacophony. Blake is a singer-songwriter known for
his work as an electronic music producer and a pioneer of the post-dubstep sound.

This new EP, Enough Thunder, like his previous album self-titled James Blake
combines melody, the post-dubstep rhythm and electronic beats, and will appeal to
those who enjoy atmospheric electronica accompanied by one most unique voice.

The mood of the EP is slow and emotive, all themed around love and yearning,
although through the distortion of his voice the lyrics aren’t always clear. Three songs
stand out well above the other three. The first being a collaboration with American
singer-songwriter Justin Vernon of Bon Iver, called Falls Creek Boys Choir. The lyrics
here are warped and difficult to understand, yet one can pick out how that it is about lost
love and loneliness. “I’ll wait for you, you know/ And if we both end up alone/ And if only
we could have known”, although quite arbitrary, each person surely can relate to that
lost love they were willing to wait for.

Next on the EP is James Blake’s cover of the Joni Mitchell song, A Case Of You. Older
generations may be skeptical to a young London kid attempting to make his own of
such a beautiful song, but by God does he do a phenomenal job of it. No electronica,
just Blake and his voice on the piano. Truly exquisite.

Lastly is the song the EP is named after, Enough Thunder. “None of us are crying/ So
we can hope for heartbreak now”, is one of the repetitive lyrics throughout the track. An
ode to heartbreak, and how it sometimes is the best solution.

A stunning EP that lingers in your mind, puts a smile on your face and makes the dreary
days seem quite fine.


Click here to listen to this uniquely wonderful EP.
http://jamesblakemusic.com/enoughthunder/

My three favourite movies of January 2012.

To choose my all-time favourite movie would most likely land me in a mental asylum trying to figure out if the feel-good factor of a Wes Anderson film can top the rush of a well crafted Korean thriller, or if a classic Western trumps one of many modern dramas. I avoid the topic like the plague. On the other hand to choose three on a monthly basis is something I think my delicate mind could just about handle.

3.  Ides Of March - This George Clooney directed, George Clooney acted political drama is set in the backrooms of an upcoming American presidential election where a young, aspiring aide to Governor Mike Morris (Clooney) finds out first hand about the dirty, dark side of the political arena. 

The young staffer is Hollywood's man of the moment, Ryan Gosling, who seemingly couldn't put in a bad performance if he tried. Here he must find a balance between what he feels is right morally and his dreams and place in politics. 

Paul Giamatti, Phillip Seymour Hofman and Evan rachel Wood complete a stunning cast which all together make a fantastic piece of cinema.

2. Blackthorn - As a big fan of Westerns I have become very skeptical towards the modern approach that filmmakers have taken in their production. Some have pleased me greatly, others I'm left feeling cheated and wanting, and I'm forced to rewatch an old favourite to remind myself good Westerns exist.
Here there was massive skepticism. Blackthorn is a rehash of the Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid story yet set in a slighty different world where they did not die, or at least Butch didn't.

Cassidy had changed his name to James Blackthorn and settled in a remote Bolivian mountain range. Yet after many years of loneliness he eventually makes the decision to return to America to meet his long lost nephew. His plans do not quite go to plan and we are taken on an adventure through landscapes of stunning beauty.
Sam Shepard and Stephen Rae, both highly respected actors each side of the Atlantic act superbly along with the well-known Spanish actor Eduardo Noriega.

1. Drive - This choice is a given for number one, and even it being so early in the year it should certainly be a contender for film of the year. Many respectable publications have called it a 'modern classic', 'true masterpiece' and other compliments if equal praise. How it did not pick up Oscar nods for Best Picture, Best Actor for Ryan Gosling (here he is again), Best Supporting Actor for Albert Brooks or Carey Mulligan, Best Director for Nicolas Winding Refn and for Best Score or Editing, is truly beyond me. There is something special about this film that may see it live on for years to come, a cult film, that will sit amongst the other great Oscar tragedies of Citizen Kane or Shawshank Redemption.

In Drive we have the classic Western archetypal character of the mysterious wayfaring stranger, a loner with no past, someone who is quiet and who we know very little about. Ryan Gosling fills this role perfectly as the character we only know as the Driver, equatable to Eastwood's role as the Blondie in The Man With No Name trilogy. By day Driver is an auto-mechanic and stunt driver for Hollywood movies, by night a getaway driver for criminals.
The Driver falls in love with his beautiful next door neighbour, but when her husband returns from prison and he helps him out, a succession of events unravels into the most exquisite of crime thrillers.

First Post... Some European electro beats for ya.

So my first post.. What to do? What to say?

I think I shall leave a few tracks of a new(ish) French music producer I found in the deep dark depths of the internet. He goes by the name 123MRK, and he creates some crazy cool post-dubstep/future garage beats.

123MRK Refined