Journalism is Changing - are you ready?

Week 7 : Potential of blogs and moblogs

I believe that blogs will shape the future of our world. Politicans and policy makers will have to pay more attention to what people are thinking through these “public spheres.” As people spend more and more time on-line and in virtual space, blogs are the equivalent of our “private diaries” which people used to write in before they go to bed. Blogs are places where we can rant and write out hearts out, but it can be accessed by everyone who has access to a computer and the Internet. To me, a blog is a place where we can share a part of ourselves with the world, and we can also meet like-minded people through our blogs as well.

Dr. Quinn writes in his book: "it is a place with very few boundaries where people can experiment with form, content, and language. It is the antithesis of a large news organization" (2005, p. 76).

Moblogs are extremely hot now because it combines the convenience of a mobile phone with the Internet. Practically everyone has a mobile phone now, and most phones today are equipped with a camera. If we see something happening, let’s say a fire or a politician with his mistress, we can take a quick snap-shot and post it on the net in a matter of a few seconds! Violà – the world can find out about the lastest and most up-to-date news visually on moblogs. It’s much faster than any traditional newspaper or even their respective websites. Pictures also show everything as it happens, so there is little or even no need to write any descriptions. It’s photojournalism without the expensive cameras and the process of going through editors and all those “professionals.” It’s a DIY (do it yourself) way to show what you saw!

According to Wikipedia, there’s even a National Day Moblog in Singapore since 2004!

I think more and more traditional news outlets will begin to accept that bloggers and mobloggers are competitors to their business. I, however, think that the two types of news sources can survive alongside each other. I think the two complement each other very well. For example, a picture taken from a cell phone can mean so much more if it’s explained within a given context and with historical background behind the event. This is what mainstream journalists are good at doing! The Nation’s website also accepts pictures from their readers and this is just an example of how “amateurs” can join the “big leagues.”