QIT#8 I’m sick and tired of this infernal blog debate

This is something I’ll put more thought into tomorrow, but I needed to post this in order to sleep!

It was prompted by a panel discussion at the Journalism Leaders Forum today where, once again, the “blogs are rubbish and can’t be trusted” mantra was trotted out by some of the panel members.

Why? Why are we still even having this debate?

Why is it that when you talk about blogs to some journalists, the images that pop into their heads are of the celebrity-obsessed, the political rumour-mongers or the batshit insane?

Why don’t they think about the first hand accounts of conflict, the well-respected tech news sites, the local community information or those producing focused industry analysis?

(Oh, and as for that “citizen journalism“… well who needs that?)

9 thoughts on “QIT#8 I’m sick and tired of this infernal blog debate”

You were excellent and had a number of salient, important and thoughtful points. That some of the participants were still living in the past is one of the reasons the industry is in crisis. That there are thoughtful, passionate journalists like you is one of the possible reasons to look optimistically to a future for journalism.

As with all forms of media, from the first printing press to twitter, there are those who just don’t get it, those who do, those who use it well, and those who don’t.
Blogging is a relatively new medium that has its place, but that place has to be fought for and proven. Twas ever thus.
I believe it can be a force for good, and your eloquent support is key to its survival.

I had “blogs are all piffle” on a training course I was teaching on last week.

I’ve taken to carrying a copy of Doctor Who Adventures to such trainings, so I can then go on to define what a magazine is by flicking through it: “So, magazines have free gifts on the cover, are based on TV shows, and have lots and lots of photos from the TV show inside, as well as quizzes, puzzles and posters”.

That normally makes the point…