The Future of Journalism
 
 
Blogging in traditional journalism- extending the boundaries, challenging traditional authorities, and stirring controversy over journalism and journalists

Blog entries on Poynter website:

Mindy McAdams, a journalism professor at the University of Florida

"The value of allowing — even encouraging — readers to extend and enhance a story should be obvious, … (Participatory) models could work well for news organizations ... but the news organizations would have to allow them to work. To do that, the news organizations would first need to get over the elitism that makes journalists think they can tell the story better than other people in all cases."

John Granatino, vice president of news and operations at Belo Interactive, responded that readers have a proprietary interest in the outcome of stores.

"It is this self-interest that will guide how they tell the story. This distinguishes them from good journalists who do not care which side prevails, as long as all relevant truths are being reported. … It is not elitism that causes journalists to think they can tell stories better than other people. Telling stories, without fear or favor, is what good journalists are trained to do."

Several media organizations have blogs, but they're edited

NYTimes deal with RadioUserland to allow bloggers to insert links to daily headlines [with annotations allowed] into their blogs.

MSNBC WeblogCentral
“Weblogs are journalism,” says Joan Connell, executive producer for Opinions and Communities at MSNBC.com. “They can be used to great effect in reporting an unfolding story and keeping readers informed.”

CNN - Kevin Sites

  • (March 17) “This experience has really made me rethink my rather orthodox views of reaching folks via mass media. Blogging is an incredible tool, with amazing potential. The feedback readers are posting motivates me to provide as much as I can for all of these folks hungry for first-hand info.”
  • (March 21) “I've been asked to suspend my war blogging for awhile.”
  • CNN said his war corresponding was a full time job that didn't leave any time for personal blogging.
  • Does CNN own everything Site’s writes, 24/7?
  • Would CNN's response be different in non-war situation?

BBC - Stuart Hughes Northern Iraq blog

  • Hughes mentions Kevin Sites controversy…says it never occurred to him that his blog could be a conflict of interest. “I was interested to read that CNN's Kevin Sites had been asked to suspend his blog. I must admit the thought of a conflict of interest hadn't really occurred to me since I set this site up primarily to keep in touch with family and friends.”

Christopher Albritton, a former reporter for the Associated Press and the New York Daily News, was philosophical about the future of this form of journalism (Internet funded correspondent)

"It's a marketplace of ideas, and those who are awarded credibility by their readers will prosper," he said.

 
 
INLS 281 | paige west | Spring 2003