Blogs
worthless without credibility standards
Austin Lewis
Personal weblogs, or blogs, are becoming more popular every day, and there is
no doubt they have revolutionized the way information can be shared online. Just
as blogs have changed the way people exchange information on an individual basis,
it’s no surprise they have changed journalism and the way the media reports
the news. But it is a bit alarming to see things are changing for the worse.
Sure, the Internet has done wonders for media organizations and the audiences
they serve. Video clips of major news events can be viewed on-demand at any hour
of the day. People can listen to archived interviews and speeches instead of
reading transcripts. Because of the Internet, you have the opportunity to read
this column and the rest of Tuesday’s issue of the Daily Forty-Niner Monday
night.
But is the fact that you can get the news earlier — even with additional
audio, video and other bells and whistles —all that matters? Today, bloggers
seem to break stories before anyone else, but many people overlook the fact that
many bloggers simply don’t have the credibility of professional journalists.
This happens both inside and outside the media. While it is understandable an
average person might not recognize the importance of credibility in reporting,
it’s absolutely appalling to see major news organizations disregard what
is arguably the most important aspect of journalism.
Examples of this are all too common. MSNBC did this twice last month in an article
about, of all things, a candidate who withdrew from Ohio’s Senate race.
The reporter quoted two bloggers in the article: one who was identified by only
a first name and last initial, and another who, it seems, couldn’t talk
about a committee chairman without using expletives.
Why didn’t the reporter fully identify the first source? Why didn’t
he find a supporting source that could actually say something that would make
it to print? Perhaps laziness and haphazard reporting are to blame, but the media
as a whole is at fault for placing too much emphasis on blogs.
Computers and the Internet have surely changed the face of journalism, forcing
media organizations to adapt or risk becoming irrelevant. Perhaps that same fear
of falling behind is causing news organizations to quickly latch on to what they
feel is the next big thing. Unfortunately, blogging isn’t it — at
least not yet.
Simply having a blog is not a sign of credibility. Blogs can be created in a
matter of seconds, and anyone can be a blogger, from the CEO of Google to a 14-year-old
kid who comes home from school and spends hours online while his parents are
still at work.
Furthermore, having a blog does not make someone an expert. The typical blogger
is at best only a secondary source, and should not be used as the main argument
in the article by MSNBC or any other major news organization.
One thing bloggers do seem to understand is the importance of having a government
watchdog, and the Internet’s role in making that job easier. However, investigative
reporting requires more than just maintaining a blog. Bloggers are an important
part of the online world, but we need to remember they are of no help to
the media without credibility standards.
Until then, we need to realize blogs aren’t worth the paper they aren’t
even printed on.
Austin Lewis is a senior journalism major.
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