Of all the articles, I liked Rebecca Blood’s the most (http://www.rebeccablood.net/essays/weblog_history.html). I found it fascinating that weblogs began as commentary on news articles that brought out the shortcomings of news media. As one very concerned about the direction the news media is heading, I feel that the most valuable thing people can have is a reliable source to which they can go to verify that which they hear on the news. News corporations’ top priorities clearly no longer have to do with providing high quality news, and with people commenting on big issues of which they are knowledgeable, an invaluable source of truth for everyone is created.
When I say “knowledgeable” bloggers are valuable, I do not mean only those with doctorates or degrees in the field on which they comment. The great thing about blogs today is that anyone, anywhere can create one. What this means is that the views of everyone from the lowest-paid, least-educated workers to the highest-paid, most-educated profressional can be heard. History has shown use that the voices of those with low status in society are silenced, and blogging gives them, and especially them, a chance to be heard.
If I were to create a blog, I would make one that not only provides my view on current affaris, but also links to opinions and commentary of others. I would try to find views from a variety of sources regarding a given issue: ones from the highly-educated, maybe one from an “everyday” view, and one from a major news source. It would be very rewarding for me: seeing the differences between such views would reveal both the unreliable nature of mainstream news sources and would give everyone a chance to hear the unheard voices. By joining a network or “tribe” (as Blood calls it) of blogs that comment on current affairs, I would be participating in what I believe to be the most important benefit the web has to offer: creating awareness.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
Definitely. With news media corporations becoming more and more focused on the bottom line and attracting viewers, it often takes bloggers to comment on actual important news that has an effect on our lives. (Rather than say, the latest minor tragedy with news cameras zoomed in on grief-stricken faces and overzealous reporters bearing down on emotionally fragile victims.) There were a few things that I actually cared about that I read on blogs, yet received no mention at all on the news. Blogs provide a whole new dimension to our information culture (but also bring up a whole new issue with credibility).
Post a Comment