To blog or not to blog?

"Blogs are self-perpetuating, parasitic news organisms"  Andrew Ferguson

No, they're not. Blogs are a way for people to express their different opinions. They allow people to debate controversial topics and bring up new points. According to a Canadian media website (yes, Canadian), the anonymity of blogs is a positive since they can function "as a technological tequila shot by helping political bystanders shed their inhibitions and express their true feelings." Even though some people may have opinions that are uneducated or misguided, at least they're able to have a say.

Blogs can rival mainstream media such as newspapers because they provide fresh views on topics. Although some blogs are run by major newspapers, many bloggers are unpaid so they're free of corporate control. They don't have a boss or investor that they need to please. According to Andrew Sullivan, a contributor to Time magazine and editor of his blog, "[he doesn't] have the pressure of an advertising executive telling [him] to lay off. It's incredibly liberating." Blogs can break the stories that newspapers do not know about or are afraid to say. For example, according to a Times magazine article,  blogger Russ Kick  discovered that government issued photos of coffins of military personnel were actually images of coffins of Columbia astronauts. After Russ Kick published the news on his blog, major news outlets also rushed to post their own stories about the incident. Bloggers such as Rush Kick are also able to hold mainstream news accountable for the accuracy of its information.

Also, blogs are easily accessible to almost everyone. Compared to the matter-of-fact tone of news articles, blogs have a voice that speaks directly to the reader and expresses the personality of the blogger. Some will say that blogs are biased, so the news that they present is not accurate; the truth is that, yes, blogs are not objective, but they never claimed to be. Yes, some of the information can be wrong, but that's true for the mainstream news too. Its up to the reader to determine the accuracy of the information and decide whether they want to believe blog or not. The original opinions that a blog presents may start discussion from others who disagree with the post, facilitating debates on controversial topics. Also, according to a Washington post article, blogs provide information faster than many news sites, allowing people to stay up to date throughout their day.

Multimedia References

Blogs. Photograph. http://paintermommy.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/17463498_d486897b34_o.gif.