Ideas on Clouds: Thoughts on the journalism vs. blogging debate

I’ve been trying to come up with a captivating blog topic for days and so far have failed miserably. And while I’ve been waiting for the epiphany to hit me, all kinds of ideas and thoughts have been floating through my head as I go through normal life. (Just envision that for a second, if you will…ideas floating by on little clouds.) This class inspires me to think, and though I find myself disagreeing more than agreeing with many topics discussed (purely due to the fact that I am innately an argumentative person), I’ve discovered a lot.

The biggest thing I’ve discovered is the complex and undeniable impact that media has on our everyday lives. I was walking by the front desk in my residence hall and a group of RAs were standing around the computer in a little half circle laughing hysterically at some clip, song, whatever someone had sent to them on the internet. I believe I heard one of them say it was the greatest thing they had ever seen. I don’t know why this made me think of this class, but I can remember having a conversation with myself (something I often do) about how this media enveloped world we live in has great power to bring us together—not just tear us apart.

To me, this is just a jumping off point to a conversation of the bigger picture concerning the state of journalism today. Fact: networked journalism is changing traditional journalism. The iffy part is the thought that it will ruin it, or worse, eliminate it.

I am of the opinion that citizen journalism and the ability for people to be publishers of their own work will not ruin journalism, but will aid it. The free circulation of information is just as beneficial to the professional journalists—if they choose to use it—as it is to consumers of news and citizen journalists. I do feel that there will always be a need for a separation between professional journalists and amateurs. That same hierarchy and distinction between the “interested” (amateurs) and “integrated” (educated professionals) is necessary in every profession. I would also venture to say that the role of professional journalists and the role of citizen journalists will always be seen as generally different. However, I think given the right attitude on both ends, journalists have an incredible opportunity to benefit from bloggers, commentators, etc. and the things that they write about.

I am by nature a person who wants to find the middle ground in things, and while it will be hard to see the face of journalism change, I think it is an important (and inevitable) movement that should be accepted (the good and the bad) and seen for what it is—growth.

I know we’ve talked about this a lot in class, but let me know what you all think.

Some articles on the debate:

Bloggers vs. Journalists is Over

Defining the Journalism vs. Blogging Debate, with a Science Reporting angle