Bloggers And Journalist
PRWeek and PRNewswire recently teamed up to conduct a study that found 52% of bloggers considered themselves journalists. Last time, about a third felt that way. Why are more bloggers calling themselves journalists today? It’s cool to call yourself a journalist. This is not the outcome of the study. It’s my guess.
Both gather and present public information. Bloggers and journalists are both interested in current issues, to influence or sometimes dictate to the public. Bloggers have been recognized as journalists in some cases. Some bloggers even receive press privileges for covering events. Some people classify bloggers as journalists for these reasons. There are many distinctions.
Bloggers are becoming more influential, regardless of what you think about the subject. Bloggers have an increasing audience, and their collective reach is equal to or greater than that of traditional media in many categories. Both bloggers and traditional media outlets can spread information quickly across the Internet. How credible is the information on blogs?
Bloggers are different from journalists in the way that they present their viewpoints. Bloggers provide information from their perspective, whereas journalists present the views of many people to gain a broader perspective. Journalists also provide valuable information because they use factual sources. Bloggers can provide information that’s not very useful to readers because they always cover their personal opinions. Journalists often go to great lengths to stay on top of current events and to be the first to publish a new issue. However, they can find it hard to begin a topic that has already been covered by others. Information from blogs is often passed from one blogger to another. Bloggers and journalists have different ways of gathering information. Bloggers’ articles are often sourced from Twitter, social networking sites, or other blogs. It is as simple as the information being spread in another format. As rumours and gossip are spread across the internet, who knows how quickly they can multiply? Journalists on the other, provide information that is based on factual information, and they use credible sources to get the information. They take the time to research and come up with their compositions. Bloggers tend to be one-sided. Bloggers tend to be one-sided.
Types of writing
Blog content and journalism content are two different things. But that doesn’t imply that both have their sense of integrity. Bloggers can accomplish much (researching, writing, etc.) without leaving their desks, whereas journalists must be present in the room where they write. It is in their nature and it is why they should be taken seriously.
Blogs That Lead to Journalism
Many people believe that blogging can be a step towards journalism. This theory may have some merit, but it’s not always true. It is possible to become a journalist if someone who has never written can start by writing blogs. Blog writing is not the same as journalistic writing. The approach of a journalist in writing and being a journalist can sometimes require a different skill set.
The PRWeek –PRNewswire survey found that 90% of bloggers used blogs and social media “always” or “sometimes” for research, compared to 35% in newspapers. Or, to put it another way: most blogs use other bloggers and anyone they find on social media as their sources. It is because bloggers copy each other that accurate or false information is spread online so quickly.
Difference Between Journalism and Blogging
People are often confused by the difference between blogging and journalism. Remember that a journalist cannot be a blogger, but a journalist can be a blogger. Many students who have completed a Master’s degree in mass communication and Journalism are confused about whether to become a journalist or blogger.
Here are some comparisons between blogging and journalism to help you understand the differences:
- Journalism is a formal writing style, whereas blogging is informal.
- You may not require any evidence or evaluation of information to write a blog. To write an article for journalism, you must evaluate the information, the source, and the authentication of the information.
- Blogs can be created on any website, or even by the blogger. No formal education is required such as a journalism and mass communication master’s degree. Journalists are those who write for print and online media that have been authorized. Media and news outlets that distribute the news must usually have a licence.
- Blogs can be on any subject or niche. Bloggers may not follow any particular niche. Journalists, on the other hand, must follow a specific niche and only write about that subject.
- Bloggers may distort the truth in their articles or present their point of view. Journalists, on the other hand, write news using reliable sources and factual information. Journalists cannot write their perspectives and must rely on the accuracy of the information.
- Blogs can use formal or informal words and may not be aimed at a specific audience. Journalists, however, are required to use formal language because they have been taught this during their master’s degree in mass communication and Journalism. Journalists are always fair and unbiased.
- Bloggers may present a story and draw conclusions based on details they may know. A journalist will never publish a story without a conclusion unless they have solid evidence to support their judgment.
- Bloggers can reuse a story plagiarized from multiple sources and resources. Bloggers don’t have to check the credibility of their sources. A journalist can’t follow the same approach. In journalism, you should always check the credibility of your sources before writing a story.
- Bloggers may not have to travel to the field to gather the story. Bloggers can use stories written by journalists and bloggers. A journalist, on the other hand, must run behind stories and report facts directly from the location where the story is taking place.
How reliable is this information if all bloggers get their information from each other? What is the distance between the author of the post and the source?
The study revealed that while 64% of bloggers, 36% of online journalists, and 19% of magazine and newspaper reporters used Twitter to research stories, only 17% of them did so. This could be a sign of a lack of sophistication and comfort level with social media on the part of traditional journalists. Or, do they realize that bloggers are not interested in tweets as sources? Most likely, it’s a combination of both.
It doesn’t matter if the majority of bloggers believe they are journalists. It doesn’t matter if I think myself particularly attractive. Let me answer your question – most bloggers aren’t journalists. Bloggers can be journalists and vice versa. From my perspective, it comes down to quality, accuracy and authentic content.
What do you think about it?
Do you think that blogging regularly will reclassify as a journalist for you?
What are the requirements that people should meet to be able to call themselves journalists?
