Blogging News Stories as They Happen
Blogging news stories as they unfold is one of the most exciting and controversial applications of technology that bloggers have discovered. One thing that makes the blogosphere so active is the ability to update a blog instantaneously, so news on blogs tends to be more current than news in print or on television. Unlike news delivered by other media, blog news does not have to travel through a series of editors and administrators before reaching the public eye. This has some advantages, but also distinct disadvantages.
A Real-Time Example: London Bombings, 2005
One of the most notable instances of news hitting a blog before appearing in traditional media took place in July 2005 when terrorism struck London. As passengers were evacuated from a subway car near an explosion, one man took several photographs of the scene with his cellphone. Within an hour, these images were posted online. First-person accounts of the catastrophe soon appeared on blogs, and people all over the world learned about the events in London by reading the words and seeing the photos shared by bloggers.
The fact that these stories and images were spread directly by individuals, operating without the added filter of a reporter, helped make the crisis feel immediate to people across the globe. In blogging, news often appears in a personal context, which brings a level of intimacy and immediacy to the story.
A New Era of Reporting?
This has the potential to be the beginning of an exciting new era of reporting—one that takes “New Journalism” to its logical next step by putting the power to shape how the news is written and read directly into the hands of the public.
Many bloggers and cultural commentators who support the weblog movement believe that this growing trend of individuals receiving their news from blogs is a good thing because it democratizes the flow of information. By decentralizing the control of news, blogs allow more voices to enter the debate about important current events.
The Counter-Argument: Lack of Accountability
However, many people are opposed to using blogs as news outlets, and there are valid concerns on this side of the debate. Unlike newspapers or television stations, few blogs have fact-checkers, and many blogs lack journalistic accountability. This can lead to the rapid spread of misinformation, and more than one falsehood has taken the blogosphere by storm.
The questions about whether blogging news as it happens is ethical are complex, but no matter where you stand on the issue, you’re likely to agree that this movement has the potential to revolutionize how modern people get their news.