COLUMN: Blogging is media for the masses
It never ceases to amaze me how the Internet has changed how the world works. Most of us have spent the vast majority of our lives not really using it, but we couldn’t live without it now.
The latest addition to the non-expendable uses for the Internet is blogging. The term “blog” comes from “Web log,” which was shortened as a noun and also became a verb. A person who writes a blog is called a “blogger.” Blogging is anyone who has something to say can make a blog and write about it and post it on the Internet for everyone to read. Everyone can participate in opinion writing.
Everyone can see what’s going on in the world and everyone can formulate their own opinion about it from their own perspective. Everyone has their own version of The Way They See It (now that sounds vaguely familiar). The problem is that there are very few avenues in which everyone’s opinion can be published. You can write a letter to the editor, but not everyone’s perspective is newspaper-printable, plus there’s the issue of limited room on the opinion page.
While I’m a big fan of writing letters to the editor, blogging has made it so everyone’s views can be read in a medium that so many people now have. Expressing an opinion is no longer limited to those with the air- or page-space that broadcast and print journalists have.
Speaking of journalists, blogging is not without its critics. There have been a few in the journalism field here and there that protest bloggers being taken seriously. They say that bloggers haven’t had the experience and don’t know the rules and ethics for the field. That blogger that you’ve been reading is just some person with an Internet connection and something to say and doesn’t have all the facts or use the inverted pyramid and, thus, should not be listened to.
That didn’t stop Jayson Blair or Dan Rather, did it?
What if you’re not savvy to current events and couldn’t care less about politics? You can blog about your favorite movies, books, music, coin collecting or why your roommate won’t stay out of your leftovers. Blogging can be about anything that’s on your mind, so long as you don’t care that millions of people could read it.
There are many sites that allow you to create your own blog. MySpace has a blog feature, but since MySpace is mostly about commenting on how “lol” your friend’s layout is, it’s not really the best place for serious bloggers. I personally recommend LiveJournal because it’s the one I use. People use LiveJournal exclusively to blog, though some incredibly talented people post their own art and photos and things like that.
Another great thing about blogging is that many sites have a comments feature where people can give immediate feedback on your topic. They can heap much praise on you or tell you that you’re off your rocker. Either way, writers love feedback, whether it’s positive or negative.
Also, your blog doesn’t have to be politically correct. You are the writer and the editor. I don’t know how many times I’ve written a sentence for this column and had to delete it because there was no way I could get that printed in The Statesman. Some of it was quality control, but a lot of it included things that could potentially be damaging to the paper’s image, so I chose not to submit it. Instead, I posted it on my blog, where people can read and either dismiss it as a random rant or maybe think that I have a point. It’s my own reputation that I put on the line.
Blogging doesn’t have a page limit. You can write as much as you want. Also, you don’t have to have a deadline and write whenever you want to. Everything is up to you.
Everything I’ve outlined about blogging denotes a sense of “It’s my blog and I can do whatever I want to,” but, to paraphrase Spiderman, offering an opinion is a great power and comes with a great responsibility. It’s wise to think and consider if what you publish could get back to someone and cause hurt feelings. It’s also good to practice commonsense Internet safety because anyone can stumble upon your blog and read it.
If in doubt, save it for the diary that you keep under the bed.
After a year of offering my opinions and calling the shots, there should be plenty for people to chew over and come up with their own ideas. I’ve enjoyed seeing my words in print, whether it’s in the paper or on the computer screen, and I’m sure you will too. I’ve never been much of a reporter, but I can interpret the world the way I see it. It never did much for the 6 o’clock news, but it’s done wonders for LiveJournal.
Chrissy Johnson is a junior majoring in English
education. Her blog can be found at
jenny-wildcat.livejournal.com. Questions and comments can be sent to
chrijohn@cc.usu.edu