Why Journalism is still necessary

Despite the challenges faced by journalism today, it remains fundamental to the production of news and public opinion. Through in-depth research, sourcing original footage and eyewitness accounts, investigative journalism is responsible for delivering the first hand information that makes it into the news (Andrews, 2003: 64). Bloggers, on the other hand, rarely seek original content (Lovink, 2007: 3), and blogs that do contain news are ‘largely derivative, posting links to other blogs and, in many cases, print journalism’ (Andrews, 2003: 63).

As with any trade, there is always a need for skilled practitioners. This is especially so for journalism as it has a very important role to play in society: upholding our democratic ideals. The purpose of journalism is to check and balance democracy, enlightening the public and keeping it fair. Journalists strive to present reports in an unbiased and comprehensive manner, in adherence to the journalistic decrees to ‘Seek Truth and Report It’, and ‘Be Accountable’. Another aspect worth mentioning here is the quality of writing produced. Published articles must be written up to a professional standard, commonly passing through several editing processes.

Generally speaking, the informality and subjectivity of a blog sets it apart from journalism. A grey area here is personal blogs run by industry professionals, and professionally run blogs on corporate media sites. This variety of blog highlights that the boundaries between print media and blogs are fluid (Lovink, 2007: 3) elements of each being transferable, to some degree.

Blogging is an important tool for Journalists too. They participate in online communities with the understanding that, collectively, these communities know more than any one journalist. This, in turn raises the bar, making it possible and necessary to provide more in-depth and balanced coverage, an outcome beneficial to us all (Gillmor, 2003: 79).

This symbiotic dimension enhances the capacity for “collective intelligence”, a concept proposed by theorist Pierre Levy. Levy’s work investigates the phenomenon of digital networks, and how the use of hyperlinks and blog rolls connect random blog points on related topics, facilitating and providing access to a broader, more balanced body of knowledge (Wikipedia). Experts in a field broaden the scope of discussions. Those interested in informing themselves can then follow the links within online communities, forming their own opinions from the variety of information consumed.

Another gap the practice of hyper-linking breaches is that between the original source of information (derived from online networks) and material published online. Readers can follow links and decide for themselves whether material has been accurately presented, making it more necessary for journalists to be accountable (Blood, 2003: 61).

In conclusion, the practice of blogging is impacting on the way traditional news organisations operate. The symbiotic relationships facilitated by converging technologies and practices are making the newsmakers more accountable to their publics. Conceptions of a passive media spectatorship are being challenged by one of “participatory media” (Jenkins, 2006: 3). Both journalism and blogging have a place in the contemporary media arena. Journalists bring professionalism, original information, and attempt to provide a comprehensive coverage, while blogging networks can add layers of meaning and provide a public platform for airing the varied perspectives of a democratic society.