Is Blogging a Threat to Traditional Journalism?

Over the past few years, blogging has become an elite phenomenon in the online journalism world. Ordinary individuals are becoming citizen journalists and expressing their thoughts, debating a topical issue, or simply discussing a particular subject over a ‘blogging platform.’ Blog posts commonly consist of a short and snappy discussion, an analysis or debate that can include hyperlinks, imagery and even videos that are often posted in a chronological order, with the ability to allow the viewer to easily access previous blog posts through the blogs navigation tools.

Screenshot: Navigation tool

I was first introduced to fashion, beauty and lifestyle blogs, which have grown in popularity over the past year, seeing the most impressive blogs creating successful career pathways and immense publicity for their authors. Famous lifestyle blogger Zoella, has made it big in the blogging industry, after receiving an incredible amount of views on and responses to her blog.

Screenshot: Zoella Google Page

Screenshot: Zoella's Blog

However, it is not just fashion, beauty and lifestyle blogs that have thrived, other blogs surrounding topical issues, or journalism debates are very popular online readings.

Screenshot: Journalism Blog

But are these bloggers posing as a threat to traditional journalists?

Some may answer yes, because of the opinionated, often biased and incoherent views of bloggers, who have the ability to express almost anything that they desire online, which can reach hundreds of thousands of internet users in a matter of minutes. Something that is highly personalised and frequently informal in its content, seems to attract more people to read and take notice. It appears that we are more receptive to what normal, everyday people have to say on an issue than to the same issue that may be reported by someone in the professional industry. Is this because we feel more comfortable listening to and have more faith in a citizen journalist, we understand their point of view because they are removed from the system of legislation that bounds journalists to a particular set of rules of expression? Or are we simply lazy in the fact that we spend more time on the internet, making blogs more accessible and exciting and newspapers unattainable and dull? These are all questions that modern day, digital journalism speaks for.

Some blogs are regarded as undermining traditional journalism, because they do not hold an objective stance, or present the correct information and data to be a reliable ‘news’ source. For example, many bloggers are discussing recent news topics, such as the current reporting on ISIS:

Screenshot: Blogging on ISIS

Screenshot: Blogging on ISIS

A story that features prominently in professional news organisations and with such magnitude to many civilians, blogging on such a serious topic can sometimes illustrate false information and often display the wrong facts that in essence can cause hysteria and confusion. In light of this news story, blogging by the inexperienced can cause a threat to traditional journalism, because the truth could be twisted and distorted, as a way of alluding to the thoughts and opinions of the blogger. In this case it should be the professional news outlets that individuals are turning to in order to obtain a ‘truthful’ headline.

Although, the rise in digital journalism means we spend a lot more time engaging on social media and scrolling through the internet, our fondness for blogging as means of acquiring news dictates because of our loss of faith and lack of trust in notorious journalists and news organisations. For example, after the phone hacking scandal from the now defunct News of the World Corporation, many who relied heavily on their validity and good nature, were disappointed in their unlawful actions.

Image taken from: Mickey

So, we can’t really blame people for turning their backs on traditional journalism and finding a new source of news, especially since ‘new found’ online journalism has so much to offer.