March 13, 2003

Are Blogs Journalism?

Journalist and "New Media Musings" blogger J.D. Lasica explores the relationship between journalism and blogs and comes up with a rather satisfying answer:

We're seeing more random and not-so-random acts of journalism taking place in the blogosphere these days. I'm constantly astounded at the breadth and depth of expert knowledge displayed by bloggers on subjects as diverse as digital media, wireless networking, copyright infringement, Internet video, and much more, all written with a degree of grace and sophistication.

What does it take to be an online journalist? You don't need a professional publication with a slick web site behind you, though it doesn't hurt. All you really need is a computer, Internet connection, and an ability to perform some of the tricks of the trade: report what you observe, analyze events in a meaningful way, but most of all, just be honest and tell the truth. All of this makes a lot of people in Big Media nervous. I worked in newspaper newsrooms for 19 years, and I think it's fair to say the attitude of most old-school journalists can be summed up in the pithy phrase, What the hell is a weblog? Or, if they have heard of blogs, they airily dismiss it, saying none of this is journalism, or at least not real journalism.

I think, ultimately, they're wrong. We need to get away from the notion that journalism is a priesthood that's inaccessible to the masses. The No. 1 rule of journalism, really, is simply this: Tell the truth. Report something as accurately and faithfully as possible. Can bloggers tell the truth? I suspect so. Over time, they build up a track record, much as any news publication does when it starts out. Reputation filters and circles of trust in the blogosphere help weed out the nonsense. We all need to fine-tune our bullshit meters. But as one someone once said of the blogging masses, "We can fact-check your ass."

As for me, a longtime newspaper, magazine and online journalist and blogger, I believe blogging indeed is journalism, sometimes. And sometimes it is better than journalism. And sometimes it isn't journalism at all.

Blogging is just using an online publishing tool, folks. Asking if blogging is journalism is like asking if typing on an IBM Selectric is journalism. It's the wrong question about the wrong thing.

A good rule of thumb is this: blogging is journalism when it's journalism. And when it's not, it's not.