Discussion 3 "Are bloggers journalists?" by Yau Yau

From Wikipedia, Blogger is the person who write or manage a blog. A blog (a blend of the term web log) is a type of website or part of a website. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in reverse-chronological order. Blog can also be used as a verb, meaning to maintain or add content to a blog.

Most blogs are interactive, allowing visitors to leave comments and even message each other via widgets on the blogs and it is this interactivity that distinguishes them from other static websites.

From Wikipedia, a journalist collects and disseminates information about current events, people, trends, and issues. His or her work is acknowledged as journalism.

Reporters are one type of journalist. They create reports as a profession for broadcast or publication in mass media such as newspapers, television, radio, magazines, documentary film, or the Internet. Reporters find sources for their work, their reports can be either spoken or written, and they are often expected to report in the most objective and unbiased way to serve the public good. A columnist is a journalist who writes pieces that appear regularly in newspapers or magazines.

Are bloggers journalists?

Regarding this topic, my point of view is bloggers are NOT journalists. There are alot of difference between them. Bloggers as in the most initial intention are to write and blog about their feelings, their moods and also some trivial things happen in everyday life. Usually bloggers will post about what they think or what they want other to see. Blogger has freedom to write everything about themselves. Blog is more personal & private dairy. Journalists is a person who been paid to write about news and facts. Journalists cannot put their own feeling toward certain things into their post and print. Journalists have a responsibility to publish the facts to the public. They need to let public know about what is happen everyday in the world.

For me, I do not have my personal blog. But I am always read my friends' blog everyday. I felt that blogs are always more interesting compared to newspapers. I can comment on my friends' blog in their post. Blog is relax. Newspaper is formal and provides important news. Therefore, Bloggers are not equal to Journalists.