Module 1

Hey, my name is Matt Murray.

• http://www.thenation.com/doc/20050404/mackinnon
  
  This is the first piece of research that I would like to summarize and discuss. Rebecca MacKinnon of The Nation writes in her article "Blogging, Journalism and Credibility" about the many issues surrounding the relationship between bloggers and journalists. In the article she touches upon many key points such as the shift in power that is occurring right now in journalism. MacKinnon mentions that traditional print journalists no longer hold exclusive power over the audience and how dialog has become more two-way instead of one-to-many.
  
  I feel this article really touches upon the question of blogging influencing journalism or not. Print journalism is no longer the only source in which people can get news and opinions. MacKinnon makes it clear that blogging has influenced journalism for better or worse.
  
  
• http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-op-skube19aug19,0,3547019.story
  
  The second article of interest that I would like to discuss is "Blogs: All The Noise That Fits" by Michael Skube of the LA Times. In the article he discusses his opinions on blogging and the current effect that it is having on journalism. He considers the types of blog authors and the effects they have overall. He argues that many do not put in the required effort of fact checking and careful sifting of all the evidence.
  
  In the article Skube addresses the question of whether or not blogging is a credible source of journalism. Although he blasts blogging for it's lack of credibility he also states that eventually blog authors will become more accustomed to reasoned arguments and credible evidence.
  
  
• http://www.post-gazette.com/forum/comm/20030202edmoon02p1.asp
  
  This last article, "How Blogging Changed Journalism -- Almost" by Chris Mooney of the Post-Gazette discusses the various ways blogs have changed traditional journalism. He talks about some of the Web's most well known political bloggers and the audiences they can capture. In the article he clearly articulates that has it's place in the world of journalism and there is a clear audience for it.
  
  This is great at addressing the question of the effectiveness of blogs and whether or not they are effective at reaching their audience. It is clear that more high profile blogs have received an audience while others toil in obscurity.

I believe that blogging has significantly impacted the print journalism industry. It has opened up a whole new area for people to express their opinions and allows others to have more two-way discussions. It has also caused the problem of debatable creditability and some blogs having trouble finding an audience. Regardless, it has revolutionized the way in which people can get opinions on the news and has shifted power away from the print journalism industry.