Conversational News

Even three years ago, bloggers were pariahs within the media community.  More traditional journalists, whom criticized these online postings as more fantasy and opinion than journalistic material, frowned upon the so-called new media.  Today, virtually all major reporters blog on top of their regular contributions to the paper.  Several professional bloggers can be found within the ranks of newspapers.

Why are these bloggers necessary?  The fact is that the readers were dissatisfied with the cut and dry tone of the news.  Americans love not to have facts, but opinions, judgments, and ideals they can relate to.  How else can one explain the rise of media shows like the O’Reiley Factor, Larry King live, or Howard Stern?  

As a former International Relations major, I am always interested in keeping abreast of the most recent political events.  For this reason, I try to read Chris Cillizza blog the Fix.  Unlike more cut and dry articles that can be found on the main pages of the newspaper,The Fix catches many of the stories that are not necessarily deemed “newsworthy” to editors. 

Though occasionally biased and over opinioned, the Fix is a great place to start a conversation.  In traditional online newspaper articles, the only links are to other articles within the site, limiting the amount of research and information the reader has access to.  By visiting the Fix, one can find links posted both by Mr. Cillizza and fellow Internet browsers to other sources beyond the Washington Post in order to find information.  This secondary information can be either corroborate or disprove Cillizza’s statements, and allows the reader to make a more informed judgment.

Herein lies the greatest advantage of blogs over traditional media: its ability to link to research posts allows a way to further research a topic presented within the media.  This search and increase in knowledge generates further debate and discussion on blogs, creating a cycle of information presentation, research, and discussion.  Though traditional media can generate interest, it cannot generate the discussion that is inherent to the news.

It is this ability to generate discussion and easy access to further information, which have captured the interest of so many people, and have made blogs mandatory supplements to all newspapers from the Wall Street Journal to the San Francisco Chronicle.