Why Do people Read and Write Blogs - Personal Statement Example

Why do people read and write blogs? With the advent of social media and Internet publishing the world has witnessed a gradual blurring of lines between citizen and professional journalism. Perhaps nowhere is this more evident than in the explosion of blogs. The blog format has emerged as sites such as Live Journal and Tumblr have given citizens an ability to write and directly publish their thoughts. Perhaps because of the ease with which individuals can write and express their ideas in blogs, the format has been derided as unprofessional and disreputable.

Still, a growing amount of blog posts have emerged that not only are significant, but have also made significant contributions to the very fabric of society. This essay considers the ways that blogs constitute a legitimate form of journalism and in the process investigated why people read and write blogs. While ‘published’ works constitute the backbone of journalism, one considers that oftentimes it is not possible to distinguish between the blog format and the professional format. Indeed, one of the significant insights into the importance and power of blogs is that many individuals in the established media have co-opted the blog format.

One prominent example of this is with the technology website Tech Crunch. This site is significant as it explores entrepreneurship and innovation in the United States; as such, it investigates the backbone of American economic progress. Rather than adopting a more stolid and traditional form of journalism this site has a blog-like aesthetic, as writers such as Alexia Tsotsis explore technology through more direct and free form means of expression (Tsotsis, 2012). A prominent aspect of blogs is the way that they have been able to be leveraged by individuals for monetary purposes.

Prior to blogging individuals had to push their work through well established channels as a means of gaining attention or compensation. The advent of blogging has allowed independent writers with unique ideas the ability to publish their work and gain compensation through advertisements (Dobhal, 2012). This has opened the door for voices that were previously marginalized to emerge and make significant contributions to the national discourse. While many individuals have used blogs as a means of gaining compensation for their work, a number of writers have implemented blogging as a means of making political statements.

Recently, this became heavily apparent as bloggers made essential contributions to the Arab Spring revolts in the Middle East. Many dictators in the Middle East have gained and maintained power through a system that marginalizes the perspective of the majority of citizens. With the advent of social media, particularly blogging, these voices found an avenue for expression that ultimately resulted in large-scale revolution. Significantly, some bloggers were even imprisoned for their work ("Syria frees iconic," 2012).

This indicates that blogging is a crucial aspect of achieving a true democratic process. While ‘published’ works constitute the backbone of journalism, one considers that oftentimes it is not possible to distinguish between the blog format and the professional format. Indeed, one of the significant insights into the importance and power of blogs is that many individuals in the established media have co-opted the blog format. One prominent example of this is with the technology website Tech Crunch.

This site is significant as it explores entrepreneurship and innovation in the United States; as such, it investigates the backbone of American economic progress. Rather than adopting a more stolid and traditional form of journalism this site has a blog-like aesthetic, as writers such as Alexia Tsotsis explore technology through more direct and free form means of expression (Tsotsis, 2012). In conclusion, this essay has examined blogging. In this context of understanding blogging is evaluated in terms of whether it makes a significant contribution to public discourse.

Additionally, the reasons people write and read blogs are examined. Ultimately, the essay demonstrates the blog constitute a crucial aspect of contemporary journalism. ReferencesDobhal, D. (2012). Importance of blogging. Retrieved from http://hellboundbloggers.com/2011/10/02/importance-of-blogging/ Syria frees iconic arab spring blogger ghazzawi . (2012). Retrieved from http://www.france24.com/en/20120220-syria-blogger-Ghazzawi-revolt-assad-freedom-expression Tsotsis, A. (2012). Joshua schachter launches newest tasty labs project, skills.to. Retrieved from http://techcrunch.

com/2012/03/28/joshua-schachter-launches-newest-tasty-labs-project-skills-to/http://techcrunch.com/2012/03/28/joshua-schachter-launches-newest-tasty-labs-project-skills-to/