Blog Use Motivations

What are the main reasons why so many people around the world blog? Before the age of the internet it was difficult for the average person to broadcast their personal views, and opinions on things like the government and media. With the use of a blog one is able with the power of free speech to say whatever they want to without having any interference. Most bloggers have a need to express what is going on in their world and with the power of the internet this is possible. Now that doesn't mean that all blogs provide factual arguments, or complete ideas, it just means it is feasible within a few mere minutes to join a blogging site, set up a blog, and then write from a personal point of view how their world is operating. With the ability to create a blog with a certain tone comes the ability to target a blog towards a specific audience which is able to follow stories that the mainstream media might not follow either, for an extended period of time, or at all.

This study identified that there were 10 blocks of reasons for blogging; Blog Presentation/Characteristics, Personal Fulfillment, Expression/Affiliation with bloggers and blog users, Information seeking, Intellectual/Aesthetic Fulfillment, Anti-Traditional-Media Sentiment, Guidance/Opinion seeking, convenience, Political Surveillance, and Fact Checking. So through these means of blogging, the mass public for once is empowered by the opportunity to choose what they want to read in a manner of how they want it presented to them. Blogging is the new alternative to mass media while strangely still being a small part of media in itself. "Blogs are defined as what they are not, Traditional Media." Blogs are a way of keeping traditional print, TV, and radio in check because they are not controlled by major corporations. Blogs don't have alternative motives to try and tell a story in the same specific manner, they are able to change instantaneously. The ability to evolve from what the mainstream media continues to do the same way in one of the major reasons why blogs have become so popular on the internet around the world in this day and age.

Media and War

This is a reaction to Rules of Engagement: Journalism and War by Stuart Allan and Barbie Zelizer from the Book "A Media Studies Reader" edited by Kevin Williams. The text is discussing the struggles of journalists trying to tell a story during wartime with as much truth as possible. The difficulties of choosing sides, providing an unbiased story, and cover all relevant perspectives basically during hell on earth. A battlefield is continuously chaotic with things constantly happening and changing all around, making a job that was already complicated, ten times even more so. "When we find ourselves in very difficult situations, it's of our own choosing, but what is at stake is the need to tell people as much of the truth as you can." -john Burns Chief foreign corespondent for The New York Times. The very basic manner in which a journalist conducts themselves needs to be thought of before entering a war-zone. To lean towards patriotism and only providing one side of the story would be in direct violation of what journalists believe in, to provide factual, truthful, clear, and honest news from all perspectives. Allan and Zelizer analyze that when a journalist is assigned a story that conflicts with their own personal beliefs, that reporter will put aside their feelings in a professional manner as to not skew truth. "Journalists are expected to function variously during war; to be present enough to respond to what is happening, yet absent enough to stay safe, to be sufficiently authoritative so as to provide reliable information, yet open to cracks and fissures in the complicated truth-claims that unfold; to remain passionate about the undermining of human dignity that accompanies war, yet impartial and distanced enough to see the strategies that attach themselves to circumstances with always more than one side." To try and accomplish all of these goals/standards, during war is quite possibly on the hardest jobs out there. They go on to show how these ideals were put to the test during the recent Iraqi war when US and UK forces had journalists embedded within the soldiers on the front lines. "Embedding" might be a good way to capture the most vivid images and capture the action of a battle, however it rarely gives the public a full view of what is going on during the entire conflict. Often having reporters with soldiers provides the military with and instant PR service for the 24/7 media network to broadcast all around the world. Correspondents unfortunately begin to start using phrases like "we," and "us."

During the day and age that we now live in with 24/7/365 news where news networks compete for the most viewership, the best way to gain a larger audience is to have the most recent, breaking news. Typically whoever gets the most current, news-breaking news out there wins, but the problem with this strategy is that eventually news corporations who are out to win, sometimes will rush a story on the air without fact checking 100% of the sources, causing false information to be streamed to millions around the world. No where was the most recently evident that in the media's coverage of the Iraq war which was started in 2003 with false claims of Iraq's army and revered republican guard, preparing chemical and biological weapons for use against American troops. Along with claims that Saddam Hussein was hiding Weapons of Mass Destruction. In an interview with CNBC's Tina Brown, she talks about how the Bush Administration put a climate of fear or at least made journalists feel unpatriotic if they did not report in a manner which benefited the United States's point of view. When asked by CNN's Christiane Amanpour if she thought that there was any story that she felt she was unable to report, Brown replied "It's not a question of couldn't do it, it's a question of tone, It's a question of being rigorous. It's really a question of really asking the question. All of the entire body politic in my view, whether it's the administration, the intelligence, the journalists, whoever, didn't not ask enough questions for instance, about weapons of mass destruction. I mean, it looks like this was disinformation at the highest levels." Disinformation is false journalism in it's highest regard. Providing untrue, vague, and/or misleading information is exactly the type of reporting that has no place in media today. However channels like Fox News tend to broadcast news in a different tone that say a network like CNN. Fox news has it's own style of patriotic, and partisan delivery of story's during the main conflicts of the Iraq War. By referring to U.S. and British troops as "us," "we," "hero," and "liberators," ensuring that America was always fighting evil, dominating those who threaten american lives, and ensuring that the good guys always win. These view points stuck a chord with most republican ideals which led to Fox news running with a continuos theme of "irreflective, triumphalist style."

Reporting the news during war is extremely difficult, however I feel that in order to do so on a large scale, journalists must agree to try as best as possible during a major conflict to adhere to certain ethical guidelines. To ensure that the entire story is shown, being based on factual evidence without changing details or providing only one side of the argument. Journalists must provide the most newsworthy and critical information to the public as fast as possible without jeopardizing the truth. It is a very fine line that all reporters must walk, however a necessary one, to bring attention to conflicts that matter on a global scale to those who without the media, would have little to zero knowledge of the plights of those who cannot stand up for themselves. The best way to educate the public is to inform them on all that is happening, give them the facts in a clear manner and help them to form an intellectual unbiased opinion.

States by Religiousness

Pug Bread

Media Diary

All of the things that I have listened, and watched in the last week. From things like movies, tv, radio, videos on the internet and music.

All of the music that I listen to is tracked on last fm. to see visit http://www.last.fm/user/anti_mullet9

Movies in the last week: Zombieland, King of California, Food inc,

Radio: NPR's This American Life 2 hours.

TV: Superjail-Adult Swim-1 hr. Xaiver, Renegade Angel-Adult Swim-1hr. I shouldn't be alive-Discovery Channel-1hr.
Family Guy-Fox-30 Min. The Daily Show-Comedy Central-2.5hrs. The Colbert Report-Comedy Central-2.5hrs. Weeds-Showtime-1hr. Cash Cab-Discovery Channel-30min. Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations-Travel Channel-1hr. Washington Capitals Hockey-Comcast Sports Net-9hrs

Over the last week while keeping this diary, I have noticed how much time that I actually spend devoted to watching things. I didn't realize how much television I actually watch and it's something that I eventually would like to focus less of my time on. TV is a big part of my family's lives. While being home for a week because of snow there really wasn't a chance to get outside and I think this had an effect on how much TV that I was watching. I think it's time I turned off the TV and opened a good book instead!