melaniee

Module 5 conclusion

2009-07-14T20:42:00.000-07:00

In Summary

4-Somewhat supports my thesis.

2009-07-14T20:14:00.000-07:00

Module 5

How did actively participating in online research and journalism through blogging affect you?

I really enjoyed blogging. I have gained a new respect for this tool. I found it very useful when looking up information on different subjects. I tried not to use blogs as a reference, but I found that many blogs would lead me to professional sites where I could gather information. I have also learned how to distinguish between blogs and access if they are personal opinions or a profession business. It is obvious that every media outlet needs to include blogging in their business plan. Not only to get their word out instantainiously but to hear what other people are saying too. We now live in a very dynamic world, where everything is at our fingertips. This immediate demand of information quickly becomes the norm, which means newspapers, magazines, stations, etc all need to be part of that environment, otherwise they will be forgotten and fade away.

Do you feel this project was worthwhile as learning tool in this class? Why or why not?

This project was definitely worthwhile. As I mentioned before it is apart of everyones future, whether they realize it or not. The papers and business that we all use at any level are all participating in blogging. The more we are able to tap into that arena the more we will be informed as well. I enjoyed learning more about blogging, I wish I had the patience or experience to have created a more pleasing blog. Maybe that would be a different class?

Looking back on your ratings and your research, what is your final thesis statement? Did it change from your initial statement?

OK, I know you wanted to change my mind... and you did partially. I believe the future of editorial print will eventually die and be replaced by the internet, some of that being blog sites. But, the print will have a life through advertising for a long time to come. I think older people still enjoy reading the paper, but as that generation fades away and the newer internet generation becomes the majority, that is when editorial print will die. This new gereration of internet users like to voice their opinions and spread information, some of this can be beneficial and some not. If everyone is connected via blogs and incorrect information is spread, that could be very harmful. I think everyone really just needs to be aware and reminded that real journalism is backed up with credentials.

vanity vs. informational

2009-07-05T17:41:00.000-07:00

Vanity:
http://speedcathollydale.blogspot.com/

Informational:
http://prairiepundit.blogspot.com/

For this assignment I found two very different blogs. The first blog is purely a vanity blog which contains anything and everything the owner chooses. The blogger has commentary, videos, pictures, links that play music and links that add you to lists. The blog is littered with so much content that the blog is not visually appealing. Although his posts are about random thoughts and ideas, he tries to create funny pictures by manipulating images in photoshop. This blog is all about his own life and opinions.

On the other hand, I found a blog that focus’ on the subject of politics and military. This blog has a very clean organized look to it. The bloggers information is written clearly and is not lost in a sea of advertisements or gadgets. The posts are labeled with keywords so you can see a variety of posts on the same subject. The postings are obviously the bloggers opinion; he only mentions sources occasionally.

The two blogs are very different in content, style and delivery. The vanity blog is good for self expression and would be interesting to the bloggers' personal friends or family. I don’t think anyone else would be interested in this type of blog, unless the blogger was a celebrity, then people would be very interested in it content.

The informational blog has useful thoughts and ideas. If you agreed with the bloggers' opinion you might follow the site for more information. If there were enough followers to the blog, advertisers might be interested in posting ads. Even though the blog contains information from reliable sources and the blogger has regenerated the words in his own opinion I don’t believe blogs are of type of journalism.

5: Strongly supports my thesis.
I still stand by my original thesis. There has to be an original source to these blogs. They are not going out reporting and adhereing to print journalist guidelines. They are collecting facts and giving their opinions. A blog could over time become reputable, but they would still not be accountable.

Blog Post 3

2009-06-28T00:32:00.000-07:00

E-zines are magazines published on-line.
http://www.worldmag.com/webextra/15170

This e-zine is titled “ Our reflection”. It is about Bernie Madoffs character. Most people find him and what he had done as true “evil”. This article talks about how there is evil in all of us and we are all capable of the same evil. And what is really upsetting us all is not just the loss of money but that the flaw in all of us has been revealed. We are no longer hiding behind the façade.

The article goes on to show examples of how normal people do evil things.

News blog.
http://scaredmonkeys.com/2009/06/27/poetic-justice-served-bernie-madoff-loses-evedrything-must-forfeit-170-billion-per-federal-judge-order/

This blog was about Bernie Madoff court case on Friday, June 27, 2009. It notes that Mr. Madoff has been ordered to forfeit all his possessions. Also, Mrs Madoff is to forfeit the possessions as well, except for 2.5 Million in cash. She will have to give up her home where she lives.

2) Compare and contrast the blog to the e-zine.
Which do you feel was more professional and effective?
I found the e-zine to be more professional and effective. The e-zine had the publications name at the top followed by the date and authors name. This lets me know exactly who wrote the article and what company is standing behind the material. The e-zine also noted upfront that this article was from the opinion section, so I knew that I could choose to accept their opinion or choose to make my own opinion. The picture in the article was captioned, leading me feel this article checks each detail. Then it also noted facts that I believe would be true because of the magazines reputation. Finally, the e-zine included a © at the bottom, which gave it extra credibility.

The blog was less professional. The name on the blog was strange and they did not mention the author’s name. As I read it I felt that the copy was true, maybe it had been copied from a real news article, but I couldn’t be certain.

Which was easier to find on the internet?
Both articles were very easy to find on the internet.

Which was easier to read?
I found the e-zine easier to read. I think the style of writing was more professional. The blog just had quick facts. I think most blogs have more opinions but in this case the blog just stated facts.

Did they both cover the same current events?
The articles were about Bernie Madoff, but about different subjects.

Did you feel they were credible or trustworthy?
I felt the e-zine was more credible and trustworthy. I believe that the organization that hired the reporter has rules and standards that the author must adhere to. The blog, just posted facts. I noticed that the blog had advertisers, which he probably would have if he posted wrong information. So he must have some reputation, but what kind? Are the advertisers there because of his facts or because of some other reason?? I really would not know and why would I spend the time to find out, if an e-zine was readily available to me?

Would you be more likely to feel a print source such as a newspaper or magazine was more credible than a blog? Than an e-zine? Why?

I believe the e-zine would have the same reputation as the printed version. For me there is not difference. The blog has no credibility, even though it might be factual.

3) Did the research material you found support or not support your original thesis (posted in module 1)?
I still believe in my original thesis.

To help you quantify your research, rate the preceding question on a scale of 1 to 5.

5 Strongly supports my thesis.

Module 2 questions

2009-06-23T00:32:00.000-07:00

Summaries of the 3 research links.

joel on software
This is a blog that posts software related articles, an interesting links page, popular tech news developments, technology conference schedules and jobs. The site sells advertising and doesn’t charge for a subscription.

Business Week
Is a magazine sold on news stands and has a website as well. They posted an article titled “blogs will change your business” on their online magazine which included a long list of sources. This article originally written in 2005, now has many interesting additions and updates on the business of blogging.

INC
Inc is a magazine sold on the news stands and has a website too. They also have a long list of blog writers that you can follow. One of their writers wrote an article about blogs, noting this as a new trend for business to gain attention. Although the writer did mention how Dr Pepper/Seven Up had a marketing campaign back fire on them when bloggers found out that the campaign was a set up.

What other options would an entreperneur have to market themselves to their audience?
There are many things an entrepreneur can do to market themselves. There is the traditional print, Radio, and TV advertising. There are lots of networking groups and companies that will provide promotional items for give aways.

What things can a blog do for an entrepreneur that these other means of self-promotion can not?
The main thing blogging provides is free access of your business on the web. This is a usual tool, but not a replacement for other marketing plans.

Do you feel blogs are an effective alternative to these methods?
No.
Why or why not?
I think blogging is a additional marketing item to add to your campaign. Just because you start a blog does not mean people will see it. You still have to invest time and effort for any results to show.

Did the research material you found support or not support your original thesis (posted in module 1)?
The research I found supported my original thesis.
To help you quantify your research, rate the preceding question on a scale of 1 to 5.
5: Strongly supports my thesis.
The articles I read supported my original thesis that blogging will not affect print journalism.

After doing this module, have do you wish to change your original thesis statement?
My opinion is the same although I have realized the value of advertising on blogs. The blogging community is large and advertisers would gets high visibility on popular blogs. Although they pass around information, there is no control if a posting is accurate or not.

2nd source -- Inc.

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Source 2 blog - click link for INC source.

1st source --business week

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Source 1 blog - click link to view business week source.

1st link

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Entrepreneurial software blog - click link for this site.

Against it

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I am against this statement:

Blogging has significantly impacted the print journalism industry.

I dont think blogging has affected print journalism. They are two different worlds, with two different audiences.
I dont believe people go to blogs to get factual information. Most print journalism was originally intended to get important information to the public. It was always assumed that the journalist researched the facts, talked with experts and the newspaper had the responsibility to make sure everyone followed the rules, which gave them a good reputation. Of course the good reputation resulted in more readers, more advertisers and more money. Blogging on the other hand seems to me to be a social tool. Anyone and everyone can give their opinion, even without any research or qualifications, just an opinion.
I know qualified institutions are blogging now which leads me to think that the institution has qualified workers blogging, but the responses would be just random peoples opinions.

I'd rather read the opinions of experts than of a random person.