I know that classes are over for the summer, but neither information nor technology stops, does it? Anyway, in case any of the ENG 313J students come back to this blog, I thought this article was interesting.
Pulitzer Prize-winning, New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd recently admitted to plagiarizing content from a political blog. She claims that the slip-up was unintentional (where have I heard that before?), but she readily admits that the words aren't her own.
I have to admit that it makes me wonder if (and why) communicators in "traditional media" consider blogs less valid. perhaps like it's OK to take content from them. When I was helping create blogs for a marketing group here in Austin, I noticed that news came out on many of the blogs I was watching a day or two before it hit mainstream media.
I think there's an important message there about the nature of communication inherent in blogging. Who do we think writes blogs? Are they people with "insider" knowledge? If so, or even if not, is transparency what makes their communication necessary?
I would have to say it is an inside thing. The only way I know how to defend myself is by saying lack of knowledge of knowing what is really going on in the world. People tell us as much as they want us to know. Plus don’t the media have to go through certain strains before they are able to air things on the news. Even in the headlines of people email you receive news faster. I guess you can say that blogs are becoming the new newspaper. The people who write the blogs can be anyone, but from reading what you are saying this people my have more of an edge or inside look. Or maybe just maybe it’s a secret double agent trying to warn us ahead of time and share information that may not come out. “Scary isn’t it”. Be afraid, very afraid of the, “Insider Blogger”.
ReplyDeleteWhen Michael Jackson died it was first reported on “non-traditional” media, meaning blogs and Social Media. Those media took a risk by using their own sources. Later CNN and other news media reported the news.
ReplyDeleteI typically think of reputable “media” from places like CBS, Fox, ABC, The New York Times, etc. but there is a collage of other media that I do not respect as much such as Us and In Touch magazines. At the same time I have blogs and e-communities that I like to read and those that I really do not care about.
It does not matter if the news come from traditional or non-traditional, there will always be the good guys and the bad guys working and representing the culture of the communications corporation.