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DTC 375 Essay #1
Word Count: 1511
In 1839 when Edward Bulwer-Lytton coined the adage of, “the pen is mightier then the sword,” he was observing how power was being measured in the changing world. Information can change the variables in any equation. Where a sword can cut flesh, a word can assassinate characters. For ages the voice of the common man was hindered by the limitations of technology. Printed word and broadcasting were a craft monitored by wealth and industry. In today’s world, the ability to have our voices heard is easier then ever. One of the new outlets to challenge older media and give a channel to the common man’s voice is the blog.
It was the inception of the internet—a tool originally created for academic and military functions—that would inevitably breathe new life into old media. The internet has given society better, faster access to the content we desire. Only little more then a decade ago, an individual would wait for the newspaper to arrive in the morning, or wait for a televised broadcast to begin, to receive their feed of the news and/or entertainment. With the internet the data is out there, from multiple websites, the second someone wants it. Popular news websites such as CNN, MSNBC and Yahoo! News were becoming routine, just as the newspaper and 6 o’clock news were in days prior. Today, after dealing with the delivery of the media, we’re beginning to see a shift in the source of where the media itself is coming from.
Enter the BLOG.
The term ‘blog’ is shorthand for the word weblog, assembled from the words ‘web’ (internet) and ‘log’ (diary). The encompassing term used for all of the blogs on the internet is the ‘blogosphere’. When the blogosphere emerged into existence, a little after 1999 when Blogger.com was founded, the concept was new and attractive.[1] For the most part blogs were used in academia and for personal expression. The idea was pleasing. We, as a culture, could become more interactive online through these new technologies, and people were signing up. Teachers were pleased at the prospect of students using technologies such a blog since it would get them writing more often, and more importantly, for reasons other then having assignments due.
With students becoming more assimilated into the internet culture and being more interactive, there were those who would question the validity of the content being produced. There of course detractors who called the concept ‘risky’ because there was no academic or libel requirements to starting a blog.
This is not slow the movement down, whatsoever. It only took a few short years before the concept took off. People were sharing ideas, views, complaints and common interests with others all across the globe. Information barriers were being broken down rapidly. As of December of 07, Technorati, a popular website that sifts through the content of blogs across the internet, was collecting data from over 112 million blogs.[3] With so many users maintaining a blog, a plethora of new information erupted on the internet and was changing where users got their media.
It was clearly time for a change. Multi-billion dollar news empires process their information as a product, so there is a natural loss in credibility. The situation fairs no better in the entertainment sector. Large studios will no longer take chances with movies, video games and music. High production values come with high price tags. Failure to move product after investing so much money into it spells disaster on the bottom line. Close market research and branded sociologists expend excessive resources to find out what sells and what might be risky, never straying from what they predict to be successful. The end products are usually formulaic and predictable.
One of the most amazing aspects of blogging is that the media can be fresh and innovative since the users demanding experiences are simply creating that which they wish to see. When someone creates a blog article they aren’t inherently trying to fill a demand created by market analysis. They are creating content they care about and feel like-minded individuals would care to read. J.D. Lasica of USC Annenberg journalism said, “Weblogging will drive a powerful new form of amateur journalism as millions of [4]Net users — young people especially — take on the role of columnist, reporter, analyst and publisher while fashioning their own personal broadcasting networks.”
Now comes the new paradigm and the challenges associated with it; does it cost millions of dollars to create compelling content? Does it require fancystudios with models delivering headlines to draw in viewers? Does money increase the accuracy and validity in receiving news? After witnessing the success in blogging, one could definitively say no; people only need to be engaged with the experience for it to catch on.
Word of mouth, or rather, forwarding of email/links, is again the most dominating form of advertising. Hugh Hewitt, in his 2005 book on the topic, says that “People’s attentions are up for grabs. Trust is being transferred. It up to you or your business—or your faith or family—depending upon the trust in you, your institution, or your product.”[5] People are finding it harder to trust traditional media outlets since they have for years and rather then getting innovative new mediums, they’ve gotten the same repackaged material laced up with shiny new gimmicks.
Viral videos are a rampant example of this concept. People pick up on a piece of content, post it to their website and watch the hits skyrocket. Link sharing sites (and a blogger’s best friend) such as Digg.com, Reddit.com and stumbleupon.com have redefined the way users can gain access to engaging content.
The age is gone where ‘hard luck’ stories are not as valid as they once were; if you have a dream, create something from scratch, and put it on the internet, people will generally see it, then pick it apart or praise it appropriately. If you are a witty, entertaining writer, and you put together a blog to showcase your abilities, you can have viewers see your talents with minimal advertising.
If you are able to do something amazing, there is now a wide audience out there just waiting to find out. Judson Laipply, an inspirational speaker, created a little dance number to end his shows with. He called it the “Evolution of Dance.” He recorded his performance and leaked it onto the internet where the buzz began. He did something amazing; the difference is talk of his performance didn’t become idle chit-chat to be forgotten by the few who witnessed it. Bloggers started snatching copies of his dance routine and spread his performance like wildfire. His dance number hit the internet where everyone got to have a good look at it. In 3 years time that video has over 111,291,545 views—compare that to any other media put out 3 years ago.
These days, blogging is faring better then ever thought possible. In the 2000 election, it would have been absurd to think the jargon of internet panelists would have any influence on the nature of the political machine. These days, with the creation of political blog feed sites such as the Huffington Post, many people are choosing to get political viewpoints from just as many guest contributors as they are political pundits.
No longer does a writer need permission to be published. They a writer can be anywhere, viewing nearly any event, and be ready to give commentary. Blogs are out there being updated on a constant basis from mobile phones, laptops, anything. Viewpoints you would never hear before are now as loud as ever. Vanessa Farguharson, who speaks about new trends in live blogging, say “Now, some will argue that this trend, which has risen in popularity over the past year, is better suited to important events that aren't covered live on television due to either legal restraints or lack of broad-based interest.”[6]
Literacy is a powerful tool. As technology has made advancements the common man, more then anyone, has become the beneficiary. There is never a reason to feel isolated, regardless of the views you may have. Blogging is a juggernaut, there is no question. As humans spiral through the 21st, the crack rifting under the traditional media outlets will eventually become a chasm. There is a very real possibility that media outlets could administer their own death sentences, ala the music industry, unless they foresee these changes coming and take appropriate measures. With the power blogging gives us, if society can’t be placated by media, we’ll make the changes ourselves and create another obsolete conglomerate empire.
Edward Bulwer-Lytton, I am afraid the days of the pen are gone. In this new digital age, the keyboard is now mightier then the pen.
[1] Jared Conley “Where the Heck did Blogs Come From?” EZine Articles. Oct 02, 2008.
[2] Ramaswami, Rama “The Prose (And Some Cons, Too) Of Blogging” T.H.E. Journal Nov 2008. Vol. 35 Issue 11, Pages 20-25
[3]
[4] Lasica, J.D. “Blogging as a form of journalism” USC Annenberg Online. May 05, 2001
[5] Hewitt, Hugh “BLOG: Understanding the Information Reformation”
[6] Farguharson, Vanessa “Live Blogging Equivalent of Eating Fast Food” The
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