Why 2010 Will Be the Year of Blogging
Per the recommendation of a friend, I picked up Clear Blogging by Bob Walsh. I had a chance to dive-in a little bit over the weekend. While Walsh doesn’t say anything ground breaking (this is a good, practical “how-to” book on blogging for beginners), he starts out the book with a bang.
From the first chapter:
Blogging is about power, and shifting it from them to you.
The reason the number of people blogging keeps doubling every five months–and companies, organizations, media, churches, and, at last count, somewhere between 50 and 100 million people have started wildly blogging in less than a few years–is that blogging gives us a new way to communicate, to share, to influence, to connect, to outrage, to matter.
Seth Godin says the way information is transmitted has been forever changed by the Internet. Walsh agrees. I’m with them.
The “haves” and the “have-nots” will level off and become the “all-haves.” Why? Because everyone, more or less, has the same chance to be heard. This can be a very good thing (read: Iran election) or it can be a very bad thing (read: Perez Hilton).
This is part of the reason why I love blogging so much. The “authorities” no longer have exclusive claim to “the truth.” 2010 will continue to be a year of blogging because:
- Journalistic credibility will continue to shift from the “traditional” media and more towards bloggers.
- The “peer sphere” will continue to serve as the primary place where people get everything from product reviews to news to weather.
- More people will realize how easy it easy to start a good blog and find it tremendously rewarding.
Your voice matters. It’s waiting to be heard. Get going!
So what is the role of professional journalism then? As someone with a degree in that field, this rise of blogging is a little bit scary. I do think the two fields are different, though. Journalism is more about news, and uncovering circumstantial truth. Blogging seems to be more opinion based and uncovering personal, relational, and spriritual truth (at least in the Christian blogosphere). Can the two live happily ever after?
I'll take that as inspiration and a challenge…a challenge to get my own blog up to speed and redesigned
Hope you and your family are doing well!
JBird …. To be sure, I don't know what the role of journalism will be. That's what smart people like you get to figure out
I don't think the need for journalism will ever go away. What I do think will go away are the forms that have had a monopoly on what credible journalism looks like.
Blogging and journalism will marry. What kind of kids they produce is anyone's guess.
Get to it, girl!
The fam is beautiful and shiny!
PS – I saw one of your church cards at Bethel when I was up there last. I smiled
So what is the role of professional journalism then? As someone with a degree in that field, this rise of blogging is a little bit scary. I do think the two fields are different, though. Journalism is more about news, and uncovering circumstantial truth. Blogging seems to be more opinion based and uncovering personal, relational, and spriritual truth (at least in the Christian blogosphere). Can the two live happily ever after?
I'll take that as inspiration and a challenge…a challenge to get my own blog up to speed and redesigned
Hope you and your family are doing well!
JBird …. To be sure, I don't know what the role of journalism will be. That's what smart people like you get to figure out
I don't think the need for journalism will ever go away. What I do think will go away are the forms that have had a monopoly on what credible journalism looks like.
Blogging and journalism will marry. What kind of kids they produce is anyone's guess.
Get to it, girl!
The fam is beautiful and shiny!
PS – I saw one of your church cards at Bethel when I was up there last. I smiled