Journalism Today

Title
How are blogs changing journalism?

Introduction
Although web logs, or blogs, have been around for several years, they have more recently been having a big impact on journalism. In this activity you'll review blogging basics, find out about the current state of the blogosphere, and explore the effects of blogging on the news media.

Destinations

Vocabulary
Web Logs Glossary
http://weblogs.about.com/od/weblogsglossary/

Answers.com
http://www.answers.com/

Statistics
"The State of Blogging"
http://www.pewinternet.org/PPF/r/144/report_display.asp

Media Effects
"When Everyone's a Journalist"
http://www.ajr.org/Article.asp?id=3803

For more information on blogs go to the Internet Public Library
http://www.ipl.org/div/blogs/

Tips for this Activity

• Click on the Web Logs Glossary and/or the Answers.com link for meanings, definitions, and explanations of blog-related terms and words. You may also choose to find definitions elsewhere. However, no matter where your information comes from, remember to assess its reliability and to cite the information source in your answer.
• To view Pew's statistics, click on the link "View PDF of Report" that comes below the description of "The State of Blogging."
• Read Carl Sessions Stepp's review of We the Media: Grassroots Journalism by the People, for the People, "When Everyone's a Journalist?" Click here for tips

1.			Paraphrase in your own words the definition of a web log, or blog.
2.			What is a blogroll?
3.			What's a permalink?
4.			According to Pew, how many American Internet users read blogs?
5.			What percentage of American Internet users know what a blog is?
6.			How did Pew arrive at these statistics? How reliable do you think this survey is?
7.			How does technology allow anyone to become a journalist?
8.			What are potential problems with democratizing the news?
9.			How have blogs impacted American politics? Cite at least two examples.
10.			How are blogging and traditional newspaper editorial columns similar?
11.			Why do Jeff Jarvis and Michelle Malkin say that because of the nature blogging, it is self-policed?
12.			Are bloggers subject to libel law?
13.			What do you think of the bleed between traditional journalism and blogging?