What should journalism schools teach about blogs?
For a possible summer 2004 panel discussion at a journalism education conference…
How can “mass communication” scholars look at weblogs? Should journalism educators be teaching future professional journalists about blogs? Should we be teaching future bloggers about journalism, from fact-checking and headline-writing to libel law?
This is my first draft of a panel proposal… Comments appreciated…
Weblogs, newspapers and political coverage:
New roles for professionals in a world of amateurs?
1. Blogs by opinion columnists (everyone an “instapundit”?)
2. Blogs by reporters (with or without gatekeeping editors!?)
3. Blogs to invite public tips and comments (participatory journalism or token “interactivity”)
4. Blogs as something to cover. Identifying important voices versus “blogrolling”? Who has time to read this stuff? How do you sort out grassroots and astroturf?
5. Using blogs and Web linkage to supplement newspapers: Linkage to document opinions with facts, link opposing opinions for public debate
Growing version of this item.
Earlier related weblog entry
Hui Liu
October 16, 2004 @ 9:23 am
Trivia refers to the market at the junction of three roads that lead to Rome. Wow! Blogging is like a great big ‘Multivia’. And, while I am at it, let me suggest “One Big Blog” as a buzzword. I am currently thinking up new buzzwords because I deserve a tenured position some place.
J-schools should be working on co-opting blogs by imposing unwanted standards to what is, in truth, a marketplace of ideas. J-schools should consider gatekeeping and top-blog (“Top-Blog”, tm) to rain on everyone’s parade… haha! J-schools should worry about increasingly limited budgets.
Oh. Hello. I am Hui. Just having fun.