Sunday, September 09, 2007

"I HAVE never, nor will I ever, read blogs" (Part 2)

Following the Ong Sor Fern's "I have never, nor will I ever, read blogs" article, I'm happy to say that I've found a more enlightened view from Scott Rosenberg, writing for The Guardian (a Mainstream Media publisher, no less):
"... From the dawn of blogging it's been tempting for established professionals to reject blogging as trivial and unreliable.

... Most journalists' understanding of the nature of blogging has been circumscribed by a focus on how it might affect our profession. We write articles about whether blogging can be journalism, we worry about whether bloggers can or will replace journalists, and we miss the real stories.

... So what, exactly, are Wolfe and other blogging detesters worried about? We're not going to run out of web space. And each of us still decides how to spend our time. What price is the world paying for the existence of blogging's universal soapbox? Unless someone has figured out how to make you read a blog when you don't want to, I don't see one. Is there a benefit? Ask Miller. Ask millions."
(see also: TodayOnline,8 Sept 2007)

I'm no Blog-crusader. I've got nothing to defend about blogging. It's not a medium for everyone (as a reader or writer).

It's also not about Ms. Ong or any individual journalist.

What I take issue is when Mainstream Media writers, who are respected by many readers, make sweeping statements that are misleading. Something's not right when readers, who aren't exposed to New Media, take at face-value what Mainstream Media says (wrongly) about New Media.

There cannot be an "informed public" when the public -- who are still great consumers of Mainstream Media -- are misinformed.

If the maxim that "Information is power" is true, then for Singaporeans (who are fond of saying that our only natural resource is People), we cannot afford to stay misinformed or worse, ignorant of what's happening out there.

New Media -- not only blogs -- are a reality.

Just consider news like these:
"Blogs sweep Vietnam as young push state-run media aside"
"Casio to launch digital cameras for YouTube"

2 comments:

  1. Anonymous11:21 am

    'What I take issue is when Mainstream Media writers, who are respected by many readers' - please speak for yourself Ivan, this is certainly NOT the case for me and my circle of friends.

    Many thanks good write up, but I really wonder why do they even feel the need to shout so loud if it's really true.

    Why didn't the editors feel the need to control her?

    I don't like this.

    Dead Cat

    ReplyDelete
  2. Siva was wrong to say that it was a ploy to get ppl to read her article. It was a ploy to get ppl to blog about it; and you fell for it dude!

    ReplyDelete

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