Download Blogging - CS.Duke

Understanding Bloggers as
Journalists
Putting the Current Debate in
Proper Context
Affirmative Position
Topic: Journalism and Blogging
Naci Sigler
Definitions
• Journalists: People who collect,
prepare, and distribute information
about current events, trends, issues
and people.
• Blogger: People who write and
maintain a blog, dated text entries in
reverse chronological order (most
recent first) about events, trends, issues
and people of concern to them.
Types of Blogs
Journalists vs. Bloggers
Journalism Fields
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Advocacy journalism
Alternative journalism
Arts journalism
Business journalism
Citizen journalism
Fashion journalism
Investigative journalism
Literary journalism
Photojournalism
Science journalism
Sports journalism
Video game journalism
Types of Blogs
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
General
Technology
Politics
Personal
Gossip
News
Other
Journalists and Bloggers Cover the Same Topics!
Journalists v. Bloggers
•
•
•
•
•
Journalists’ Media
Newspapers &
Magazines
News Agencies
Broadcast
Journalism
Online & Blogging
Alternative Media
•
•
•
•
•
Bloggers’ Media
Newspapers &
Magazines
News Agencies
Broadcast
Journalism
Online & Blogging
Alternative Media
Journalists and Bloggers Publish in the Same
Media and Use the Same Technology!
Real Issues
• Copyright Infringement
• Misinformation
• Lack of Oversight (editors, established
protocol, fact checkers, etc)
• Elitism (established agencies vs. citizen
blog)
Real Issue
Problems of Dealing with
Technological and Intellectual
Property Issues compounded
in the Digital Environment.
Find Solutions for Real Issues
Copyright Infringement  Education (e.g.
citing sources, Fair Use Doctrine), Lawsuits
Misinformation/ Lack of Oversight 
Community Talkback, Fact Checkers
Elitism (established agencies vs. citizen blog)
 Professionals as bloggers (e.g. new
anchors, journalists), Blogging Goes
Mainstream (e.g. politicians, scholars)
Fair Use Doctrine
• For what purpose was the work used?
(commercial vs. nonprofit educational purposes)
• What is the nature of the copyrighted work?
(facts and ideas are separate from copyright)
•
How much of the work was used? How
substantial was the defendant’s use?
•
What’s the effect of the use upon the potential
market for or value of the copyrighted work?
Reasons to Extend Protections to
Bloggers:
•
Facilitate their function and role in society
–
–
–
•
Independent Checkers
Counter Media Consolidation,
Public Commentary = Freedom of Speech and
Democratic Citizen Participation
Establish legal precedent critical for
approaching and defining knowledge
especially acceptable use in the digital
environment.
Conclusion
Bloggers are journalists and
should have all of the
attendant rights, privileges,
and protections.