Blogging Verses Journalism
May 7, 2008 3 Comments
Such was the 10 min topic on CBC TV 8 2hr morning show “Morning Barbados” where presenter Belle Holder sought to get the views of Eric Smith and Jewel Forde on how blogging has or is affecting journalism.
Well I would agree with Eric Smith, blogging is here to stay and is growing. They are critical, can allow feedback, compliment print media and are advantageous in providing audiences with additional information. An example cited was hurricanes.
On the other hand, Jewel Forde in a attacking mode could not help but made mention of the incident when the cameraman focus on her dropped head on election night so much so that one commenter on another blog related it to the BLP losing streak. Jewel, if it is any consolidation I believe it had to do more with the many UNPROFESSIONAL TECHNICAL HITCHES ON CBC THAT WE HAVE BEEN DURING FOR THE UPTEENTH TIME WHICH CBC CAN’T SEEM TO GET RIGHT EVEN IN 2008 but we are getting ahead of our self.
Jewel Forde believed that blogs should be policed. She believed that they are indiscipline. According to Ms Forde, blogs deal with personal opinions. Journalism reports the story and leave out the emotions and opinions. Ms Forde give an example. Before reporting on the above incident, she would of check with the individual to get a feedback before writing the story but we both know it doesn’t always work like that now do we?
That’s why we have blogs Ms Forde. Today reader want to express his or her opinions on a subject matter. They want to be heard not to be discriminating against. They want the nitty gritty of the story not just bland reporting that fails to investigates crucial stories that matters to the populace.
In response to Belle Holder statement that blogs cannot be held against the same ‘do & don’ts like journalism since this is ‘a man in the street expressing his opionion’, Ms Forde categorically disapprove. Character assassination, no recourse, irresponsible, full of innuendos were some of the terms express. Mention were two blogs Barbados Free Press and Cheese On Bread.
At least she saw the need to encourage media blogs and for CBC to incorporate cellphone footage in its news broadcast.
See also – Journalist Carl Moore Love/Hate Relationship with Bajan Blogs
Bajan Global Report 
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Thanks for the update, I had wanted to see it and was really sorry I missed it
Eric is progressive and so I am not surprised at his answer, Jewel’s response is amazing yet not that much of a shock – she has to uphold CBC’s “standards,” whatever those are (BGR: you bang on, re: goofs over the decades at Clearly {a} Bunch {of} ……….. Coconuts)!
When I started my News-Blog, part of the reasoning was I wanted to tell my story my way, and not the boring sanitised crap that CBC spews, I was told if I had my way, ppl would wonder if CBC was science fiction
My way of doing news for the last 18 months or so gets around 300 to 500 views a day, wonder what their website stats are?
Thanks for this summary. It suggests that the established media have a way to go to understand what is going on. They may be content with filling the space they have already and that is fine. But there is more space to fill and even a cursory review of news and commentary sources shows that blogs are at least as significant as established media. Comments such as “According to Ms Forde, blogs deal with personal opinions. Journalism reports the story and leave out the emotions and opinions.” show the double standards at play. Read the editorial from The Advocate of May 7 to see how emotive and opinionated it can be, by referring to other views as “sneering commentators”. But also read the article ” The media to blame” in The Advocate on May 5, which shows clearly how they are dropping the baton and not really acting as professional journalists should