Blogs might be the in thing. There are blogs about every topic possible on earth. In the wake of such popularity can blogs become the new form of alternate media? Lately there has been raging debate regarding the role of blogs as an alternate media.
THE VIRTUAL world is a reality in more ways than one. The cross between the internet and human life has led to a series of mutations. There is a virtual copy of nearly everything. We have market places, libraries, wedding planners, even babies and partners. Cyber space is a bustling milieu of every single aspect of real human experience. Online dating and chats have dissolved boundaries and brought the world closer. While each of these applications has serious repercussions if not used responsibly, the users are learning from their own experiences and making the most of what is available.
Blogs (short form of Weblog) has been around for quite some time now. Blogs in the general everyday jargon are called ‘Online Diaries’. It basically is a free, individualized and customized space on the internet where the owner can put across his/her thoughts to be shared by everybody/selected readers. What started as a way to communicate and share with people beyond the boundaries, has become a most important phenomena. Blogs can be personal, or belong to any particular organization. It can also be varied in its application.
Lately there has been raging debate regarding the role of blogs as an alternate media. Blogs have developed into space for informed opinions and points of view. Blogs inform, they provide an outlook and basically do all that a newspaper editorial does. It is what is called ‘participatory journalism’. User-generated content is the functional element in such blogging. Blogging is just one of the many ways of putting one’s point forward and getting feedbacks. It leads to discussions and solutions. However, accountability is a major concern. Since blogs are more about a personal view point rather than general, there are dangers of defamation and liability. In 2009, NDTV issued a legal notice to Indian blogger Chetan Kunte for "abusive free speech" regarding a blog post criticizing their coverage of the Mumbai attacks. The post was removed unconditionally and replaced with an admission that it had been "defamatory and untrue" which resulted in several Indian bloggers criticizing NDTV for trying to silence critics.Like any other form of media regulation, is the primary hindrance to blogs becoming functional media instrument. Self-regulation is a myth. Even a media house finds the tight-rope walk difficult. The job of putting across information and view points, without ruffling any feathers is rare. For blogs to be seen as a credible device of news dissemination, qualitative measures and factual checks have to be put into place that elevate them to something more authoritative and correct than simple partisan gossip. Until then it will just remain a popular platform to raise issues and voice opinions that may be loud, but always a wee bit dubious. There are blogs with topics ranging from music to cars, sports to cooking, wedding to bungee-jumping, religion to gothic practice. Today we have Vlog, moblog, tumblelogs, linklogs etc… writing is just a primary use. One can use blogs for uploading personal videos, or audio clips. One can blog using their mobile phones. Blogs have become the new tool of marketing and advertising. Many media personalities have taken to blogging. The Bollywood fraternity has taken to blogging very keenly, using it as a tool for self-promotion and PR. Many bloggers have gone beyond the written word and appeared on radio and television. In fact blogging has got people book deals too. Blogs have also come handy in raising awareness and public participation. The ‘Blank Noise’ Project registered huge support due to blog-marketing. Need is the mother of invention. The evolution of blogs says the same story.
