Name one medium in today’s world which is unbiased, unprejudiced, impartial, impervious to censorship and gives a genuine meaning to the term “freedom of speech”?
Blogging it is. Newspapers, magazines, TV, radio, internet and any other media you can think of is subject to umpteen rounds of editing, slashing and finally the end product which we get, might or might not reflect the opinions of the author. Blogging on the other hand is completely free of editing and reflects the true opinions of the writer. Maybe because of this, blogs are extremely popular and so many people seem to have a blog. Take the case of the recent unrest in Pakistan, when the political parties deemed it fit to ban popular talk shows and all channels which had anything to say against them. It was then that the youngsters took to blogging to vent their angst against the government. (It is a different issue that later even blogger was banned but at least it gave them a medium to express themselves).
Blogging is one of the easiest ways to air your views and get people to read it without caring two hoots about expurgation or being politically correct or worrying if you have the facts right or not. Even when you don’t have the facts right and someone has a problem with that, you can always say that blogs are personal and if someone has a problem with what you have written they can always choose to ignore your post (which brings us to another aspect of blogging. Are “personal” blogs are really personal or is the term “personal blogs” a misnomer? That is a question we will try to answer in our future articles). Be it tech blogs, photo blogs or miscellaneous blogs, all of them give you a clear picture of what the writer is trying to say.
With television, the creativity of the director or actor is killed by constraints like time, money and the acerbic tongue of critics. Even in newspapers each and every printed line (even letters to the editor) is subjected to at least one round of editing. Magazines too are extremely choosy about the kind of articles they print, taking care not to offend people who take care of them etc.
TS Elliot put it brilliantly when he said “Some editors are failed writers, but so are most writers”. It is extremely difficult for a writer to slash his/her own work or do away with something unnecessary because frankly from his/her point of view nothing seems unnecessary. It is here that blogs help a writer showcase their true creativity be it in terms of writings or photos or poetries. Blogs as mainstream media are becoming increasingly popular and ought to be encouraged as they reflect the true pulse of the nation.
Do you think blogs will replace the mainstream media? If so, how soon do you think this will happen? If not, why do you think blogging cannot replace the mainstream media. We will love to hear from you.
Absolutely. Blogging will replace mainstream media and will happen very soon. Print is almost dead and even the ppl who work with the print media say so. Most of them have migrated to online writing and have their own blogs. TV will remain since people want to look at videos, but then how much time does it take when bloggers will shoot their own videos with their mobile devices and use it on their blogs.
Bloggers have a lot of say and not all of them are examined. But as you rightly said, what the heck, they are personal blogs nevertheless. Though most of the bloggers post their own experiences, some of them use it for personal attacks. It happens everywhere though.
Blogging is big and will soon be called in the mainstream media! Anyone has doubts?
This article is quite interesting. But if you ask me whether it will replace mainstream media. My answer is NO. It will co-exist along with the others similar to the co-existence of Print, Radio, Television and now the Internet. Blogs, i feel are merely thoughts of one particular individual or a group who have similar lines of thinking. It lacks authenticity and accountability as opposed to the other modes of media currently. Yes it does give an individual to express his/her thoughts without any binding but there is a risk of going overboard always. So with the emergence of blogs the reader will have one more option to look at News and Views. It will be a much richer experience for the reader for sure. But the chances of Blogs replacing other mainstream media is slim.
The touch of the morning news paper while sipping coffee is still special. Listening to the radio while driving still has no parallels. Lazing around in the couch with remote on your hand browsing through the innumerable channels is divine. Blogging is definitely a force to reckon with which be soon be a part of everyday life.
i think blogging will coexist……..thats diplomatic but blogs will need the other media to market them too. So the wave is going to be in favour of serious guys who will have their own following and lot of frivolos guys will be out of the window. but i feel that the next gen teens who are technologically more adept and fast in the internet way of life….will determine the future of blogs etc. although, i am from the old school of thought but there is a sense of user fatigue attached to all these activities.
so i feel that the importance of physical networking, interactions, opinions etc will comeback with a big force too after some years and like all things India will develop a unique model. One biggest advantage with blogs remain though is that inaccessible people / stars have a direct medium to state their mind.
Things continue to evolve and Electronic media is no exception. Blog is just a medium which can be used from publishing cat photos to managing big media company. So, Media companies will add blogging to their toolbox while A-list Blogger will look at adding authenticity of Media companies to their portfolio.
I dont have such an opinion, regarding the possible repalcement of other media by blgos. As pointed out by Satish, every media, including the most oldest RADIO does have a SAPCE and SCOPE in the every day life of human folk.
How can we conclude that news papers are dimming, when great majorities of developing countries like India are yet to pass through the intial touch of it. How can they make use of the internet mediums like BLOGS, as they are yet to go through a news paper or magazine in life.
Blogs have some vital influence in the life of people. As you said, there is no one to “GATEKEEP” from publishing your pure views and perspectives. More than textual you can apply all the available media forms on the blog, like graphics, animation, video, cartoon..Shortly, blog is copressed and converged media institution.
Blogs more over satisfy human’s need and thirst for free-speech. If there are readers, it is so simple today to communicate anything with a global society.
It’s about the reach that a blog has. But it probably cannot replace mainstream media. I think blogs are more of opinions and better known as online diaries. The genuinity of the information is always questionable.
Strength here is the reach and the interactivity using comments and sharing.
As of now, blogs have a very limited audience/readers because of its very nature. Though all the pluses are therfe, this big limitation cannot allow it to replace mainstream media in short time. However, mainstream will-rather it has already started giving ‘space’ in ints columns/time to the blogs. There also ‘edit’ will be there. They cannot give space without editing
Thenks
Me Duniya ko ye batana chahata hu ki har aadami me kuch chenj he magar ushe patta nahi he ki ushme kaya chenj he Ye aek kudarat ka karishma he,
Kudarat ke niyam mujab jab bhi koi do(2) chenj mix hote he to aek naya ajuba milata he
No i don’t think blogs will replace the mainstream media, hey I am agree with Satish, blogging is also good communication medium but Television, redio and internet this communication medium will never end. General human is not known all these things blogs and all so they can understand better through television or redio, newspapers..
TV will remain since people want to look at videos, but then how much time does it take when bloggers will shoot their own videos with their mobile devices and use it on their blogs
blogs have a very limited audience/readers because of its very nature. Though all the pluses are therfe, this big limitation cannot allow it to replace mainstream media in short time
in the next few years
Blogging, despite its powerful potential and democratic, participative ethos, is unlikely to displace traditional media — print, audiovisual and onlilne — which has too hoary a history and far too many well-built infrastructural advantages to be easily upstaged. Blogging will, however, form a vital and increasingly important adjunct to mainstream media. Long live bloggers!
In a democratic society, I think it will be harsh to use the term “replace”. It should rather be “co-exist” because as time progresses, we’ll see that if operated with due responsibility both the mediums will work wonders to keep us awake with the progress of the country.
I personally feel Blogging would co-exist with other media but Television media is and will always remain the mother of all media. Though one can voice their views in a effective way through blogs, its reach is quite questionable. News or views given via TV media reaches a much larger audience than Internet Blogs.
Blog is going to be the voice of the future. No other media is as fast growing as blogging. In years to come blogging will be the only way to express one’s views, thoughts and opinions. The daily newspaper may be the only competitor against blogging because in newspaper we get all the flashes and news arranged all in one place. Othewise blogging is going to march ahead strong and strong, day by day.
I think replacement of mainstream media by blogs will take long time, it is not the issue. But I’m sure because of the blogs internet will become the only I came I saw I said, I wished I did I’m happy etc place in the world. I think it will replace Psychotherapy sooner than mainstream media. 🙂
I see Blogging as being the next “Item girl” of mainstream entertainment. With social networking becoming popular, the lines that separate personal content and content used for public consumption is getting progressively ambiguous. With people willing to make public what they are doing every minute of everyday, blogging is one way to make public, opinions, observations, critiques and what not……opening the floodgates of thought…..By the way……it works better than a shrink!
Well i would personally like a paper-less world. But the world doesn’t revolve around what i want! But its a fact. People are depending lesser on paper these days. We barely use paper at work at all! Only perhaps for outdated government/legal formalities. The coming generations will use it even less. Who has the time to go through a physical newspaper, when you have PDAs, podcasts, livefeeds, audio books that help you catch up on stuff on the go?!! I personally do not have the time to read a book these days, I depend on Audio books! And I am not that busy a person!
Point being, “electronic everythings” is where the world is headed. (Provided we live in a world with electricity in the future 😀 )….newspapers may not be replaced maybe(although i dont see why not)………but it would definitely be redundant.
It was only last week that I finally saw this movie “The Network” (1976). Somehow, after reading this post and the comments, couple of seems flashed accross my cognisance.
People believe the illusions the media is spinning. They believe that the tube is reality and their own lives are unreal. They do. Whatever the tube tells them, they do: they dress like the tube, they eat like the tube, they raise their children like the tube, they even think like the tube. This is mass madness, and its only getting bigger. With more media in people’s face than ever before, people’s lives are being shaped by what they’re being forced to percieve.
Right now, there is a whole, an entire generation that never knew anything that didn’t come out of the tube. This tube is the gospel, the ultimate revelation; this tube can make or break presidents & prime ministers; this tube is the most awesome goddamn propaganda force in the whole godless world.
So no, I don’t think blogs will ever become mainstream media. The greater forces of the world won’t let it happen. They cannot lose one of their biggest controlling mechanisms. Entire populations just cannot live without the entertainment they get from mainstream media. Its designed to keep the minds of people entertained so that they dont reflect much on the real matters.
Its an illusionary world we’re living in. Far from knowing the truth behind the driving forces of the world.
i just wish to live in a wonderland where every body cares for others,where there is no room for enimosity,aggression and any other kind of negetive feelings.
live and let live should be the formula to be followed ,only then this world will be the nice place to live in.let us try this.
Yea I agree with Anu Smarma . This could be found in the world of music or any other
hobby , if truely persued . At least where head and heart are in the right place .
Hmmmm!! So this is still here . Let’s see.
Why is my name& email id used as a platform for submitting comments ? I strongly
object to this .
saibalkumar.
Delete saibalkumar.
nice topic.. think I am late but .. it’s ok.. today it a easy as well as a nice plateform to share and air our voice through blogging. the shared experiences through this are very dynamic and quick accessible to anyone. even for those who are not the masters of the computing..
Pradeep
http://apnidiary.blogspot.com/
I am really moved by your depth and understanding about blogging. That how is different from other media. Hats of to you!!
Its really true that blogs are completely free of editing and reflects the true opinions of the writer. This vital differentiation is going to make a difference in blogging growth for sure.