Mainstream Media & Alternative Blogs

Today’s discussion on the mainstream media’s view on alternative news was very enlightening. When I think of mainstream media, or MSM as Jordan states, I think of ABC, MSNBC, CNN, FOX, etc. I never really took into consideration that blogs about news-related material, such as war, could be seen as a threat to our major news networks.

There are definitely pros and cons to using blogs or alternative sources of information. Like we discussed, it is awesome that bloggers are able to give us the ‘inside scoop’ on what is going on. By living in that area, the blogger may experience the turn of events themselves, and their personal account makes the event more real for the reader. If mainstream media would be willing to rely on bloggers, they would not have to send reporters to certain areas. Unfortunately, that is not the case. Bloggers are not typically journalists, so it can also be refreshing to read a story from a completely different point of view.

Even though blogs provide insight, there are definitely some cons. The person blogging may be biased because they are talking about their life and how the event is affecting them personally. The person blogging may not understand the event from a ‘worldly’ view. By this, I mean that the blogger may be so caught up in his or her own life, that they cannot apply what they are experiencing to the entire event as a whole. Additionally, the blogger may not be seen as credible because they do not have any sources to back them up.

This is just the tip of the ice berg when it comes to mainstream media and alternative news blogs. I agree with Samantha in her blog post, ‘Blogging Not a Crime.’ Opinions may be fed into blogs, but the reader also has the responsibility to pick out fact from opinion. I believe readers also need to use that same responsibility when reading mainstream media. A journalist has the responsibility not to be biased, but humans are not perfect. This being said, every writer should try to censor themselves.