Author: mb13026910

 “What is the difference between Blogging and Journalism?”

Before we continue we must first of all find out what the two really are and then we will be able to identify the difference between them.

So then, what is blogging?  Blogging was actually created by Justin Hall. It all started in 1994 when many witness the   birth of the first blog. According to creative blog,  It was  called  Links.net  – a place where  creator  Justin Hall could share his musings and  his favorite  links  with the world .  It was a page where he could express himself, share his ideas and content on the web (Creative blog).

As years went by and technology progressed   in 1997 ,  many people started using their own personal websites as a place  to spotlight their ideas, the term “ weblog” was coined and  shortened to “ blog”   in 1999( Creative blog) .

People needed a place to share ideas, thoughts, express their feelings, and experiences. They found that having a place where you could share ideas and express yourself was an ideal way to share intimate information with people who are very close to you, friends and family.

According to creative blog,   when people first started blogging   they did not have to share it on Facebook or join a content network   or outwardly promote it. It was actually private   and people shared it with people they knew and they knew where to find them.

Before, blogging grew to what we know it today,   early blogger’s hosted contents on sites like Xanga. It was founded in 1998, and live journal in 1999.  Both were simple to use,  but  were  mostly  only able  to swap  out colors schemes  and minor  layout pieces, but very  effective  at allowing users to publish  quickly  and easily( Creative blog).

Many people became very interested in this new thing that they started looking beyond their intimate circle for more information to read. They started exploring, looking for the best blog and content on the web.    Blogging actually gained it roots when Charlotte Observer set up its blog and used it to share information in mainstream news something that had not been done before.  They used it and kept people informed. The Bonnie Blog set   records for page views on the observer’s site. They also set the stage along with Drudge reports breaking of the Clinton –Lewinsky scandal, for a major shift in the way blogging platform were used (Creative Blog).

Soon people started showing interest in blogging and online news.  They needed to find new ways on how to manage the content and share these ideas with the public.  According to creative blog, I n 2003 Google launch AdSense, this allowed bloggers to earn income for their work.  Soon many people were blogging. This gave them the opportunity to earn an income for the work that they do. Now it has become a profession for some people whereby they learn how to blog and make money. As we have seen what was once consider to be expression of people’s feelings , passion, ideas , thoughts and what was  going on around the world, like current events has evolve to a whole new phenomenon. Blog is abbreviated of “Weblog,”   it is used to describe websites that maintain an ongoing chronicle of information.  A blog is like a personal diary type commentary and links to articles on other websites.   It ranges from personal to political and can focus on concerns of the people. It is a place where most people feel very free to write and share their concerns.

On the other hand   when we say Journalism one will wonder what it is. The  dictionary .com acknowledges that  journalism is the occupation of reporting , writing , editing , photographing  or broadcasting  news or of conducting  any  news organization as a business ( Dictionary.com).   This reporting style does not include people’s opinions; however it involves data collection, authority, facts, information from reliable sources   and verification to ensure that the information is accurate and proven to be the truth.  Their work mostly consists of doing research to ensure that everything they report about actually did happened and it is the truth.  We might have seen it before.  That sometimes when an incident occurs and the network does not verify the source to make sure that the story is true they later end up apologizing for their mistakes, networks like CNN, CBS, BBC and others have done it a few times.   This is because they lack the facts and it can have a detrimental impact on the people receiving the news or on the network reporting it. According to the American Press Institute, “ the value  flows  from its purpose , to  provide people  with verified  information  they can  use  to make  better  decisions , and its  practices ,  the most important  of which  is systematic  process.  A discipline of verification that journalist use to find not just facts, but also the “truth about the facts.”

Now that we have an idea of what blogging is and what journalism is we can infer the difference between the two.

Saleem  khan  a career  journalist  reports that ,  the key difference between blogging and journalism is that, with blogging  people tend to offer more opinion  and analysis that links to news  stories  reported  by mainstream media  while  professional journalist  tend to gather   and report facts and opinion from expert source.

The art of journalism requires  that  the journalist finds a fact or premise  determine  the veracity of  that fact or premise by verifying it with different sources before reporting it  and attributing to it. With blog there is no such requirement or expectation with it.  All one needs is a blog which defined primarily by format: a web page or site comprised of series of post that typically   appear in reverse

Chronological order, which may include links commentary, multimedia content and a way of reader to comment on the site (khan).

However, with the increase involvement of people on the internet these days, Khan adds that Journalist has increasingly taken up blogging as a way to:

-Report observations on the fly share note book and story –behind –the story facts that don’t easily fit into the narrative of a formal news article.

-They cover stories that would be just a piece of a full article

-Adopt a more casual and relaxed voice than a traditional news reports allows

– Add context to a story by linking and commenting on other material found online.  Basically  when journalist blogs , they express their view about the issues surrounding whatever they are reporting on and even does it better because there are no restrictions  like when they are actually doing journalistic work.  To be a journalist one needs an academic training or formal training from a reputable school of journalism.  To be a blogger one needs a website and need to know how to express him or herself by writing.

Simply, blogging is viewed by many as unreliable because it’s someone’s opinion and the other one is viewed as reliable because one has to verify the source of the information before it can be broadcast the world. However, I think it is a perception issue of what the public view as reliable or unreliable and I say this because when we look at the evolvement of blogging over the years we can infer that blogging has become a huge deal that even major companies are using blogs to promote their businesses on their websites  and different forums. It has become one of the reliable sources that most people rely on to read and make decisions about whether they want to do business with the firm, purchase from them or inquire about what they do and what it entails.  As mentioned before, even journalist  and others have taken to blogs in order  to share information with others.

Few years ago, many people rely on their radios, TV’s, Newspapers and news magazines to get the latest news or event happening around the world. But now it has changed. With our advancement in technology many do not rely on journalism  anymore like they used to.   People can get their news from their mobile devices and through these social media links such as Facebook, YouTube, Tumblr, WhatsApp and others like it.  Though not all the news are reliable because  many share what is now known as ” fake news “ , one cannot actually believe everything when they see  or hear about it.  It has to be verified with a reputable source first before it can be spread around.

In brief, both are seen as a way of sharing information with others, but how the information is achieved and where it is achieved from is the difference between the two.

 

 

 

References:

American Press Institute.  What makes journalism different than other forms of communication?

Retrieved from americanpressinstitute .org/ journalism –essentials /what is journalism / makes – journalism -different –forms- communication

Codex .wordpress.org

Creative Blog staff (2014) Web design. The History of Blogging. Retrieved from

Creative blog .com/web-design/history-blogging-51411626

Journalism. (n.d). Dictionary.com Unabridged. Retrieved May 10, 2017 from Dictionary .com website

http://www.dictioanry.com/browse/journalism

Khan .S. (2011). Career Journalist.  Founder of investig8.net. Retrieved from

https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-difference-between-a-blogger-and-a-journalist#!n=12

Social media impact on our lives.

It feels just like yesterday when children were growing up and playing outside with their friends’ afterschool. There were no gadgets like today, children were creative, they made their own toys and things to play with. In fact, they looked forward to it every single day and you can tell that they really   enjoyed that face to face interactions with each other.

Students in boarding school at the time will write letters to their loved ones back home. They will ask one of their day student friends to deliver it for them. They usually share with them what is going on at school or request for things that they need in school.   There were no cell phones, though few people have telephones at home. It is fascinating to look back and see that a lot has changed over the years.

Our parents will rush home from work just to come and watch 6:00 o’clock news in black and white.  Most of the time when they received visitors they will leave them with piles of album full of pictures and will excuse themselves, while their guest was still entertained by viewing all the pictures.

 

Years down the line, with our advancement in technology and innovative ideas, quite a lot has changed it is not the same anymore. The way we interact, communicate, play, drive, send messages, take pictures, watch TV, watch the news, movies, order food, shop, sell, hang out with friends and stay connected with distant families and friends have all changed.

Now a day instead of visiting families and friends most people use social media because it is convenient and much cheap to get connected, communicate and interact. For families, far and near communicating via email, phone, Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, tango, viber and video calling and skype have made very possible to communicate anytime. People don’t have to wait longer anymore before they get in touch.

Social media impact on our live have made most things easy for us to access.  Technology have helped to make most things digital, for example before people drive stick shift, now people drive automatic and hybrids cars which comes with digital features. For Instances drivers, can connect their mobile phones to their cars and communicate whenever they receive a call without picking up the phone to answer or use a head set like before.    Car makers are now installing   GPS systems in latest car to help drivers navigate their way to wherever they are going. The system can even direct a driver to take the shortest route to destination based on the traffic along the way.  Car manufactures have considered the needs of their clients and have realized that social media have become essential to us so much that even some of the cars being manufactured now comes with digital cameras and wi-fi systems for consumers to get access anywhere the ride to.

I am sure some of you will remember those days when some write letters to friends and families, they will take it to the post office to mail it and then wait anxiously for day, weeks or months for a reply.   On the other hand, companies find the best person with a good hand writing, hand writes letters out or use their typewriters to make it look professional.  In this twentieth century, most people do not write anymore like they used to.  Many people use different mediums to get their information or message across to whomever it was intended for. For example, to send a message nowadays many uses, emails, Facebook, WhatsApp, snapchats, Instagram, viber, tango among others. Messaging has become instant and it does not matter where you are in the world if you have internet connection sending and receiving response is instant.   Most companies benefit from this phenomenon because if they want to send a crucial information to another companies or so, they can just take a picture and send it or scan instead without printing it and then must mail.  Technology, has minimize the amount of time it normally takes to get somethings done in our lives, therefore we can manage our time wisely in some aspects of our lives. Especially at school, work and even at home, by prioritizing the most important things in our lives.

We used to complain a lot about paparazzi following stars everywhere they go. Now I think we have become our own paparazzi, taking pictures and selfies of almost anything that we find interesting or are fascinated by.  This is mostly seen among the teens and young adults who have become addicted to their phones and feels that they cannot leave without it for a period or hours.  Per Dr. Dowdall, it is ok to put the phone down and enjoy some quality time with friends and families(Brain). She explains that teens who don’t get enough rest at night and spends so much time on their phones texting or whatever normally finds themselves in trouble because, they do not get enough rest, they become angry, depressed, they can gain weight because they are not mobile and turn to junk food when they are hungry and tired(Brian).

Most people are no longer in a rush to get home and watch their favorite shows any longer because they now have the option of streaming online on their mobile devices wherever they are or set a record and watch it when they get home. In every way, it has changed from the time our parents used to watch their black and white TV which was stationary by the way.

Social media impact on our lives is tremendous, I say this because as it evolves it is taking us along for the ride. It has changed the way we cook our food traditionally. This is because if you need a recipe for a dish from wherever in the world you can just google it and you can cook your meal, whether, it Chinese, European, African, Mediterranean, Italian and many more, you can find. This has made it easier for most people to cook whatever they want to eat without traveling to that country to explore their cuisine, but just have it at the comfort of your home.

Most brick and mortar stores are using the web to their advantage and have captured quite several consumers online with their e-commence, which caters for many consumers from all over the world. For people who cannot walk or go to the store on foot, e-commence is the answer.

The newest trend for consumers these days is to shop online at the convenient of their home or wherever they may be.  There is no need to go to the store any longer if you don’t have the time to shop. Just log on and go to the stores website, Amazon or eBay for great deals. You click and shop and it would be delivered to your door step. Many people have adapted to this new lifestyle. Some call to order their products and food for delivery. However, with this much activity on social media we must be vigilant of cyberattack because hackers also know that this is where most people spend their time at. We must know which sites prove to be safe and which ones does not for us not to fall victim of their scam.

The most important reason people give to hangout on social media is to communicate and connect with lost friends and families who live long distance.  Most people stay connected by chatting online, like on Facebook, twitter, Instagram, WhatsApp, viber and skype among others. They share their personal pictures, problems, events, what is new in their lives and what is yet to come with them.  Some people also use it to meet new people and to expand their networking. Others use it to search for jobs, to gather information and to get their news about what is trending.

The use of social media has given many people the opportunity to express themselves the way they would not have in person. According to Carrier Kerpen CEO of Likeable Media, social media has made her confident as she started using it to express herself. She asserts that social media has helped people to network better and to brand themselves to the public (Kerpen).

Social media has become beneficial to our existence; however, we do know that “too much of everything is bad for us.” Being on it can be time consuming especially when there are other important things to be done, like homework.

In brief, our way of live has changed and things will never be the same  like it used to be, because Social Media  keeps evolving with time. I wonder what generations yet to come would be saying about what we know today and how they will deal with it.

Mary.

 

 

 

Reference:

Brian, S. J. (2013, Sep 02). Two days with no phone. Scholastic Action, 37, 4-6. Retrieved

from http://jdebusk.weebly.com/uploads/1/3/2/1/13213092/action-two_days_no_phone.pdf

Carrier Kerpen. (2016). How Has Social Media Changed Us? Forbes.  Retrieved from

https://www.forbes.com/sites/carriekerpen/2016/04/21/how-has-social-media-changed-us/2/#16a06a6258da

 

Social Media

“What will social media be like in the future?”

 

Just a couple of Years ago, if one had mentioned the word social media people will ask, what is it?  However, today it has become part of our daily lives whereby by we cannot get enough of it.  Many people get on social media to connect to people, communicate, gather information, find lost friends over the years, get news and advertise their products. People use media such as twitter, Facebook, Instagram, snapchats or Pinterest among others for these purposes.

The question is what social media will be like in the future. My outright answer is that it is evolving therefore it will eventually change from what we know of it today.  It will be more advance than it is now.

According to 60 second marketer, “currently there are 1.96 billion social media users in the world and the number are expected to grow to 2.5 billion by 2018”.

With continues innovation, come new developments and challenges.  60 second Marketer suggests that “there will be wearable technologies which we have started emerging at the market already”.  For example, with Apple watches, bracelet bands, fitness bands etc.

In addition, it can be use at the workplaces and business to improve operations through apps.  For example, through Slack. It is a powerful tool which allows worker and businesses to collaborate  and share  information  through  text, gifs, images  and anything else  instantly  without the use of internal emails( Bennett , ).

Using Facebook for work, just like we use it to connect to friends and families, it will be used to connect to businesses   and professionals for collaborations purposes.

The focus is also on how social media platforms can be used effectively, since it has a greater appeal on Instagram, Facebook and tweeter   other than connecting people.

Benett suggest that , Live streaming videos  on social media   with Meerkat and Periscope and Facebook live  since anyone can now a days  start a streaming online whenever  they want to.

Using dedicated analytics Platforms to create feeds, schedule tweets and other things. The use of tweeter dashboard is integrating itself into the standard function of today’s social media (Bennett).

Using mobile to respond to work, will be the norm for much business since most is already carrying their devices along with them.

The way we report the news will change, there will be many eyewitness using their devices to report news and sharing as it occurs.

There will also be a huge collection of data since social media keeps evolving. In the future the younger generation will view what we know now as social media as an old thing. There will have modified versions of social media and might change its name.

Oculus virtual reality glasses will be available to all and it will change the way we do and view things around us. It will change how people spend their time and do things because they don’t have to actually do it but can enjoy the experience at the comfort of their home or wherever they may be.

Many people suggest  that there will be a whole new  innovations  available for people convince  therefore  different products  will be develop. According to News .com  there will be new gadgets like  helmets with built in navigation  systems , wearables for pets and smart buttons  that could be pressed  to even change colors of your clothes( News.com).

Though we are not aware of exactly what will happen  in the future  of social  Media we can only  assumed , predict or  anticipate what  will happen based on social media history or trends  because it continues to evolve  as time goes on.  A lot of people do not feel so comfortable with social media and it usage. However, at the rate at which things are changing they will have to adapt and learn how it works and how they can use it to improve themselves and their businesses.  Just a couple of years ago things were very different no one knew about social media and what it has become or yet to be.

Social media have provided a platform for people to be able to express themselves.  Instead, of reading and commenting on other things, many have become authors themselves. Whereby they could write blogs, posts something on face book or share a picture on Instagram and have others comment or give their opinion of it.   Social Media is not just use for networking anymore, it has become more than that. Many companies are using it to market their products and build their brands therefore their expectations are changing.  Business needs to have some kind of strategy   and sense of direction in order to use social media successfully to promote their brand.  Also, everyone who has smart phone is now a photographer they can report what they see.

As we progress to the future we realized that social media does not only help us to socialize with friends and families and communicate with them   because it is more than that. It helps us to share our day to day lives with them since we have been dispersed all over the world. It helps us to share relevant content (knight).

Many people who use social media have become loyal to the networks that they feel comfortable with for example, some uses, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, google, Tumblr, twitter, and others.  Though they all have different function the main is to connect to others. In the future all might change because all these mentioned names might sound strange to the next generation. They will find it odd to comprehend the name and what it means because they might have newer names to replace them. Vice versa, the old generation will also struggle to understand what the new terms are and how they operate since it might be too advanced for them to comprehend.

I remember growing up being around the kids playing outside with friends and families  was how we socialize  because there were no gadgets other than friends and families and those were the things that we valued and were important to us.  However, in this new era though friends and families are still important in our lives,    things  have change and still continues to change. Social media, local and mobile are important when it comes to it.

I realized that since we use our smart phones to communicate while on the job , on the go or at work  these are mobile devices we carry around. Therefore in future social networks   will be much smaller and portable , like I mentioned before it will be wareable.

The use of visual content such as infographic and memes is also set  to increase in future. It actually gives companies the exposure to the market ( Redsicker) . Most companies use Facebook ads and only few uses LinkedIn and twitter.

Blogging  is on the  rise especially for social media  marketers. They use it to market their products and  let customers know about their products and what it does. They also use social media tactics   to engage the customers. Once a company has the interest of its customers then it can explore new  social media  relationships with different network. Many brick and mortar stores are now exploring the web with their online stores, where  they ask their customers to sign up  online in order  for them to have access and some privileges  in the form of promotional items.  They try to be more sufficient, effective and efficient. So that they will retain their loyal customers and possibly attract potential customers.  They try to set  up goals , policies  and rules  and always ask the customers for their feedback  so that they will be able to serve them better.

To be competitive in today’s market most companies are trying to keep up with the latest trends , especially with social  media , therefore they always have a social network page which they ask their customers to sign up  for or follow them.  For example, they will ask a customer to subscribe to their site , on Facebook or  follow them on twitter , Tumblr, LinkedIn  among many more. Though it is a bit challenging for some of the adults to keep up with the young ones and latest trends they are trying. Some love it and some do not. For others their job requires them to know, therefore they really do not have any  choice but to learn.

The future of social media pose itself as an opportunity for people to learn what is to come, since no one knows for sure which direction it is going to take them.  Just like few years ago we did not know that we will be tweeting or be on something called Facebook, or LinkedIn or blogging.

New things have emerged due to technological innovation and still continuous to progress as the years passes by.

In brief,   we are not really sure of what will happen in the future because we do not know. However, with the trend that has been happening through social media of late we can predict that things will change for the best and there will be more to come. There will be many new developments and new gadgets. We will have to adapt and learn.

Mary .

 

 

Reference:

Christopher Bennett. 10 predictions for the future of social Media.  60 second marketer.  Retrieve from  60 second marketer.com

News.com.au

Starr knight. (2013). Social Media Today. Retrieved from socialmediatoday.com

Patricia Redsicker ( 2014).  7 social  Media Trends for Marketer. Retrieved  From Social media  examiner.com

 

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