Posted February 20th, 2007 at 12:08PMNorton looks at the role of blogs in times of crises. After reading, I created a dichotomy of two broad forms that “crises blogs†(if you will) can take: the public or general interest, and the private or more narrowly focused. Norton tends to favor the former, and I would agree.
This distinction doesn’t have to do with what events are focused on, but how they’re covered. The “narrow-focus†blogs that Norton writes of are dominated by “missing persons†reports or similar content with limited value. She cites a variety of examples following the 2004 tsunami in Southeast Asia and Hurricane Katrina. The value of blogs dedicated to missing people is limited, chiefly because of the random, unfocused nature of a typical small blog’s audience. The readers of a blog following either calamity would likely be a distance from ground zero, since they would have access to the internet and the luxury of spending their time online reading blogs. Or, imagine the success rate of a television program like “America’s Most Wanted†if the entire viewership was in, say, China. (An exception Norton notes is one Slidell, Texas blog, following Hurricane Katrina. But the actual effectiveness (were any of these personal messages posted ever read by the right party?) is still questionable and left unanswered.)
As Norton points out, all “crises blogs†are not wholly irrelevant. A first-hand retelling of an event can be gripping and humanizing, something that can affect the reader a thousand miles away. This is the more public, readily worthwhile “crises blog.†The worth of something like this is obvious because similar writing already (and has for some time) appears in print. First-hand accounts are everywhere, from respected monthlies to weekly tabloids.
To this end, blogs have the potential to become immensely important. The value of self-published first-hand accounts has already proven itself with bloggers from the Middle East – Iraq in particular. The accounts of both Iraqi and U.S. soldier bloggers have provided insights into the distant conflict that the public has arguably never had access to. Whether or not this is taken advantage of is a different question. And of course, with the rising significance of first-hand blogs, comes censorship or outright propaganda masquerading as reality. What quality control mechanisms do blogs and the broad blogging community have? For that matter, what quality control does print media really have? Print media has better copy-editors. Claims beyond that are questionable.
Norton ends the essay on an upbeat note that I think is unwarranted. Can blogs become a new, immediate form for communicating during times of crises? Not yet. When the levees are collapsing, our first instincts aren’t to start blogging about it.
loading...
Tags: 
Norton’s essay about these crises blogs is refreshing. I’ve felt some negative feelings towards internet publishing’s immediacy since we began class (though without a solid reason). Yet, these blogs seem very relevant and humanist. I guess that’s what appeals to me, is the humanity it ads to the internet. Not that journal blogs aren’t heartfelt and poignant, but I suppose that crises blogs let us connect to a larger group of people and, in turn, a cause. I’m glad that Zeke highlighted the soilder and Iraq citizen blogs. I hadn’t thought of this but these pages clearly fall under the “crises” catagory.
Norton’s critique of the Spam and advertising the plagues these sites is important. Its a shame that no corner of the net is untouched. Unrelated, I also think its interesting the strange voyuer-esque culture created by disastor memorials (blogs certainly included). Its like Zeke is saying, we as bloggers and readers are so far removed from these events but recieve some strange satisfaction or fufillment from reading accounts or seeing personal photos.
loading...
On the first day of class, you wouldn’t have heard me responding the way I am now after reading Norton’s essay. I have always been a little weary of the internet- scared by the somewhat non-existent security protection and annoyed by the constant attacking pop ups and advertisements. However, as Dave also commented on above, I have found a new refreshing and almost human aspect towards internet publishing. Sure, dear diary blogs don’t appeal to me, but online crises blogs have an element that allows us to connect and ultimately develop new relationships with these writers.
Going back to my early hesitance in class about who is writing online, sure there are the people who may not publish truthful crises blogs online, but for now, I am keeping an opened mind, with caution, and will trust what these writers have to say.
loading...
At the same time, techniques for spam control are being created and advanced. At one point Norton talked about a page on Flickr – which is a photo-sharing site that requires an account to post anything. And WordPress is protected by Akismet, which is effective in catching 99.9% of the incoming spam comments on this blog (and any one that has Akismet up & running). I see spam as a technical question that doesn’t have much bearing in discussions about the social impact of “digital media.”
…
In terms of trust and what we read on the interweb, I’d say T. Kerr’s point the last time we had class stands. There’s no reason to blindly believe or trust anything – just because it’s been printed in a newspaper or broadcast on TV doesn’t make it credible.
Of course, Kerr went on to say that digital media and it’s (“obvious”?) potential for bias would make people more aware and media-savvy. I don’t think this is the case, as people by-and-large don’t seem to look beyond the face value of things. I’d take a more pessimistic view and say that people will find digital (read: online) media with whatever position / values they already hold, and say it is the ultimate in objectivity (and downplay / discard anything that opposes this material).
loading...
As much as we seem to often be bothered by the annoyances that come along with it, like spam, pop-ups, and even problems connecting, it’s pretty hard to imagine life without it (even though it is so new, we have lived without it). I mean, how would we have known about that God-sent snow day?
But in a more serious matter, crisis blogs have purpose, and in my mind, a lot more than personal nonsense blogs. The Internet makes it that much easier for a solider to send mom a quick e-mail letting him know he’s okay. Decades ago, during crises like World War II, word of safety would come weeks later by ship, when that person may no longer be okay. Imagine the pins and needles your mother would be sitting on.
But it is tough when pop up distract us from such serious matters.
loading...
Crisis blogs remind me that there are useful blogs. It’s nice to know that they are out there and it’s not all personal journals. I think that crisis blogs can actually teach us something. They let us know what is really going on in the world as opposed to what the media wants us to think is really going on.
loading...
Werd yo.
loading...
I think that is a good point Danielle – this whole time I have been thinking about the people that are doing the blogging and focusing on their feelings behind their comments. I never really considered the audience and the realization of truth behind a situation that is covered up or distorted by the media. But I think if blogs are going to be affective (effective? can never tell the difference) then they need to be somewhat credible. If they really are this new wave of media and information then they should have the potential to move the masses, not just the few people who were bored one day and google searched a random word.
loading...
Aloha!
http://chjiyi.com/ ,cheap ambien,
loading...
Hello!
http://chjiyi.com/ ,buy ambien,
loading...