A Bloggers Blog by Dana Boyd is an analysis of what a blog is. Although many segments of today’s tech savvy population actively engage in blogging, no clear definition of ‘blog’ exists consistently among internauts. The author compiled her research through observing the behavior of bloggers and actively communicating with bloggers representing the diverse population of ‘bloggers’. When asked to partake in the thesis of A Bloggers Blog, participants used metaphors to define what a blog was. Many of these subjects used keywords such as ‘diary’ and ‘journal’. One issue Boyd discusses is the co-existence between bloggers and journalists in this modern era. Due to the freedom granted to people with internet access, writing and reporting can be done by virtually any one. In 2012 the global community witnessed the uprising of Egyptian citizens based on their interaction with social media. The ‘Egyptian Chronicles‘ is one of many blog sites that have reported on the issues surrounding the ousting of president Hosni Mubarak. This example reflects that numerous bloggers and an online community have the potential to cause political and possible economic changes.“The relationship between bloggers and journalists is complicated. On one hand,journalists feel intimidated by bloggers’ ability to rapidly cover new material; on the other, journalists are dismissive of bloggers’ lack of code with respect to neutrality and checking of sources. While most bloggers do not identify as journalists, some do.Journalist-identified bloggers view their practice as journalism and their blog as their journalist publication. They are actively involved in setting ethical codes and standards,although many do not believe that those set forth by mainstream media organizations are quintessential to the practice. Given their identification and practice, they believe that they should be given journalistic protections under the law. In the case of Apple vs. Does (EFF 2005), bloggers feel as though they should have the journalistic right to protect their sources. At stake in this case is whether bloggers can be journalists as well as whether journalists can blog as their means of production.” pg 8
Dana Boyd