Freelance journalist and author, Margaret Simmons was interviewed on Radio National’s, The Media Report on 25 September 2008. She expressed her concern that the term ‘blog’ is ‘manifestly inadequate because it offers little differentiation’ between blogs. Accordingly, she argues, new terminology needs to be developed for blogs to allow the audience a better understanding of the content and purpose of the blog. In the interview, she outlines nine ‘types’ of blogs which may help to begin the classification process.
Firstly Simons discusses pamphleteering blogs - ‘where an individual or a group of individuals put out a brief essay arguing a point, or expressing a strong point of view’. An example of this type of blog can be found at Larvatus Prodeo.These blogs work in the same way as pamphleteering did in the old days, where material was distributed widely to persuade the audience on a particular topic. As the community continues to accept blogs as a part of new media, these sites become increasingly important and more rhetorically effective.
The next category of blogs examined is the digest blog – ‘they tend to point or to summarise or to collect material from elsewhere… usually they’re just collecting material on single topics so that you can actually click on the links and go elsewhere.’ Simons suggests Fair Go Fairfax as an example of a digest blog. These can be useful resources for the audience as they direct them to further information on specific topics. However, rarely do these blogs offer detailed comment on the issue at hand which, if included, might increase the usefulness to these blogs to the reader.
Advocacy blogs are another type examined by Simons. They ‘tend to be pushing a particular point of view on a particular issue… usually by a vested interest group.’ Examples vary from Telstra’s Now We Are Talking to Mission Australia. These blogs are useful as they inform the audience of a certain point of view. However it is important to understand that generally an advocacy blog only details a particular side of the story. To completely understand the issue at hand the reader will have to move beyond the blog to other resources.
The fourth type of blog Simons calls the Popular Mechanics blog, or the How To blog which are ‘done by enthusiasts very often… an extraordinarily rich source of information on how to do stuff.’ I located a blog post on how to change a tyre. The topics of these blogs are hugely varied and are resources that much of the community would find useful. With the Internet increasingly becoming the ‘go-to’ place for answers, the How To blog is perfectly suited to the online format.
Next up is the Exhibition blog which is ‘usually maintained by craftspeople, artists, writers and they bring their work to a wider audience’ using blogs, for example the Readers and Writers blog. Many people have discussed the possible demise of traditional media, the death of the book or the extinction of trained journalist and their alarm usually stems from phenomenon like the Exhibition blog. With more and more people being heard or having their work viewed online, the distinction between professional and amateur blurs. However, I don’t believe this necessarily is a negative thing. Surely the addition of fresh voices and ideas can have a positive impact. What’s important is that we embrace the changing media and publishing landscape and the new opportunities it provides. As a writer, you still need a solid story to tell and the ability to capture an audience regardless of the technology used to do so.
The Gatewatcher blog is the sixth one mentioned by Simons, a ‘small group of blogs which keep an eye on the media’ and are often put together by expert in that field. An example of this type of blog can be found at Possum Comitatus or Gatewatching. These blogs serve a valuable purpose by observing the activity of the media and safeguarding the quality of material being produced. It’s always important to have a safety net in place, whatever the field, and the Gatewatcher blogs serve this purpose.
Another form of blog is the Diary blog. As Simons explains, diaries have formed a part of people’s lives for centuries and the Diary blog sees an extension of this, utilising new technology. These blogs are expected to decline over the next few years though due to the rise in popularity of social networking sites which essentially serve the same function. Charlie's Diary is a perfect example. What I find interesting about this type of blog is although it’s called the Diary blog it actually marks a shift in the concept of a diary. In the days before the blog, diaries were kept as a private place for thoughts and reflections. Now we see the idea that a ‘diary’ is something that exists in the public sphere for all to see, consume and comment on. It seems to demonstrate society’s shift towards the importance of peer validation and to the increase in levels of exhibitionism. However, even I must admit to a Facebook page which is useful for keeping in touch with family and friends. We really are seeing a whole new way of cultural interaction developing as a result of technology.
The penultimate category of blog explored on the Media Report program is the Advertisement blog which ‘are not really blogs at all, they are put out there by commercial companies flogging a product’. The Nokia blog, for instance. The concept of these is straight forward. My only qualm with an advertising blog is my belief that the purpose of it should be made clear from the outset. I have an ethical issue with the idea of ‘advertising by stealth’ as I commented in a previous post. To me, this is not clever product placement, it is exploitation. Most concerning is the idea of blogs, which read perhaps as a Diary blog, or a How To blog, accepting payment for subtle product spruiking within their writing. It should be clearly outlined to the audience if someone has paid to have their product promoted on a site.
Finally Simons explores the concept of the News blog, which is ‘where blogs do break news’ rather than simply repeat it. It is a growing field and may play an important role in the future of media and journalism. Apparently these blogs are common in the US, but slowly developing over here. Crikey is a good example of an Australian news blog. As these sites gain recognition and respect they will shape the face of media. The accessibility of news online is one of its big advantages. If we add to that the idea that news blogs are starting to break stories first, I believe we’ll see a large shift in the way people consume news.
After discovering these newly formed categories of blogs, it had me thinking ‘What area does my blog fall under?’ I don’t think it fits into a distinct category – maybe part Gatewatching, part Pamphleteering, part Exhibition. Do we need to identify more kinds of blogs?
I found this to be a valid and interesting report because the increase in blog numbers means that we need to get a better vocabulary around how we classify them. Some of these categories, like the Diary blog may become less popular and some, particularly the News blog in Australia may evolve to become an integral part of the media landscape. Journalists of the future could find themselves working as bloggers rather than within the traditional journalistic environments such as print.
With tighter and more informative terminology being developed, the audience can better understand what type of blog they are reading and the purpose it will serve for them. Although currently we lump all these texts together under the genre of ‘blog’ pointing out the distinctions between them can serve a valuable purpose.
Margaret Simons first detailed her nine blog categories in an article for Creative Economy Online called ‘A taxonomy of blogs’.
Transcript: A taxonomy of blogs
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