Many of the earliest blogs to gain public attention were news blogs. These types of blogs break news stories, do investigative reporting, and present news analysis. There are many news agencies with the resources to collect news from around the world so news reporting blogs are not typically undertaken by the average home blogger. Those who do this type of blogging are mostly regurgitating what can be found on mainstream news sites.
Some bloggers might present their analysis of news stories or offer their editorial opinions. If you keep up with the news and have a keen knowledge of world affairs then opinion and analysis blogging might be an avenue to pursue.
Beside current events some bloggers report on celebrity news or news in some specialized industry such as the entertainment industry. This type of blogger will report on upcoming movie releases or stories about musical artists. As in current event reporting if the blogger doesn't have a direct pipeline of news wire reportage they are mostly repeating second hand information from other blogs and information sites.
A blogger who stays on top of things and is willing to take the time to gather the information can create a highly informative site that will draw readers who are interested in a site that brings news together in a one stop digest format.
Other "news" reporting blogs might offer information about book releases, author events, or other items of interest such as links to publications accepting submissions and upcoming conferences. This can be highly useful information that can keep a steady stream of traffic returning to the blog.
Do you regularly read news blogs? What kinds of news do you look for on blogs? Do you see blogs as any real threat to publications such as newspapers or magazines?
Some blogs that report information:
Alex J Cavanaugh
The Warrior Muse
Spunk on a Stick's Tips
Hollywood Spy
I usually read blogs that contain subjects that interest me whether it is about new releases or news.
ReplyDeleteGood topic Lee.
Yvonne.
I don't seek out news on blogs but I do on the web. I like my news from old-fashioned journalists who have been trained to make sense of what they see and hear - they are a dying breed however!
ReplyDeleteHey, that's me!
ReplyDeleteI don't have a direct line for movie and music news, I just know the top sites to hit for the latest information - Jo Blo, Blastr, Box Office Mojo, That Metal Show, etc. In fact, I have some movie news up today, including a new trailer for Fury Road.
I do it for fun though, give my readers some information, not to bring in the numbers. Yes the hits will jump when I post a Thor movie poster, but hits can be inaccurate and not as meaningful as comments. (At least for a blog.)
I personally do not think that Blogs are threat for any magazines or newspaper as both have their own share of readers.. Like I myself go through Blogs AND read from the conventional source like newspapers and magazines...
ReplyDelete:)
I'm not interested in the news enough to read a news blog. My ex was addicted to the Drudge Retort though. He was obsessed with news and politics.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite blogs are those that just have fun with the news or those where the blogger shares snippets of his/her life. I just pitched an article to a magazine site and it was a blast writing it.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Lee.
ReplyDeleteBlogs aren't a threat to online newspapers, but physical ones aren't faring well right now. So much free news - why pay for it?
So many great blogs, I find I gravitate towards places that give me little tidbits of information that sparks my interests to seek further. I have a short attention span and like quick reads about anything as long as I can take away something.
ReplyDeleteAs newspapers die a slow death.... I wonder if the field of journalism will eventually move into a blogging-type format? As it is, my mom seems to get most of her "news" off the yahoo home page. So there you go.
ReplyDeleteSome people built entire careers out of their news blogs.
ReplyDeleteNot much. They all lead with the same headlines day after day, year after year. Someone got shot, A car chase. Blah blah blah. It's not news. But this shows the dumbing down of America is in full swing.
ReplyDeleteStephen Tremp
A to Z Cohost
N is for Numerology
A lot of what we get as "news" might be chatter to cover up the really important stuff. Right now I'm wondering why the Walmart near my house recently closed along with 5 other Walmart locations across the country all presumably because of "plumbing problems". Something weird there.
DeleteLee
Alex keeps my updated on movie news and reviews. I love his little comments after each. L. Diane Wolfe informs me of many things going on in the publishing world. It's tough to find political and international news that someone hasn't put their own spin on.
ReplyDeleteI don't normally read news blogs though I do get updates from the beeb emailed to me. If I find an article that'll interest me, then I'll go check out the blog.
ReplyDeleteNow that I think about it, it does happen frequently.
Not a big news blog reader as I have yet to find one that is unbiased. That new show Daredevil had some really smart commentary on news blogs, though. :)
ReplyDeleteI stick with NPR.
ReplyDeleteNPR presents one side of the news very slickly. But it's not the full story, just what they want us to know and think.
DeleteLee
I don't read blogs on news outside of writing news. Hubby has a few tech news blogs he follows, but for news-news, we check out the online newspaper.
ReplyDelete~Patricia Lynne aka Patricia Josephine~
Member of C. Lee's Muffin Commando Squad
Story Dam
Patricia Lynne, Indie Author
I like to read my news in the newspaper or weekly news magazines, but I love to find sites that share interesting news items, too. I've been featuring a Good News column on my blog just to offset all the terrible stuff I find daily.
ReplyDeleteI don't generally read blogs for news - I primarily get my news from TV news and newspaper websites. The blogs I read are all written by my friends! Thanks for stopping by my blog! Cheers!
ReplyDeleteI find that U.S. new sources don't report everything that the new in other countries report and some of that I only find on line. There are some things happening elsewhere that we should probably hear about but we don't.
DeleteLee
We discovered that when we were living in NC. We would get all kinds of news from our Canadian or International friends which did not appear on any news source in NC.
DeleteI firmly believe newspapers are on their way out. Much the same as magazines. Why pay for it when you can get all this stuff on the internet and usually for free. There are still many people who are not tech savvy but I believe one day everyone will be and then...bye bye newspapers.
ReplyDeleteNewspapers have gotten desperate in one sense and non-caring in another. I don't rely on my newspaper for news and now only get the Sunday edition for other stuff..
DeleteLee
I don't really read newsy blogs much. I prefer other kinds of informative content, and fiction.
ReplyDeleteSo funny. Dezzmond covers the earth in all things SCREEN, whereas Alex hits local-life while minding other-worldly. A strange combo, unless you're an author of space opera, and a ninja warrior for fine blogginginess! Then of course I read your blog, Lee. Is there anything else I really need to know?
ReplyDeleteI remember the first time I read the words: "There's nothing new under the sun." And by George, that has been proven over and over. I think of the helicopter I saw etched (hieroglyphics) in a tomb of the Pyramids. The inscription translates into, "The First Time." (But, yes, I love reading about all sorts of news.)
Reading my blog tells you everything that's important. Well some things. Maybe.
DeleteLee
I generally don't read news blogs. I can get that online or watch TV for that. I do enjoy history, crafts and, of course film. Drew from Fisti blog talks everything about film and has even done an early prediction of the Oscars already:)
ReplyDeleteSeems like an Oscar prediction now would be jumping the gun a tad bit. He must really be in the know.
DeleteLee
One of the local Austin TV station's news department has a blog that I subscribe to. It helps me keep up with the news because I often miss the evening or late night news on TV. I find myself going to the station's blog more often than visiting the station's website so they're obviously doing something right.
ReplyDeleteMichele at Angels Bark
It probably helps that you're used to the blogging format. A lot of people still seem to have an aversion to blogs.
DeleteLee
True. I find many people don't understand the word Blog, like it's something different than going to a website. I'll say "I'll send you a link to my blog" and get a reply something like this: "I don't know how to work with blogs"...I have to explain to them that it's just like going to any other website. Seems like something about the word Blog throws some people.
DeleteI've got a post along these lines somewhere in the future.
DeleteLee
Hey, now you've hit me! As the hard hitting reporter of Martin World News, I appreciate this post!
ReplyDeleteWhy yes, I should have included you! Also your musical time machine is kind of old news but still it's cool.
DeleteLee
I usually read blogs that contain subjects that interest me whether it is about new releases or news.I personally do not think that Blogs are threat for any magazines or newspaper as both have their own share of readers.My favorite blogs are those that just have fun with the news or those where the blogger shares snippets of his/her life. I just pitched an article to a magazine site and it was a blast writing it.
ReplyDeleteBut I do think print media may be facing a threat for the future. They are all turning to online formats in addition to the printed versions.
DeleteLee
The older I get, the less news I read and listen to. I know I should do better to stay abreast of things, but the world is so big, and there's so much out there to sift through and so little time. Hopefully I catch the gist of what's really important!
ReplyDeleteI don't think I've read any news blogs regularly in quite awhile. I constantly followed the news, both U.S. and Russian, as a teenager, but I really don't keep up with it so much anymore.
ReplyDeleteWhen I started reading this post, I though of hard news and I would have said no to your question. But Alex is a never miss blog for me, I just never thought of him as news.
ReplyDeleteAll the news that's fit to print! That's Alex.
DeleteLee
I don't follow news blog and rarely write about news. However, I like to analyse the ones that are making headlines.
ReplyDeleteI'm not interested in news blogs. It's hard enough to limit the news we're bombarded with these days.
ReplyDelete