Credibility in Blogging
I posted a comment today on a blog written by a blogger whom, in my eyes, once was a very credible source. Recently, he has been posting some really absurd stuff that makes me wonder where he was coming from. His blog has become more of a tabloid than anything credible and after a post today (the blog and blogger will remain nameless), we had a discussion about credibility.
This entry today is about credibility in blogging.
What would you do if you went into a supermarket and saw a headline, as I did many years ago when I was but a wee blogger-in-making, that said “Space shuttle reports finding remains of a Toyota pickup truck floating among interplanetary debris”? If you were naive as my young skull was when I was 8, you ask someone you trust (my dad in this case) how a Toyota would get into space. If you’re discerning, you realize that it was a tabloid and not a credible source and thus you take it with a grain of salt. Perhaps the headline next to it about a celebrity baby sonogram having 3 heads would give it away even more.
As tabloids, no one doubts the lack of credibility of such papers. They market themselves as tabloids and everyone know tabloid news is as reliable as a 20 year old Ford Escort.
The problem comes when tabloids market themselves as news. The New York Post, for instance, is widely seen as a tabloid. It might be because of its pro-Conservative political bent. Or it might be because of its questionable news-bent. Telling is the fact that the Post was listed with World News Daily, and the National Enquirer in Men in Black as “newspapers of record”. That should tell you something.
My point is this. A bloggers, a wide diversity of content is expected. It’s expected that there are going to be tabloid blogs. There is no problem with that. My problem comes when bloggers pass their blogs off as non-tabloid and then quietly admit that they are tabloid. There should be some disclaimer for the naive among us.
When you run a blog that is newsy or that you want to run as an “on the record” source, spreading lies and blatant falsehoods (even with tiny disclaimers at the bottom), that waters down the entire effect of bloggers. That undermines those of whose coattails you are riding.
I wrote earlier today on TNSFS about how I believe blogging is the vehicle of the next presidential campaign cycle. Gone are the days of MSM dominance and while 2004 saw many political bloggers given entrance as press into the national conventions, bloggers will be given more cred and more notice by Americans. And this goes for non-Americans too.
As bloggers, we are in a constant tug of war with society about who brings information to the masses. Tabloids are okay when sold as tabloids. When they are sold as news, it is nothing more than a selfish means to gain the bloggers more notice at the expense of the rest of the bloggers. When I report news, I expect to be taken seriously, even if it is just citing sources. When a tabloid blogger spreads falsehoods under false pretenses it hurts everyone else, and it will ultimately affect him.
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Written by Aaron Brazell on May 22, 2006
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Your problem as bloggers differs a little from the print media: it takes some recognition to get your paper in the aisle of the grocery store. Tabloid, daily local paper, etc, you are what you are, and you got to the grocery store aisle by being exactly that. But the internet is not the grocery store checkout aisle: the blogger can be anyone – how tough is it to publish a blog? Nobody checks up on you or your identity, credentials, and background. There are no firm and enforced rules. Because of this, blogging will have a credibility problem for some time to come…
Your problem as bloggers differs a little from the print media: it takes some recognition to get your paper in the aisle of the grocery store. Tabloid, daily local paper, etc, you are what you are, and you got to the grocery store aisle by being exactly that. But the internet is not the grocery store checkout aisle: the blogger can be anyone – how tough is it to publish a blog? Nobody checks up on you or your identity, credentials, and background. There are no firm and enforced rules. Because of this, blogging will have a credibility problem for some time to come…
Aaraon,
Being 99.99% sure I know who you’re talking about ;-) Sean’s comments hit the mark:
“how tough is it to publish a blog? Nobody checks up on you or your identity, credentials, and background”
Any crackpot can start up a blog and fool us all for a while.
I guess that’s the good and bad of blogging. It makes it fun, free and open. Each individual has to find out for themselves who is credible and who is not.
Interesting article. I probably have no idea who you are talking about. But Credibility in blogging is an issue that has been rocking the blogosphere for lots of time. Since it so easy to start a blog, especially thanks to wordpress.com and other such sources, I think people will post anything and everything they come upon. Good food for thought.
BTW, I just noticed, is there a contact form or anysuch thing in your website?? Just noticed it today.
Aaraon,
Being 99.99% sure I know who you’re talking about ;-) Sean’s comments hit the mark:
“how tough is it to publish a blog? Nobody checks up on you or your identity, credentials, and background”
Any crackpot can start up a blog and fool us all for a while.
I guess that’s the good and bad of blogging. It makes it fun, free and open. Each individual has to find out for themselves who is credible and who is not.
Interesting article. I probably have no idea who you are talking about. But Credibility in blogging is an issue that has been rocking the blogosphere for lots of time. Since it so easy to start a blog, especially thanks to wordpress.com and other such sources, I think people will post anything and everything they come upon. Good food for thought.
BTW, I just noticed, is there a contact form or anysuch thing in your website?? Just noticed it today.
I think my concern is more that this blogger is not just anyone starting a blog. He’s been around for awhile and though he’s seen his share of controversy, he’s also been reputable (if somewhat snarky) at times.
I think my concern is more that this blogger is not just anyone starting a blog. He’s been around for awhile and though he’s seen his share of controversy, he’s also been reputable (if somewhat snarky) at times.
I don’t know what site you were looking at, but isn’t there room for ironic or tongue-in-cheek blogs that want to sort of comedically play the role of tabloid, winking? Or should each site plainly state that that is the intention? Are we asking for too much explanation? Good questions, definitely.
“I don’t know what site you were looking at, but isn’t there room for ironic or tongue-in-cheek blogs that want to sort of comedically play the role of tabloid, winking? Or should each site plainly state that that is the intention? Are we asking for too much explanation? Good questions, definitely.”
Good point. You really should never take anything on the internet too seriously. Sometimes the story is the best part and its truthiness is secondary.
Truthiness can indeed be secondary. We put up with it with our physical “news” mediums (as Aaron pointed out), so why not with blogs?
Mmm, truthiness.
Gotta say… I’m loving the Colbert action that’s taking shape in this conversation. :)
Yeah it’s really Lincolnish
I don’t know what site you were looking at, but isn’t there room for ironic or tongue-in-cheek blogs that want to sort of comedically play the role of tabloid, winking? Or should each site plainly state that that is the intention? Are we asking for too much explanation? Good questions, definitely.
“I don’t know what site you were looking at, but isn’t there room for ironic or tongue-in-cheek blogs that want to sort of comedically play the role of tabloid, winking? Or should each site plainly state that that is the intention? Are we asking for too much explanation? Good questions, definitely.”
Good point. You really should never take anything on the internet too seriously. Sometimes the story is the best part and its truthiness is secondary.
Truthiness can indeed be secondary. We put up with it with our physical “news” mediums (as Aaron pointed out), so why not with blogs?
Mmm, truthiness.
Gotta say… I’m loving the Colbert action that’s taking shape in this conversation. :)
Yeah it’s really Lincolnish
So wait a minute, where was this Toyota? I gotta report this!
So wait a minute, where was this Toyota? I gotta report this!
I’d say it’s more than just a credibility issue. Blogging success can very easily go to someone’s head. One blog I used to read a few times a week went from interesting, thoughtful posts, to tabloid-idiot-journalism almost overnight. And the cause was a successful, number one position for a single post on the social bookmarking sites Reddit and Digg.
It seems that once these thousands of new readers turned up, the blogger thought he was a superstar and people would avidly read whatever tripe he turned out. Posts went from two or three quality pieces a week to two or three shorts a day. Complete trash.
So maybe the answer is to remember that what made you great is what will keep you great.
I’d say it’s more than just a credibility issue. Blogging success can very easily go to someone’s head. One blog I used to read a few times a week went from interesting, thoughtful posts, to tabloid-idiot-journalism almost overnight. And the cause was a successful, number one position for a single post on the social bookmarking sites Reddit and Digg.
It seems that once these thousands of new readers turned up, the blogger thought he was a superstar and people would avidly read whatever tripe he turned out. Posts went from two or three quality pieces a week to two or three shorts a day. Complete trash.
So maybe the answer is to remember that what made you great is what will keep you great.