purethinking

Are we watching the evolution of journalism in the increasing popularity of blogging or is the exponential expansion of blogging a unique phenomenon? There is certainly a spirit of competition, although not always friendly, between online blogging and the media in all its various forms. Throughout the history of the media, certain limitations were always present. The internet, however, births opportunities for every writer, trained or novice, to report facts, express opinions and influence minds.
  
 
In 1704 America's first newspaper, the Boston News-Letter, was launched. The single page, printed front and back, was much like the papers that followed it, containing some news plus births, deaths, marriages, fires and crimes. Being the only newspaper in the colonies at the time, it covered the death of Blackbeard the pirate in a sensational manner. As the country grew, so did the number of newspapers. Citizens depended on the newspaper to provide them with national, international and local news, community affairs, social happenings and the gory details on the latest hangings. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reginald_Fessenden)
  
 
On Christmas Eve, 1906, the first transatlantic radio broadcast was made from Brant Rock on the coast of Massachusetts. Although it was brief, consisting of some music and a Bible reading, it was a major stepping stone for the soon to flourish broadcast industry. Westinghouse was the owner of the first commercial radio station, KDKA, and its first broadcast announced the results of the U. S. presidential election on November 2, 1920. It wasn't long before the country was peppered with radio stations but the newspaper was still considered the "owner" of the news.
  
 
Experimental television broadcasts were underway by the mid 1920s, but it was 1939 before there were any scheduled broadcasts. The first three commercial television licenses were granted in 1941. They were WCBW and WNBT in New York and KYW-TV in Philadelphia. By the early fifties, television sets were finding their place in many homes and the news of the day had a new outlet. Still the newspaper reigned supreme. Newsprint could tell all the news rather than condensed versions of a few stories. The newspapers only challenge from broadcast media was broadcasting's ability to provide breaking news fast.
(More on that here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_television)
  
 
How is all this connected to blogging and the future of journalism? The webpage might be the newspaper of the twenty-first century with exciting capabilities that surpass the offerings of the traditional media competition. Bloggers are a new breed in the field of journalism and they are prolific. They combine the attributes of reporters, photo-journalists, broadcasters, and occasionally videographers into one unit called the blogger.
  

For bloggers, the internet is somewhat like the Old West was for gunslingers. It's wide open territory and communication with sources is faster than a phone call. News and political blogs are rapidly becoming the main source of news and information for hundreds of thousands of people every day. Phone applications make it possible to access favorite bloggers twenty four hours a day.