The Role of Blogging in Reporting on Development Issues
The human angle, a “passing thing” or a voice from the margins? The role of blogging in reporting on development issues
Live from the London G20 Summit, David Miliband, Bob Geldof, Jon Snow, and Obama’s chief campaign blogger expressed both scepticism and support for the role blogging has to play within the media.
EWB-UK writer Joe Rowley was given the opportunity to report from the official press room as one of a number of bloggers and young reporters from around the world. His experiences foreground the debate regarding on the role and significance of e-media in offering an alternative reporting space to the traditional media mainstream.
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EWB-UK writer Joe Rowley represents DFID as a youth reporter
Nominated to represent DFID (Department for International Development) as part of a panel of the world’s 50 most influential bloggers, Joe Rowley impressively secured interviews with Bob Geldof, C4 news presenter, Jon Snow and UK Climate Change Secretary, Ed Miliband. A group of nine DFID youth reporters were posted in the press room of the Summit, ready to post live feeds and blogs from the event. Seeing this as an opportunity to “bring it back down to earth,” Joe commented on the potential of blogging to provide a simplified summary of key points, cover topics not addressed by the press and bring a human perspective to events.
Bob Geldof and Jon Snow comment on blogging
Interested in exploring views on the role that blogging can play, Joe put the question to both Bob Geldof and Jon Snow, challenging them as to whether the presence of non-affiliated reporters could bring a new level of accountability to proceedings. Their responses illustrate the current ambivalence towards blogging, and the problematic nature of operating in a media world dominated by existing mainstream institutions. Despite validating blogging as “more vital, a dialogue” and a “horizontal medium” in contrast to the hierarchical nature of the traditional media, Geldof dismissed it as a “passing thing” and that “fact trumps opinion.”Joe Rowley interviews Sir Bob Geldof on the role of blogging
Jon Snow gave a more insightful view on the challenge of reporting on events such as the London Summit. “These Summits, these are a conspiracy to prevent information getting out. Nobody knows anything at all about what’s going on…What the bloggers discover is that they don’t know more than the conventional media.” Instead Jon Snow sees the role of bloggers, and especially regarding development work, as being “in the place where nobody else is… where people are not reporting, where information is not flowing.”
This perspective crucially pinpoints both the shortcomings of the conventional media, and the necessity for targeted and strategic use of blogging and other modes of informal reportage. The internet is exciting precisely because financial, creative and legal constraints imposed on journalists do not apply in the same way. However, the mainstream media is not going to be replaced by blogging, which must work alongside and in response to existing structures. Its potential lies in providing an avenue of expression to those overlooked by the mainstream, whether young people, poor people, those affected by events not seen as “news-worthy,” or any other marginalised group.
Sam Graham-Felsen and Obama’s blogging campaign
Joe Rowley still holds firm to the idea that blogging does have a part to play in large political events and debates. “I support blogging because information is only ever one-sided on occasions like these. If the organisers want to make G20 more interesting to the public, they could do far worse than continuing to promote the role of blogging here.”
In his interview with Joe, Sam Graham-Felsen, Barack Obama’s chief campaign blogger, also provided a positive perspective on the possibilities of blogging in the world of politics. Fresh from an election campaign noted for its grassroots support and use of e-media, Graham-Felsen highlighted the role of blogging to harness and direct this grassroots energy. “We tried to give people the best possible tools to get themselves organised, the best possible types of action that they can take.”
Joe Rowley's interview with Sam Graham-Felsen
DFID and blogging
DFID’s initiative to involve young reporters and bloggers is part of a growing recognition of this potential of e-media to represent and reach a different audience to mainstream channels. The London Summit website was visited by over 400,000 people as part of the campaign to generate debate in the run up to the Summit. Posted video clips and discussion threads provided the opportunity for the contribution of perspectives from across the world. David Miliband’s commented on this “digital diplomacy”: “I hope that this sort of new diplomacy that’s conducted on the web rather than in secret rooms is going to continue.”
The informal and discursive nature of the internet has the potential to promote a much needed increase in the level of public engagement with politics. At a time when voter turnout at UK general elections has dropped to 60%, and scepticism about government integrity is increasing, initiating involvement and dialogue has never been more important.
Early days
Blogging and e-media appear very attractive to those trying to tap in to the huge arena represented by social networking and web traffic. But the internet is an unwieldy entity, lacking the hierarchical structure that would make it easy to dominate. It is yet early days in terms of understanding how the web can most effectively be used as a tool for political discussion, debate and engagement. In terms of reporting, the possibilities of freedom of expression are as yet counter-balanced by the difficulties in reaching wider audiences beyond those already interested in a topic or viewpoint, and in countenancing the perspective of blogging as ‘just’ an opinion. Perhaps its true value will be realised by those in the developing world, who will find in the web’s potentially democratising structure the opportunity to shift the developed world bias of conventional media reporting.
Written by Marie-Louise O'Hanrahan
View these links for more information
Joe's article on www.need2know.co.uk
Future Voices: DFID youth reporters blog
Youth reporters page on the London Summit website