13 Oct 10

To blog or not to blog?

'Jade McKerracher discusses the pros and cons of blogging in response to criticism of bloggers in the press'.

‘Inadequate, pimpled and single’ is how Andrew Marr described bloggers last week. Blogging, or ‘citizen journalism’ as it is sometimes known, is for Marr little more than the late-night rants of angry, drunk people. A bold and brave statement, given that the BBC has nearly 100 blogs on its website and encourages readers to ‘have their say’ on a wide range of topics.

Is this a fair assessment? Isn’t there a positive side to blogging?

MediaCom itself blogs regularly – just last week the blog gave us MediaCom’s own take on Google’s predictions for 2015, the rise in UK online ad spend and the popularity of Android amongst smartphone buyers in the US.
One could also argue that blogging is part of an open and democratic society. It encourages discussion and debate. It also allows brands to engage with consumers in a way that ultimately drives sales – by blogging not about products and services but about issues that interest the consumer. Some of the world’s biggest brands – including Sony, Nike, Mc Donald’s, Kodak and Toyota – are regular bloggers. Consider also the significant role of blogging in Barack Obama’s 2008 election campaign, in which followers were invited to start their own blog to show their support and help organize events.

It is true that there are risks associated with blogging, especially to brand reputation. One example of this is the ‘I Hate Ryanair’ website, created by a very dissatisfied customer in 2007 with a number of critical comments and stories about Ryanair’s service. The creator has recently had to give the domain name of the website to Ryanair itself, after complaints from the airline that the site used its name unfairly and posted false comments. But there is no doubt that the brand has taken another beating.

However, these risks aside, the level of engagement – political or other – offered by blogging and by social media in general can be very significant. Should we be so critical of something which allows this kind of engagement, especially when more traditional political behaviours, like voting, are plagued with apathy? Moreover, as I discussed in a previous article, blogging amongst the younger generation – the ‘tweeny bloggers’ – has benefits too, not least that it prepares youngsters for an ever-increasingly digital future.

Which begs the question: to blog or not to blog? Marr’s view may be justified in some cases, but what about the more serious blogging, the kind that keeps us informed about the big issues as and when the news unfolds? Though much blogging is abusive and does smack of a drunken rant, to dismiss the practise altogether fails to appreciate the good that can come from blogging.