J Station

Today, I came across this interesting article on reporting. Roy Peter Clark is one who I look up to for writing tools, whenever I find time to learn more on writing.

But this time, it is Clark inspired by a young reporter’s presentation at a conference.

Benton’s thesis goes like this: Eyewitness reporting rendered in real time via the blog represents an interesting and worthy kissing cousin to long-form narrative journalism.

Interestingly, blogs have done a lot of good for my writings as well as keeping my interest in writing in tact. Simple blogs that have only experiential posts and serious blogs discussing a range of hot topics from city traffic jams to politics were taking most of my time I spent online, when I was first looking at different blogs.

Believe me, it is useful to spend so much time reading blogs. Just write in plain language – is one important thing I learnt from the blogs. No idioms, no phrases, no decorated words!

But, how blogging enters into reporting, especially news or eyewitness reporting, made me think!

A few small newspapers have been using the blog platform for putting up their print content online. But the concept of realtime reporting online through blogs and taking the issue forward to go on to a narrative is interesting!

If you can relate this TV commercial to this concept, tell me what do you think of blogging! If you are motivated to start a blog and write on issues that bother you with photos and invite people to share their experience on the same issue, perhaps Benton and I would only be happy!