Citizen Journalists and the Bloggers

There are two segments of writers who have been immensely popular with advent of Internet, that opened the opportunity for them to express their views on several web media. These are Citizen Journalists and the Bloggers. If we look at both these writers in their individual capacity and perspective of selling their write-up, they have all the ingredients into their write-up to be saleable and appealing. Then the question obviously arises, what stops them to be the writer in traditional media. May be the lack of platform to launch themselves and sustain continuously.

However, there is another element also that contribute to the fact they can not show allegiance to a particular ideology, person, community or organization, which at times can be a limiting factor for them to be the part of the traditional media. Traditional media by and large run by some guided principles of some ideology, group or the organization, may be political or apolitical. Whatever the bold face they show to be independent and impartial, it is well understood by the people that they are not.

Moreover, people have their own views and they are stung by inspiration to hear, read and listen to the news and views that they like to hear. For the people, unbiased opinion from media is impossible because that is run by a set of people and who have their own ideology, which reflects into their writing. Therefore, people in the media support a particular ideology to feed the desire of certain sets of people in public, which suit their liking or disliking. Rightly once described by a traditional media punch line, “We bring the news what people wants to know”. Don’t take any other meaning of it. This is nicely intended to bring you the news to satisfy your psych. You want certain politician to be cowed down, business people to be called the blood sucker of the society, police to be branded the biggest criminal in uniform and many more. All that might be there in the media, which you choose to hear or listen to.

In spite of the prevailing fact, there are some people in the public who are in belief that media means the truth and writers are the custodian of society to fight corruption, rights of the people and disparity by way of their writing. I would doubt any such writer and media exist in this world. However, there have been some speedy changes obvious that Internet has provided platform for writers on citizen journalism web site and on the blog site to post their blogs. That have led the way as an opportunity for even the commoners to air their views and prevailing state of reality which is guarded by the so called press. Everyone has equal opportunity on the Internet.

Citizen journalism has existed in the pocket areas of the globe from the long time and it was because of outcry of the left out issues of the people and apathy of the authority to address that. However, not much was seen in terms of popularity or in terms of being a stakeholder in the media. But Internet has changed the face of it by providing every netizens a chance to be a citizen journalist and to be a part of the movement.

Today, there are many citizen journalism sites, which offer you the challenge of being an acclaimed writer. Type the word in google and you get hundreds of sites in different regions. The beauty is that these citizen journalism sites might be part of regional news and views, yet they have global presence by default. It is here that someone who wants to realize their dream of being unbiased and independent can do so to some extent. Although, these sites provide you ample opportunity to be the writer of the spelling truth; it does not provide you the earnings of the traditional media.

Blogging is another new opportunity for writers of all sorts to try their hands in different forms of writing to be the feed for the readers who look for the beauty on the Internet. You need not spend money having your site to post your blogs, you get it free of cost. Freedom of expression is that you can write anything and everything abiding by the compliance of Internet policy which does not allow you to hurt the feelings of the people of any region, use hate and defame people by name without having enough evidence. This freedom is free to use and not to misuse.

Today, around 10 million bloggers are running their blog site around the globe. I agree that most of them are inactive. But still the active blog sites are enough for the people to keep them busy on the net. Some bloggers are such brilliant writers that even the professional writers will have to shy away comparing their writing with them. In modern times, bloggers are giving tough competition to the traditional writers.

If analyzed, citizen journalists and bloggers are the ones, who have bigger stake in the Internet media. The message is loud and clear that so called writers have competition and it is not only with a few. There are many standing face to face and many in waiting. Be the part of the revolution, if you like writing. It cost you nothing except your time and thought but it might make a difference.

Why do you write?

This is very awkward question. However, this question is not out of the box. People tend to ask you such questions when they know that you are in to writing and how you can be different from their profession, if they are holding on to something else for making their living. At the same time, you are also not oblige to answer this question but to be able to clear yourself and be able to understood by the larger crowd it is always good to have your reasons stated forward. That makes your life much easier and gets you off from the stupidity of this question. I know this question at a time can be very unpleasant yet the escape is difficult.

There are many good reasons for people to write and a few bad too. These reasons vary from people to people. Some people who are good at creating any form of writing and that has got market, he makes a living out of his writing. These are called the professional writers. There are other writers also who write but not for their living. Their profession is different from the one which they like doing i.e. writing. And if we compare the numbers of professional writers versus not the professional writers or amateur writers, I bet the later would outnumber the former. Especially with the emergence of Internet and Web Media the horizon have expanded horizontally and vertically in sheer numbers.

The professional writers have better place in the traditional media, publication houses, government and private firm’s documentation and communication department. On the other hand, amateur writers are driven by their whims and wishes, and write things of their mind. Obviously, amateur writers have been welcomed mostly in the new found media on the Internet, be it Citizen Journalism, Content writing, Product journalism, Blogs, or many other things, which are on the offerings every other days. I fall in to the category of amateur writer who happened to find a place in the professional writing world. The reason: the opportunity available in the job market and I could prove somehow that I can write. Otherwise also I like writing, so the job is of my liking.

As an amateur writer what drives you to write and publish on the Internet is really an interesting question. Most of my close encounters with my colleagues and acquaintances have provided me the bunch of their ideas as to why they want to write. Some of the ideas are really thought provoking and enlightening, some are humorous, some witty, and some of them aim to achieve something in life through their writing.

To one group, the idea to write is to make a statement, to share thoughts, to express themselves and finally to make a living! Though this is difficult proposition yet achievable. To many of the writers, they live with their writings but can not make decent living by writing. This fact is hard but has truth.

The second group, want to write and publish because they enjoy doing and that gives them an opportunity to think through an issue and provide new insight through their writing. They feel writing force them to think and make them more creative.

Third group believes that others writing are corny, so clean the bin with better writing. Moreover it’s a good way to improvise their English and the write-ups are saved on the Internet and can be re-used. They want to create something that might last longer than them.

To some writing is the expression of nostalgic thoughts, which otherwise can be lost. Writing supposed to be the best methods to record your say, others opinion, your imagination of future, your perspective of present and a criticism of past.

Some write to help or to enable people: To clarify, make something complex simple, to teach so that people can do things for themselves, be safer, may be even happier.

Some write as an expression of love: I love this world, the possibilities and beauty of it. They remain hopeful that we all might just somehow manage to get along without killing or hating each other. We might manage our ecosystem in such a way that equilibrium is maintained. Or, there would be one world where there will not be rich and poor divide. Truly, utopian to the core!

A little further, some write because they feel when they write they are honest to themselves. They create their own image and express themselves and in the process they believe that some part of their thought reaches out to the world and possibly touches the world to create small ripples of goodness.

To little extent some actually do write to create propaganda, confusion, ill effects and spread rumors. Though this kind of writing has immediate impact to a certain extent but does not have long lasting effect. It diminishes with the time. Whereas, good writing, always creates everlasting impact on our mind.

To some the meaning of writing might still be in formation stage and it will come up beautifully with the passage of time and with the blossom of season. Anyway, we all have a place in the world of writing; we just need to create it.

You’re writing on the Internet

The world has evolved and progressed with advancement of technology. Technology arm man with tools for different purposes what he requires. And these tools are result of human imagination towards achieving higher, faster, and greater milestones in any field. One such milestone, which brought world closer with a mouse click, is the world of Internet. The invention of Internet has revolutionized the world of communication by leaps and bounds.

Connecting all the computers of the world through a world Wide network is the most modern gift of science to the human being. People can communicate with one another across the country effectively via their websites, emails and blogs. Communication has never before been so easy and cheap as it is now. It has even grown beyond this. The great social networking sites and great opportunity for anyone to store data online are other gifts. Innovations are still on to provide some more opportunity in the future.

The core communication of the Internet is written language except the voice chat. Entire web pages are filled with written messages to communicate to specific audience. Naturally your written skills play a very important role communicating on the Internet. Whether you write an email, or a scrap, or a blog post, everywhere your writing is the index of your image. Language is not the barrier any more and you can choose to write in any of the important languages of the world listed with the Internet. However, the world of Internet largely understands English and respect the users most, who use this language, broadly because of this being the most popular international language.

This does not mean that you command least respect when you write in your mother tongue. But obviously it speaks the truth that you are here to communicate to the audience who belongs to your nation and speaks the same tongue. This specifically communicates that you are trying to reach to your community and this is the best language you can use to communicate effectively.

The reach of Internet has been so wide and varied that people from Jhumari Tilaiya to Tumbaktu write on the web pages and send email to their friends, relatives and whomsoever they want. Most of the people use English language on the net irrespective of being native or non-native speaker. English is the most obvious choice because most of us want to pose a brave international face on the Internet. At one hand this is really appreciating, whereas on the other hand it is disappointing that a messy, unclear writing puts off reader and fails to impress the audience with its content. Most of the people try to get the thought and idea correctly and in the process miss the grammar and way of presenting it, which at a time makes different sense if not used judiciously.

Good writing always attracts good appreciation and wins half the battle in business as well as on the personal front, solves our problem. Good writing is not only about putting bare thought and concept but putting it across correctly without any error. People judge you here by virtue of your writing skill and since they have not met you before this is the only face you have. Your writing can connect people if it is legible, direct, focused and simple. To your people your writing is you. This is what the importance of writing, is on the net.

Eventually Internet is filled with good and bad writing, be it in any form. But the experience of years says that filthy, slang and poor writing no more appeal the Internet users. The Internet users now look beyond the personal identification, which reflects in your writing. You create a sense of confidence among the audience if you are trying to reach out for a writing profession. Such kind of opportunity is flooded on the net. I might discuss these in some other post. But the bottom line is your writing can make or break your image on the net if you are not cautious.