Assignment 1

Although a blog is supposed to be random and you are supposed to write about what you want, this one is different. This post is an assignment and its purpose is to write about blogging and it advantages, disadvantages, citizen journalism, and Yoani Sanchez's blog Generacion Y.

The book Blogging by Jill Walker Rettberg has a very important chapter on citizen journalism. She start off the chapter talking about freedom of the press citing Liebling in 1960 "Freedom of the press is guaranteed only to those who own one." Although we have a 1st Amendment right to freedom of speech and freedom of the press, as much as we speak and write, true freedom only comes to those who own a press and can express their thoughts and feelings through one. However, blogging has changed this. Although blogging doesn't allow everyone freedom of the press, only those with computers and internet access, it allows many more people than just the printing press alone. Blogging has allowed citizen journalism to come to be which has many advantages as well as disadvantages. In contrast to traditional journalism, that has many regulations and 'check points', blogging and citizen journalism are much more free. Although both citizen journalists and traditional journalists can give first hand reports, tell stories about current events, and filter articles according to interests, they come from very different perspectives. Traditional journalist have to appeal to the masses and cannot have the writers opinion or perspective throughout the article. However, blogging is all about the individuals perspective or their account of particular activities, and can be both advantageous or disadvantageous. The advantages of this is that everyone is able to express their feelings and opinions on certain issues and stories which allows a much broader view of the topic and can give you many different perspectives. On the other had, you have to take what you read with a grain of salt because in the end, it is an individuals perspective and they made not be a credible source.

Through her blog Generacion Y, Yoani Sanchez takes advantage of the resources available to potential citizen journalists. Yoani Sanchez writes first hand, about the political, economic, and cultural aspects of living in Cuba and the restrictions that are placed upon all its citizens. This blog allows the world to see Cuba from an inside perspective which was something that was never allowed or done before blogging. Although there are advantages to getting an inside look at life in Cuba, there are disadvantages. One of the major disadvantages is that the blog is written from a person whose natural rights are oppressed by her own government and therefore she is coming from a biased perspective.

Although there are many advantages and disadvantages to citizen journalism, I believe that the positives outweigh the negatives. The disadvantages, like biased sources, can be overcome by the number of blogs and perspectives out there in the blogosphere. The more sources there are, the more opinions you have and it is easier to find a middle ground between the two extremes. All in all, blogging has changed the world forever, for the better... at least for now.