Web Notes Online

Blog is a word that has crept into the language via the Internet. It started as a journal or diary on a Website back in the mid-1990s. It originally was called a "web log". That was shortened to "weblog" and finally to simply blog.
The blog can take many forms and use a variety of media. There are vlogs for video blogs, photoblogs for blogs composed mostly of photos, and audio blogs which are often called "podcasting."
It all started as a text entry of an individual seeking to express him/herself to others. Now a typical blog may included a combination of text, video, photos and audio. There are sites that offer space for people to signup and launch their own blogs without the need to have much technical knowledge. There are now many blog hosting services and blog software like WordPress, blogger and LiveJournal. Blogger is a popular site that lets you signup and start your own blog. I have one there I started several months ago.
Blogs have made it possible to anyone to be their own reporter. Many blogs have themes or specialize in certain topics. Politics is quite popular.
The Drudge Report by Matt Drudge was an early political blog. He cut his blogger teeth on the exploits of President Bill Clinton. Even so, blogs didn't really get much attention until bloggers brought attention to the comments made by then U.S. Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott when he praised the late U.S. Senator Strom Thurmond. Lott said while honoring Thurmond, that the country would have been better off if Thurmond had been elected President. Critics thought those comments as inferring approval of the racial segregation policy then advocated by Thurmond in his 1948 presidential campaign.
The major media did not cover the remarks at the party honoring Thurmond. The story took life through the writings of bloggers. The bloggers are credited with helping to keep the story alive. It resulted in Lott being forced to step down as majority leader.
Since that time other national figures have run afoul of boggers. Presidential candidate John Kerry had the swift-boaters dog his efforts to use his service in Vietnam as a war veteran. Newscaster Dan Rather found out what kind of fact checkers there were in the blogosphere when documents on President Bush's national guard service came under question.
Once bloggers were considered maverick journalists. Now many members of the mainstream media maintain their own blogs. Many newspaper use blogs as a means to communicate with their readers or as sources of information. As more mainstream people create their own blogs, the more viable they are as a measure of public sentiment.
After falling prey to bloggers in the past, politicians are now establishing their own blogs. It is common for a candidate to include his/her Website in campaign advertisements. Many are turning to their own resources to get their message out instead of relying on the historic mainstream media.
I'll talk more about the media, the Internet and the message, next week after the elections are over. At least I hope they will be over by then.
As always you can reach me at rpolk@chespub.com.