I finally started a blog.

I'm not sure what took me so long, but I guess it's better late than never. Blogs are everywhere, and it seems we've gotten to a point where they are nearly mandatory. I made my account when my journalism professor required all assignments to be turned in on the class's blog. Not only do we use the blog to hand in our work, but all of the class's notes, schedules, and deadlines are found there.
I've known for a while that I should have a blog. Being a print journalism major, I could use the writing practice. Blogs provide a valuable space for the individual to express their ideas and viewpoints in a friendly and accessible environment.
Blogs have changed the way we exchange ideas and perspectives. Their propulsion to the forefront of digital media has got many in the news industry thinking. You hear and read about it all the time. Newspapers are dying. Blogs are taking over. Everything is changing.
I have a few problems with these statements.
While it is undeniable that formats are changing and blogs are allowing anyone to weigh in on any topic, it seems almost absurd to expect them to eclipse newspapers anytime soon. Blogs are an undeniably valuable tool, allowing for an unprecedented exchange of ideas, yet they can never offer the level of credibility required to be a trusted source of news. Many bloggers can provide the same quality of information as a professional journalist, but news blogging could not survive without established news organizations. Bloggers need the professional reporters to do the on the ground reporting and put all the information together. A blogger needs the professional reporter so they don't have to be.
Thats the beauty of blogging. A blogger doesn't have to go to Iraq to discuss the tragedy of our presence there. They don't need to follow Barack Obama on the campaign trail to express their view of his candidacy. Bloggers can be anywhere and everywhere.
The question is not whether we need blogs or newspapers. We need both. News organizations give us the information and credibility we need to produce an informed blogosphere. Bloggers provide the abrupt and unchained analysis that the publications cannot.
So I've started my blog. Here I hope to further my status playing both roles. At times I will be the impassioned criticizer, fiercely attacking the news media for all apparent shortcomings. Yet there will be other times when I will staunchly defend that same news media, if its actions warrant the defense. My topics will undoubtedly range from politics to war to culture and society. I may rant and ramble or write with perfect AP style grammar. I hope you may enjoy my ideas, and I hope you like what I have to say.