The popularity of web logs or “blogs” has also made it even much easier for online users to come up with posts that are normally packaged as online diaries or journals that can present text, graphics, audio and video files. Through software programs like WordPress and Movable Type, online users do not need to know hypertext markup language (HTML). They only need to follow the easy-to-follow guides in uploading content.

These developments can be seen as empowering for people who want to use the Internet to get their message across to global online users. On the other hand, this situation implies that just about anybody can upload Internet content.

This then gave rise to the billions of web pages that are now available on the Internet and the consequent need to filter information coming from websites. The deluge of information on the Internet is not necessarily welcome news, as online users are exposed not only to false and misleading data, hoaxes and even fluff.

That webmasters have also become a dime a dozen means that the quality of web design is not maintained, as knowing how to operate web authoring programs is greatly different from learning the principles of design and layout. Form therefore tends to overshadow the content, thus compromising the saying in web design that “Content is King.”

Convergence and Online Publications

Unlike personal websites, online publications are theoretically more content-based – and, for that matter, more professionally maintained – since their main objective is providing data and analyses. They are also periodically updated to provide fulfill the online users’ information needs.

An online editor once stressed that online news has “the authority of print with the speed and immediacy of broadcast media.”

Indeed, online journalism uses mainly the printed word to relay messages to online users. Unlike the print medium, however, online publications do not have specific deadlines that must be met since updates can be uploaded anytime. Headline news, for example, can change several times in one day, depending on the fluidity of the situation.

The uploading of files has also become much simpler due to developments in file transfer protocol (FTP) software programs and the inclusion of “Publish Web” commands in the most commonly used WYSIWYG web authoring programs. In fact, the updates are reflected instantaneously, unlike print and broadcast media where media audiences have to wait until the next issue or edition.

This then makes it easy for online publications to issue corrections to their posts. In an article I wrote in 2003, I noted that this can pose a problem for online journalists who do not adhere to the highest standards of journalism ethics: “(There is a) tendency (for) online writers to provide only sketchy (even unverified details) with the hope that their articles will be updated anyway. Wary of being ‘scooped’ by the competition, overzealous online editors may also end up posting advisories and stories despite their questionable provenance.”

Clearly, such unethical practices are a disservice to online users who expect information that is not only up-to-date but also accurate.

Blogging and Online Journalism

The so-called blogosphere has given rise to what is sometimes referred to as “citizen journalism” where a blogger can assume the role of a journalist by giving his or her views on issues and concerns. It must be stressed that not all blogs can be considered journalistic outputs, in the same way that not all bloggers are journalists.

Even blogs that are exceptional in terms of writing and depth of analysis cannot be automatically classified as journalistic outputs though they can be used as sources of information of journalistic outputs. We need to analyze first if the blogger’s style of writing caters to a broad audience, popularizing issues and concern with the end-goal of informing.

The topics discussed must also be scrutinized, since journalistic outputs regardless of form (print, broadcast or new media) are essentially social commentaries. While personal experiences can be reported, these must be related to the overall social context so that relevance can be firmly established.

Despite the opportunities offered by the new media, we must keep in mind that journalistic outputs are mainly used to communicate to an audience. It is imperative therefore for a blogger to know the principles and standards of journalism before calling himself or herself a journalist.

Limited Reach

In the Philippines, there still remains a limited reach of the Internet. In 2000, the penetration rate of personal computers (PCs) was at a small 1.5 percent. We can attribute this to the generally high cost of desktop and laptop computers.

The telecommunications infrastructure in the Philippines is also wanting. According to the National Electrification Agency (NEA), only 77 percent of barangays were energized as of December 2000. The NTC, meanwhile, admitted that telephone density was nine telephone lines for every 100 persons in 2000.

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