Blogging -not bad after all

This week I realized that I am a public relations major who has completely underestimated the impact of social media in my future profession. Talk about an overwhelming realization... Before this week, blogs held no interest for me. My preconcieved notions led me to believe that blogs were computerized versions of diaries reserved for the bored and internet addicts. Silly me, now I know better.

This idea of blogging initially caused me to sympathize with the poor newspapers, radios, and televisions. It saddens me that they are spiraling into antiquity, overshadowed by the internet's capabilities. However, my crying subsided when I reached page 11 in Gillan's book, The New Influencers. He explained how mainstream media and blogging are actually complementary. Once I thought about it, it made sense. Where are bloggers going to get their current information? From newspapers, television, radio, etc. of course. And how do bloggers assist mainstream media? They supply them with helpful feedback. The two are dependent on each other for success.

Gillan portrayed this relationship with an example involving the company Sony. A large amount of Sony BMG music cd's were sold with hidden software on them. Nobody knew of this activity until a blogger discovered it and blogged about it. From there, bloggers went crazy responding to the scandal. The mainstream media found out about the Sony scandal through blogging. Mainstream media and the blogosphere played off each other to bring the scandal to light for the public. The public greatly benefits from the relationship between blogs and mainstream media.

Hopefully this means that in the future my children won't be one track minded to the internet. I can only hope they won't give me funny looks when I talk about printed newspapers or turn off the i-pod to listen to the radio.