Ajakirjanike blogide meediakriitiline dimensioon

Abstract

In this paper I used qualitative method to find out what kind of opportunities and changes has the blogging of journalists brought on the system that grants the responsibilty of the media, why do journalists write a blog aside their regular job and in what capacity can it increase the transparency and diversity of views. In other words in which way could the blogs of journalists fulfill the functions of the obligation of reporting. To get an idea of a larger picture, interviews were conducted also with several executive editors. In doing so, there were examined how great potential they see in media blogs as accountability instruments and whether they could also bring economic benefits to the publication. The executive editors were also asked to assess the efficacy of different self-regulatory bodies in Estonia. The theoretical chapter gives an overview of the mechanisms of the obligation of reporting on a proffesional level that have been in use throughout time. Quick techonological development that enables people to post limitless information on the Internet has also significantly broadened the choice between media channels. This has increased the need for proffessional and independent media. The media blogs have been viewed as one of the systems of the obligation of reporting in this context. It became clear from the interviews with the blogging journalists that the journalists see in blogs a potential to turn the process of handling information more transparent but at the same time they do not believe that it could really work. The most journalists also do not see blogs as an adequate system of obligation to report because the format of blogs suggests smaller responsibility in what has been published. So the danger on the objectivity of blogs was recognised. The problem of objectivity and imbalance also emerged in the case of the supposed potentiality of blogs to increase the diversity of views in the media. Although the journalists found that blogs can increase the diverity of views in media, they agreed that the blogs have not significantly done it so far. The low quality of information was brought out as one reason. Contrary to the work in a publication the blogging environment enables the author total freedom in content and form. Moreover, it was pointed out that quality norms for texts, the relations inside the editorial and market pressure can restrict autonomy. Significantly looser borders and personal motives were the main reasons why journalists blog aside their regular work. It was also brought out that usually no material compensations come along with blogging but there is also not much time invested in a post. Among immaterial rewards journalists emphasize influence the most. The interviews conducted to the executive editors revealed that, although in some cases media blogs provide relatively high potential to change media more transparent, they haven't significantly done it so far. Most of them also didn’t believe that media blogs could ever take a role to be a watchdog over the watchdog. Because this paper concentrated pimarily on the media blogs it does not give an overall picture of the situation in blogging because most of the blogs that are critical towards media are kept by people who directly do not work in publications. To create a broader picture it should be researched with the help of qualitative method further on what kind of role the blogs of this target group fulfill in the given context.