BLOGS 101: Your guide to understanding and responding to blogs and online postings
WHAT IS A BLOG?
A blog – short for weblog – is an online publication that is frequently updated and intended for public consumption. Blogs are defined by their format: a series of entries posted to a single page in reverse-chronological order.
Today, nearly all major newspapers publish blogs on topics ranging from politics to editorial content to sports and much more. Blogs allow writers and editors a place to distribute content that may not fit into the day’s paper and post links to other interesting stories or news.
There are millions of independently distributed blogs published by anyone from new media giants (eg: Huffington Post) to individual citizens who simply have an interest in a given topic.
RESPONDING TO A BLOG?
One responds to a blog either by sending an email to the blog’s author or leaving a ‘comment’ in response to a blog posting.Both methods have a similar significance to sending a letter to the editor of a traditional newspaper.
The email address for a blog’s author often is listed on the blog’s main page. Most blogs also offer a comments feature at the bottom of individual entries which allows readers to post public responses and engage in debates.
Sending a response provides the author of the blog and the publication insight into what people are interested in reading more about. If a given article elicits a slew of responses, chances are the author will be influenced to write more content on a similar topic in the future.
RECCOMENDATIONS FOR WRITING A RESPONSE OR COMMENTON A BLOG
-Keep it short, 100 words or less for a comment and 200 or less when emailing the author
-Get to the point. State one clear argument or position.
-Reference the actual article, what you liked/didn’t like, agreed or disagreed.
-Send responses immediately. Most blogs often only have a shelf life of a day or two.
-Do not engage in arguments in the comments section. There are many keyboard warriors who love to irk respondents but responding to their childish behavior waters down our position on an important issue.
WHO READS BLOGS AND WHY TO THEY MATTER?
While it's easy to imagine a typical blog reader as hip, youthful and politically uninterested, in reality most blog readers are older professionals, many of whom are politically involved.
They are a distinct, and significant demographic. It is not uncommon for newspaper editors or state lawmakers (or their staffs) to peruse blogs to get a read on public opinion. Thus, sending a simple response to a blog or web posting is a quick and effective way to promote the Alliance for the CSU.
Go ahead and give it a try. Congrats! You are a blogger.
BLOGS OF INTEREST
Education specific blogs
Contra Costa Times Education blog
Orange County Register higher ed blog
LA Times Education blog
San Jose Mercury News education blog
Torrance Daily Breeze Education blog
US News and World Report
USA Today
Newspaper blogs
Bakersfield Californian Politics blog
Fresno Bee Blog
North County Times news blog
Riverside Press Enterprise news blog
SF Chronicle Politics blog
SF Chronicle Editors blog
San Diego Union Tribune News blog
Political blogs
California Progress Report
Calititcs.com
Capitol Weekly
The Huffington Post
The Majority report
Academic blogs
Chronicle of Higher Education News Blog
FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT BLOGS
Contact CFA Communications Specialist Brian Ferguson
ONLINE AT <WWW.ALLIANCEFORTHECSU.ORG>