Activity 4: Blogs and/in the media

Many people have begun to see blogs as an alternative to traditional media news. Blogs, unlike traditional media, are not edited, and this is what makes blogs unique news sources. The use of blogs is an example of how new media developments can reconfigure politics and culture, and the way people communicate and interact with each other.

This suggests some interesting possibilities for English teachers exploring a media issue with their students. One interesting activity might be to compare the style/format/content/position of media coverage presented by huge media outlets compared to bloggers. Take, for example, the coverage of Hurricane Katrina

Here are some interesting links to explore:

Blogs
Hurricane Katrina, The voice of hurricane recovery (blogging since the storm first hit)
Stories of Hurricane Katrina (a community blog with multiple authors)
Au 'audio blog' of a driver heading towards the storm
The Invisible Coast (a blog showcasing a student created documentary)
Operation Eden (the blog of a survivor with incredibly powerful images)

'Mainstream' Media
Rising from Ruin (MSNBC)
Hurricane Katrina special (CNN)
See the wikipedia entry on Hurricane Katrina for a huge selection of media coverage

The media coverage of the Beaconsfield mine rescue is raising some interesting questions (see below). This could also be a way to explore the changing face of media and its impact on people's lives (especially the people of Beaconsfield).

The transcript of Media Watch's analysis of the media coverage

Can you see the possibilities of blogging in activities like these?