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Blogging: The New (New, New) Journalism?

Is blogging the new (new, new) journalism? RAJI participants discussed this question and more during a morning session.

With the Russian students struggling to figure out where they fit in the world of journalism in Russia, Amy and I introduced a (somewhat) new form of journalism: blogging.

The discussion focussed on blogging as a democratic and independent journalistic form, something the students had said in previous discussions they would be interested in exploring in Russia. But how exactly does one use a democratic medium in a country that has been slow to embrace such innovations?

That is a question Amy and I attempted to answer through our discussion.

First, we showed the students a kaleidoscope of popular bogs from the U.S. ranging from Gawker to the Daily Kos to personal blogs, hoping to show them the range of possibilites open to them.

We then asked the students what kinds of blogs they’d be interested in making themselves and every time a student gave an answer - hitchhiking, DJ’s, music, books - Amy and I found a blog dedicated to their passion. The message: The world is your oyster.

Unlike New York where a common excuse for apathy is, “It’s been done already,” nothing has been done in Russia. Here, blogging is revolutionary.

While I don’t think any of the students were up for starting a revolution anytime in the near future (they are still a little nervous about writing political or news blogs), many of the students were up for creating their own personal blogs on topics important to them.

Here are links to a few of the blogs they created:

Daria’s Door
Real Rostov
DIYHead
Strong Wish to Create

Filed under: Inside RAJI, Inside RAJI, Rostovites on Rostov

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