Journalism and Blogs

As a class, we are all partaking in the blog entry phase. Whether it be photo, broadcast, print or even public relations, we are all journalists in some sense. Here are few tips on how journalists can use blogs as a stepping stone to becoming better writers.

Get out there. Make a list of your connections, e-mail them your URL, and then impress them. Use strong writing and interesting subjects to make a good first impression with users.

Provide unique material. See what's already out there and provide content that satisfies a need not being met already.

Create a series that could be useful to a specific audience. He suggests for a medical blog a series like "If I have (enter illness this here), then I should do (enter recommendations here)." Create weekly posts filling in the blank with different topics. After several posts, you'll likely have a robust resource that could climb higher in the Google's page rankings.

Post frequently. When users come to your blog and find something new, they'll find there's a reason to keep checking back for more.


Here is more on this column posted by Ellyn Angelotti: http://www.poynter.org/column.asp?id=31&aid=137327