The bloggers take on the broadcasters, who won? WATCH

Two months ago I was having a discussion with two young men about iblog. They seemed slightly resentful of the feeling of entitlement assumed by bloggers. I quickly understood it to be a deeper issue than surface scratching comments like “Bloggers are not journalist” or “bloggers are over rated”. Did they feel bloggers who are not bound by any ethics of broadcasting or regulated by any body of repute were posing as credible news sources worthy of the public’s followership?

Thinking about it, I could see their point. While broadcasters go to school to learn their profession and the ethics of their trade, bloggers with little or no training compete to break news and inform the public about events as they happen, posting gory pictures online without discretion, carrying stories without proper fact checking and breaking rules of professional broadcasting.

Case in point is the infamous ABSU gang rape case which allegedly took place in Abia State University according to reports widely spread by blogs in 2011. According to the police’s recent findings, the incident actually took place in Obite town in Etche Council Area of Rivers State.

This poses many questions.  In the eyes of the law, are bloggers considered journalist? Can bloggers be sued for reporting false information such as the above?

On the other side of the divide, some broadcasters maintain blogs to cultivate engaging interactions with viewers as they break stories on more traditional media. Comments and tweets are aired with news reports which need to be substantiated with public opinion. Broadcasters have even admitted to surfing blogs for trending news covered by bloggers in the locality making the news. So maybe both sides need each other and then the question becomes what the best way to engage is.

In this edition, iblog tackled the debate between bloggers and traditional broadcasters!

Are the lines blurring and should they be encouraged to blur? Should bloggers comply with broadcasting ethics? Should broadcasters embrace bloggers as colleagues?

SEE the photos, WATCH the video, JOIN the conversation!




Nancy Illoh (The money Show)AIT, Omonaikee(Exec. Director,Iblog), Elshammy abdullah(Aljazeera)

 

Omonaikee, Nancy

Meka, Jemima (Krump studios), Rahima Gambo

Uduak akpan

Seun

Good people, good food, great conversation!

Farnem

Taopheek Babayeju

 

Nneka Egbuna of Venussbay.blogspot.com

Everyone wants to be the next Linda Ikeji, so who wants to post peotry when they can load up sensational stories to attract readership!

Standards are neccesary for both bloggers and broadcasters

Total freedom is total nonsense, my freedom stops where yours begins

Rapt attention

Linda Auta and Jenny Chisom of Logosandaudibles.blogspot.com

Bloggers being regulated is going backwards on freedom of speech

Bloggers should take responsibility, just because you have the right to drive your truck on the road doesn't mean you should if your truck would cause damage to the road

Bloggers should carve a niche for themselves and not be try to blog about everything

Even if you are the last blogger or broadcaster to break a story, make sure you verify your information and you are reporting an accurate story.

Rather than pass lewd videos along, pass the message to discourage the posting of such videos, if you pass it on, it can be passed down the line to a child, your child even, who can be influenced by it. It should stop with you.

It's not about the form, whether the information is passed across on a blog or on the radio, its about the content.

This conversation between bloggers Vs. broadcasters is very important.

 

 

No winners in this debate. We can work together.

Business and Financial reporting in Nigeria, is not a male dominated field

I just handle the male attention, Nike!

                                                          SeeYOU next month!

 

 

 

WATCH THE VIDEO

 

 

 

Credits

Makeup: Belleza faces

Photography: Cognito Studios