Guest Post – What Bloggers Can Learn From Journalists

December 15, 2008 · Comments

Anita This is a guest post by Anita Bruzzese

I have a lot of fun reading blogs and often learn a lot. But as a trained journalist, sometimes I see things in a blogger’s copy that bugs me a bit, and sometimes I read stuff that makes me cringe. Some of it just confuses me, and some of it appalls me. So, when Chris asked me to write a guest post on what bloggers can learn from journalists, I decided to make a list:

What Bloggers Can Learn From Journalists

  1. It takes time to gain trust. If you post something that has an “agenda,” be upfront about it. Being deceptive, unethical or manipulative may get you short-term results, but the long-term impact to you and your efforts will be detrimental. Most big stories by journalists have come only after they spent months or even years getting a source to trust them.

  2. You are what you write. Whether it’s 300 words or 60,000 words, you have to make sure it’s accurate. A Pew Centre survey on bloggers found that while 34 percent of bloggers consider their writing to be a form of journalism, only 56 percent “sometimes or often” spent extra time trying to verify facts. Always double-check the spelling of a name, the name of an organization, dates, etc. If you want to be taken seriously by those outside the blogosphere, you’re going to have to verify your facts 100 percent of the time.

  3. Use attribution. Journalists are trained to always provide a source for their material. This helps put the information in context, and tells the reader you’re not just making up stuff. It shows that you have a dedication to getting it right.

  4. Step away from the computer. It’s easy these days to think that all questions and answers begin and end on the Web, but don’t insulate yourself that way. Talk to people on the street. Listen to conversations in checkout lines or while waiting for a movie.  Learn how to ask questions of people outside your circle of friends and acquaintances – that’s what will net you a golden nugget of information that no one else has. Anyone can regurgitate what they get from Google. It’s the effort to get original information and look beyond the obvious that grabs attention and respect.


  5. Look for the news peg. Journalists have always known they’ve got a limited amount of people’s time, so they need to make sure no one says “so what” when reading a story. If you tie your information to a current event, it makes the story more relevant for them. For example, if you have a “green” company, then Earth Day is a perfect time to use it as your “peg” to attract attention.

  6. Be consistent. Journalists use the Associated Press Stylebook, a rulebook we use to make sure our “style” is consistent. (For example, we write out numbers less than 10, and use numerals if it’s 10 or more.) You don’t have to use this stylebook, but you should understand it is distracting when your writing style is all over the place.

  7. Precision is key. If you carefully consider each word and each sentence, then you’ve put yourself in another realm as a writer. Precision helps you gain respect and legitimacy because is shows you’re taking your writing and reporting seriously, even if you’re writing humor. At the very least, consult a dictionary, thesaurus and grammar book. All the Web site flash and dazzle in the world won’t cover up poor writing riddled with spelling and grammar mistakes. Trust me: If there’s one typo, one spelling error, someone is going to call you stupid.

  8. Just get on with it. You may hate me when I tell you this: I’ve never had writer’s block. I’ve been writing for a long time, and I’ve never once sat down at a keyboard and had a blank brain. Here’s the key: Just blurt out loud the first thing that comes to mind when you think of your subject. This is a technique taught to all first-year journalism students, and it has never failed me. The point is not to labor over your lead. Once you get something down, you can get on with the rest of the story. If you “overwrite” your lead, readers will quickly lose interest and move onto something else. And one more point: Deliver what you promise. Don’t sensationalize your lead and then fail to back it up with the information in the story.


  9. Rewrite. One of the most important parts of any good story is the rewrite. When I wrote my second book, I spent three months writing it and three months editing it. I put on five different hats when I read the copy: 1) as writer I made sure the copy flowed easily; 2) as a reporter, I made sure the copy included solid facts and sources; 3) as a copyeditor, I made sure I used proper grammar, correct spelling and looked for ways to tighten the copy so that it was concise; 4) as a workplace/career journalist, I made sure I was giving people information they wouldn’t find elsewhere; and 5) as a reader, I made sure that even if I knew nothing about the subject, it was still clear. (By the way, don’t try and put on all these hats at once. You’ll lose focus and get confused.)

  10. Understand you’re creating history. That may sound dramatic, but it’s true. Your writing will last forever. Don’t abuse the privilege of being able to record the events and feelings of our day. With every word you write, you’re leaving a record for future generations, and that’s not an assignment anyone should take lightly.


Anita Bruzzese is a syndicated columnist for Gannett News Service and USAToday.com. She is the author of two books, including “45 Things You Do That Drive Your Boss Crazy,” named one of the top 10 most notable books by the New York Post. Her website is www.45things.com, and she can be reached at anita@anitabruzzese.com

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  • I think the most important point here is consistency. Write with a consistent voice, so that your readers know what to expect from you. If your voice is all over the board you'll confuse readers, won't foster repeat readers, and ultimately lack the kind of following you are after.

    Matt
  • this weekend i noted on twitter that it seems a lot of writers want to be called bloggers when they want to do whatever they want and journalists when they want a press badge, to be taken seriously or some sort of credit.

    Anita's point about the styleguide is interesting - I gave a copy of it to all of my staff and they had to follow the rules before any content went live on the corporate site. Yet I find that many bloggers just don't care about spelling and the like. And sadly as much as I want to agree with Anita, readers just don't seem to care about that point.
  • The challenge of blogging is word processing software interferes with blogging software (at least MS Word does with WordPress). Having said that, I'd add, for crying out loud, there's a spell check feature - USE IT!

    I wrote a relevant post a while ago (http://nospinpr.com/2008/11/20/ten-mistakes-beg...). It's a long post, but this paragraph includes a link to some pretty high journalistic standards I think all bloggers should try to follow:

    "The Canadian Press Stylebook was long considered the ‘bible’ for Canadian journalists but I prefer the Globe and Mail Style Book. The CBC’s Journalistic Standards and Practices are among the most stringent in Canada. It’s also still one of the best newsgathering organizations in the world." http://www.cbc.radio-canada.ca/accountability/j...
  • Trust is a huge factor. I wrote a whole post about Building trust and what it can mean for your blog. Once you have built this trust it will be much easier to get subscribers and people will talk about you throughout the web.
  • I'm intimidated to even comment here.

    I use the AP style for numbers, but frequently abuse semicolons and commas. I've been known to spell check, but not as often as one ought to.

    This might be the most helpful post a blogger could ever read. Most of us are wincing a little (or more than a little). Long term, we thank you.
  • Anita - Great tips. Simple, clear, concise and useful for me. Nice to read thoughts on writing from a professional journalist. Love your tips and i'll be sure to implement them as i start outputting more on my blog.

    Chris - Love the idea of having a pro journalist on your blog - really helpful for me. As i've only recently discovered your work for myself, i'm enjoying each day i tune in.

    Thanks to you both.
  • Lisa Cruz
    Completely random question is there a journalism major specializing in blogging? Is higher ed offering this yet? If not, there's an opportunity!
  • Mark
    Cute pic, great read, good advice. sick!
  • A story can be told differently by different persons. Not only can there be different facts in each account, but the style of writing of each individual makes their story unique, even if it's covered a million times already.

    This is as true for journalists as it is for bloggers.

    Nice points to consider.
  • Blogger is different from journalist. No holds bar. But the list says it all, you must blog responsibly to gain trust.
  • Armando G
    I do think that too many people focus on short term results, and discount the fact that what they contribute will be available for critique and review anytime in the future. I have always tried to be mindful of what I say, and it is so important to do the same when typing your responses.

    It is better to carefully review what you put out there than to try to excuse poor form later under the guise of "style".
  • I can't get over the never having writer's block bit. Note to self - blurt first. Very helpful article! I especially appreciated #9 and the rewrite hats. Thanks!
  • Nicely put, Anita. While it's important to embrace the new, that's not an excuse to be lazy. Checking to make sure your facts are right and resisting the temptation to just "dash off" random thoughts in favor of creating compelling content will ensure that the "histories" we're writing aren't just inaccurate drivel.
  • While I respect what you say, I'd probably disagree with #9. If a blogger takes too much time analyzing what they've written and then tries to rewrite until "perfect", it loses the spontaneity and infection of the post in the first place (IMO). And at the end of the day, the blog's readers will really decide whether or not they prefer a less-than-perfect blog post over a carefully-crafted one.

    Additionally, I would say that a journalist's job is to report facts - a blogger's "job" is to offer a personal view of these facts, and hopefully open up conversation. Two different approaches that probably cater to two different audiences.
  • These are great suggestions! Thanks for sharing. I love it when the advice being offered is worthy of saving and passing along to others!
  • I have read many posts like yours lately, Anita, and the trend frustrates me.

    I thank you for this advice... but according to your terminology, because I am not "trained," e.g. a graduate of journalism school, I am not a journalist. I suppose my hundreds of newspaper bylines accumulated through 5+ years of community newspaper reporting, Boston Globe travel essays, and "blogging" is meaningless to your standard?

    As I commented earlier tonight on Jeff Cutler's blog where he also separates bloggers from journalists, I argue my content is equivalent to his (and to yours, Anita) evident from research, attribution, and understanding of slander, libel, and ethics.

    Granted, every blogger does not adhere to the same standards as me, but are they any less than me? Doubtful.

    When you consider most TV meteorologists would be unable to do their jobs during crazy weather days without inbound calls and emails from "weather spotters," would you criticize the spotters' measurements are not up to par because they never attended M-school? Of course not.

    I learned your 10-step advice on the job and by reading books. Maybe I read your books. Maybe other bloggers did, too. Am I, or they, any less a journalist just because we are not trained in journalism?
  • Nice post. You're really talking about bringing more discipline into blogging, something that's badly needed. I'm a former journalist, and when I first started blogging, I actually found my training worked against me at times, at least when it came to writing style. Having been trained for magazine writing, I had to adjust to a sharper, snappier, pithier blogging style. So while I agree with polishing a blog (and checking grammar, facts, etc), I'm not sure about rewriting to the level of a finished article; blogs, after all are supposed to more informal. Still, we should strive to bring the best of both worlds, including best practices from the journalism field. Only then can we ever hope to build real trust among our readers.
  • Great article. There will always be those who long for unpolished and unedited blogs, etc. like they used to see in the "good old days." And these will still continue to thrive. However, the reality is that blogs are becomming much more sophisticated these days (the line between online magazine and pro blog are pretty blurry). With this should become an increased level of sophisticationin writing where appropriate.

    I blog about PR and marketing. As a PR professional, I'm expected to write well and without errors, I want my blog to represent my ability to do just that (or something close). If I'm blogging for a client, this is also important. Many argue against PR people blogging, but I think PR people can make excellent bloggers IF they take the time to understand the nature of blogs before they go after it. This is because PR people are closely related to journalists and much of what has been outlined here is second nature (we have to think like journalists -- how else could we be so effective at getting journalists to write about our clients or allow us to submit contributed articles, etc.). The fact that so many fomer jouralists are becomming PR people and/or pro bloggers themselves, proves that point.
  • CJ
    What a superb post! Not only is the information 100% spot on, but the post itself is also a perfect example of what Anita is talking about. Clear, concise, accurate, easily read - everything a good post should be. Thank you.
  • Just a question on point 2. You say that "while 34 percent of bloggers consider their writing to be a form of journalism, only 56 percent 'sometimes or often' spent extra time trying to verify facts." Doesn't that mean that more bloggers spend extra time trying to verify facts than actually consider themselves journalists? Or did you mean to say that only 56 percent of that 34 percent of bloggers that consider their writing to be a form of journalism spend extra time to verify facts?
  • I’m a journalist who job @ The Orange County Register these days is primarily blogging about real estate. What’s that make me?

    If “bloggers” mean non-traditionally trained content creators and “journalists” are those who are traditionally trained … all I can say is that there are good and bad bloggers and there are good and bad journalists.

    And the competition between the two forces is good for any discerning member of the audience.

    "Bloggers" will have to keep quality higher, and be a bit more reserved. "Journalists" must react quicker, take more chances.

    In the end, the audience will eventually decide what kind/level of training — along with other factors such as independence and editing — they require for their critical news consumption.
  • My background as a press secretary has given me an eagle eye, and much of that which you raise here annoys me.

    Well written and covered a lot of ground.

    Bloggers take note.
  • Hi Anita,

    I think that your guest post shows very useful information and all that you said should be taken into consideration by any person who blogs. I think the hardest thing to do is to back away from the computer and from the web. Of course that this is depending on the theme of your blog but still I think it's a difficult thing to do. We all are so used to obtain our information over the Internet that we simply can't see it other way.

    I'm not a journalist. I've found out that if you think first of what you're gonna write and you block down the headings then it's much more easy to do it. I use a structure like this one : summary, Heading 1, Heading 2, Heading 3 if needed, conclusion and between 500 and 800 words.

    Thank you for your tips.

    WebOptimization on Twitter
  • Adam Helweh
    Excellent article. Regarding the "blurt" technique, I find that effective as well. I still have a lot to learn abut great writing, but I tend to treat my posts like a sculpture. Get the shape roughly chiseled out and then take a second or third pass to refine it into a final piece.

    Overall great list for us all to learn from.
  • Anita! I'm so glad to know you exist - I LOVE THIS POST. I'm a blogger and a copywriter, NOT a journalist. But/and I think this advice is fantastic for writers of any form. I, too, do not suffer from writer's block. I do what you do AND if I'm not in the right head space to write, I never sit still and stare (and fall down that nasty hole), I move on, keep it fluid and activate my brain in other ways. Thanks for writing...
  • @ Ari Herzog. While I can understand your frustrations, Ari, I feel you've diluted your argument slightly with this quote:

    "Granted, every blogger does not adhere to the same standards as me, but are they any less than me? Doubtful."

    As far as blogging goes, no, they are not "less" than you. As far as respecting and adhering to basic journalistic standards - laws, fact reporting, libel, etc - by not adhering to these standards they can't therefore be classed as journalists - and this is the key difference. It will continue until bloggers who wish to be more respected by the mainstream start carrying out due diligence on what's being written - and that's not a criticism of blogging (of whose community I'm a fervent supporter of), merely a statement of fact.
  • Okay, if you're going to give advice on anything, also follow you're own advice. If you think typos make someone look stupid - and we all make them - clean up your own. Proofread before you publish. See Anita's typo made in number 7 below, ironic only because she's giving advice on typos.

    "Precision is key. If you carefully consider each word and each sentence, then you’ve put yourself in another realm as a writer. Precision helps you gain respect and legitimacy because is (correction, should be it, not is) shows you’re taking your writing and reporting seriously, even if you’re writing humor. At the very least, consult a dictionary, thesaurus and grammar book. All the Web site flash and dazzle in the world won’t cover up poor writing riddled with spelling and grammar mistakes. Trust me: If there’s one typo, one spelling error, someone is going to call you stupid. HELLO.
  • I'm trusting that you're correct. I started my blog in October with the idea of bringing slick magazine writing style and techniques to the web. The response has been pretty good, with traffic increasing steadily.

    As for the "blurt" technique, I've been using it for years even thought I never went to J school. My thought was, I write whatever comes into my mind, and if it's garbage, I just delete it. Maybe it wasn't so easy back when people used a typewriter, but today it makes absolute sense to me.
  • Thanks for a great list, especially about style and correct English, which is my particular hobby horse. And I'd add, "Get your sayings right." For instance,

    It's "take a different tack", not "tact".
    It's "home in", not "hone in".
    It's a "moot point", not a "mute point".

    Any others?
  • Thanks for the great post. It is very timely for me as I have faced some of the problems you have described. As I have been developing my writing style for my blog, I have come to realize the importance of journalistic standards but have been unable to find anything that sums it up as you have done today.
  • Tasty Article "says the Man of Good Taste !" (: > MS
  • Anita Bruzzese I READ YOUR POST IT IS TRUE AND THE POINTS YOU HAVE PROVIDED MAY GIVE SOME KNOWLEDGE TO THE PEOPLE WHAT SHOULD THEY DO IN BLOGS
  • Great post. Lots of good information.

    I like the 'blurt' tip. I tell people this all the time - it's as though they think every word they type is indelible and can never be edited.

    I do think journalists have a lot to learn from bloggers too, so I'd be interested in a post just like this, but from a blogger to a journalist.
  • @Joe Cascio, I saw two just the other day - 'going for the juggler' instead of 'jugular' (the image made me laugh out loud!) and 'duck tape' instead of duct tape.
  • Chris -- Thanks for inviting Anita to do this.

    Anita -- Thank you for sharing some of the 'secret sauce' from the traditional world of media.
  • I guess I have still a lot to learn. I have to admit my blog falls most of the time along the lines of those you talked about. I need to put more efforts in my writing and above anything else "rewrite". Thanks :)
  • Interesting read. And what it made me realize is as that a former newsroom journalist and now freelance writer/blogger, I have somehow separated the two in my head. As in "I used to be a reporter and now I am a blogger who occasionally freelances articles."
    I wasn't lazy in my work; I spell-checked, referred to the AP as often as possible, and used the same trick you did to get beyond writer's block when it did hit me. And I always, ALWAYS used attribution.
    But ya know what? I had an editor to answer to. I had a publication's reputation to uphold. I had a paycheck to continue receiving, and it wasn't going to keep coming unless I did my job and lived up to the title of "journalist."
    Here at home when I sit down to blog it's different, and because I have no one to answer to but myself (and my readers, of course) I suddenly realize after reading this post that I am failing them and myself. (The only AP habit I cannot shake is the spelling out the numbers one through nine and writing out 10 and above.)
    I should be putting just as much effort into what I write now as I did when it had a byline. After all, I have my own reputation to uphold, right?
    Thanks for the much-needed reminder.
  • #11 Get an AP StyleBook http://www.apstylebook.com/
  • Oops.. and don't hit that return key unless you are done your comment :-)

    And,. then, if you choose to ignore the AP Style by doing your own thing, at least you are educated about it, not just ignorant. ee cummings knew that he was supposed to capitalize stuff but actively chose to ignore that rule. Whenever one of my writing students throw ee cumings at me for a failed capitalization, I immediately change their grade to a lower case of one grade lower. "You are no ee cummings."

    Until you are a journalist/blogger/writer of the stature of Cronkite, Fuller, Woodward/Bernstein, Arnett or Rather, respect the AP Stylebook.
  • For journalists in Canada, check out the Canadian Press stylebook - it's great.
  • Danny Brown: I did not imply other bloggers have a lower journalistic standard than me, but the contrary which you stated. Sorry if any confusion.

    But you raise a tangential issue, something I also alluded to on Jeff Cutler's blog I linked above.

    Suppose a 7-year-old child takes a picture. Would the shot, regardless of composition, focus, and photographic "standards," be any less than one taken by a trained photographer employed by some newspaper?
  • @Ari Yes, it would. A photojournalist takes a "picture" to tell a story on purpose. A 7-year-old child takes a "snapshot" because something pretty is moving in front of her. if it results in a story, it is only because it is accidental.
  • If (not if)
  • Bloggers should take tips from journalists in some aspects, maybe just the highest bloggers, maybe all. But to what degree? I think a lot of the pleasure out of reading blogs is that they are more simple, and written for the everyday person. They are not dull like an article. Taking all of those tips will be making a change in the whole genre. Is that where the blogosphere is headed?
  • @Louise - Like you, I just about snorked my coffee when I read "going for the juggler". :) Thank you! I'll add that to my collection of maimed sayings.

    The strange thing about duct or duck tape that I've read is that it really was called "duck tape" by WWII soldiers because it is backed with a fabric called cotton duck. See this Wikipedia entry for probably more than you will ever want to know on the subject. :)
  • Great post!!! I do try and leave my article alone for awhile and then come back and re-look at it before posting. I probably should use my spell check more often than I do, but I'm slowly learning. Thanks for all the great tips.
  • @Craig I completely agree with you. One of the reasons I love blogosphere so much is because there is room and a certain level of tolerance for imperfection. That doesn't mean that you should disregard spell checking your post or forget to give credit when credit is due, but there is a certain authenticity and voice you hear when you read a blog, a different level of authenticity than I get when I read a newspaper. In turn, I think that is what allows for great conversations to take place. Conversations that we grow from, share with one another, and ultimately learn from. More importantly, while I see many people trying to define the “rules” of social media and the blogosphere, the beauty of it is that there really isn’t (or shouldn’t be) a right approach or a wrong approach. If we continue to fight that, are we going to be able to uphold why we are all here in the first place?
  • Wow! These are some great tips. The best part is the reminder to also be precise. I notice spelling and grammar mistakes all the time. Even on some of the top blogs. The most common grammar mistake I see is leaving out a word.

    This happens all the time and I notice it happens to me all the time. It really helps to reread your entire post again because, sometimes you might say, "will", when you meant "won't", etc.

    By the way....nice eyes.
  • As a former journalist and the editor emeritus at my office, it always amazes me how little people pay attention to spelling and grammar. It only takes a second to copy your entry into Word or some other editor to make sure everything looks okay. Why wouldn't you want it to be correct? It helps with your credibility. It makes you "smarter” (or at least appear that way). It also shows respect for your readers.

    Great tips, and yay for AP style.
  • Excellent post Anita! EVERY blogger, whether they agree with it or not, should read this post and consider it heavily. Especially point #10... what's posted on the internet stays on the internet! Your reputation is written right into every post you publish.
  • Hi Anita,

    You have focused and shared the essential requirements for the ' blogosphere' and bloggers wanting more than just passing interest in their thoughts. To be highly regarded and considered an authority takes time and effort.

    Thanks to Chris Brogan for finding you and sharing his considerable audience. I look forward to reading more of your work!

    Respectfully,

    Nicholas Chase
    Twitter.com/nachase
    http://donotreadthisblogunless.blogspot.com/
  • Anita, your comments were very insightful and helpful! Thank you! Chris, I so appreciate your blogs that provide tools or helpful strategies for legitimate businesses trying to make it on the Internet. Thank you!!
  • First, let me say thanks to Chris for the opportunity to guest post on his blog. Second, I want to thank everyone for their comments. I've been following the conversation all day, both here and on Twitter. I appreciate the thought that went into each comment, and also appreciate the compliments -- and the criticisms. I feel very fortunate that I do something for a living that teaches me something every day -- and that includes what I've learned here today.
  • Your post is timely and speaks well of Chris to share his community with you!

    Thank you for emphasizing the discipline that journalists earn by studying their craft! Admittedly, my patience to read posts which lack good English grammar is strained.

    Here is "The Atlantic" magazine's Andrew Sullivan's article "Why I Blog". Wonderfully composed!

    http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200811/andrew-su...
  • Anita,

    This was a wonderful and necessary post. I'm sure we all try, at some level, to create writing worth the reading. If we're not quite there yet, you've given a lot of great advice on how to aim higher.

    My favorite phrase from this post: "Don’t abuse the privilege." For me that sums up your top ten in a nutshell. Well said.

    Chris,

    Great guest post. Thanks for inviting Anita in!

    Regards,

    Kelly
  • Thanks for the tips, Anita. I am a writer by trade, but it's helpful to remember the basics of good writing, whether it's an article, book or blog entry. If you're going to take the time to write a blog, make it compelling, relevant, and accurate. You're right, bad grammar and spelling reflect badly on the writer and undermine credibility.
  • Great article! Not only is it great advice for bloggers, but it would serve anyone well who writes to an audience- no matter how large or small, public or personal. I wish more people would take to heart "You are what you write" and "Precision is key." If you want people to take you seriously, write like you want to be taken seriously, not like a teen on Instant Messenger.

    I think that a lot of people think that email, blogs, online communities, and other online forms of communication don't require us to use as much care in what we write because these media are meant to connect people together and be personal. What these people don't understand is that just because the forum for discussion has changed, doesn't mean that the quality of discussion should be degraded. When we interact someone online, language is one of the most prominent (and sometimes the only) defining characteristic we have to form an opinion about another person, so we should be even more careful and intentional with what we write.
  • Great post. With hard work and dedication scribling can be turned into writing. Indeed, we can learn a lot from journalists. After all, a blog is a journal.
  • I liked this post because it's nice to come across someone from outside the marketing blogsphere - with fresh ideas.
    I particularly liked points 8 and 9.
    Just like to add: one of the things that bugs me is when people fail to give examples of what they are talking about (I notice you make a point of giving an example) - in particular case studies.
  • stevenimmons
    I'm not sure that 'writing lasts forever' (as in point 10). Journalistic output has a rather short half-life in my view. Just to represent the counterpoint, blogging is sometimes more entertaining when it breaks all the rules and is wonderfully amateur.
  • As a blogger, I appreciate Anita's advice. I have always had less respect for writers who have poor grammar and spelling. She points this out nicely:

    "Precision helps you gain respect and legitimacy because is shows you’re taking your writing and reporting seriously, even if you’re writing humor. At the very least, consult a dictionary, thesaurus and grammar book. All the Web site flash and dazzle in the world won’t cover up poor writing riddled with spelling and grammar mistakes. Trust me: If there’s one typo, one spelling error, someone is going to call you stupid."

    Of course, she makes a typo in that very paragraph. It drives home to me the point of legitimacy. Practice what you preach and be authentic, or I, as a reader, lose respect for you and what you're doing. One easy mistake like this one is not a huge deal, but if I see more than one, then I just know the person is not taking the time to proof their own copy, which screams amateur.
  • I had to read the graph again to catch the capitalized "I" you're speaking of. Make no mistake: copyediting standards for blogs are lower than for print media. It's just not reasonable to hold bloggers to the same standards as journals which have a second set of eyes at play.
  • joan lorimier
    Anita: It isn't brain surgery. Get over it.
  • Deb Lawley
    I have generally found that articles in Gannett newspapers are rarely up-front about their agenda; they are rarely objective; and they frequently sacrifice veracity in order to make their point. Our local newspapers are all owned by Gannett, and they regularly misquote, misstate, and mangle stories. As for journalism in general, the lack of spelling, grammar, and understanding of vocabulary makes me cringe.
    While it's true that many bloggers don't adhere to Anita's standards, many journalists don't either. And let's remember that journalists, theoretically, have formal training, professional editors, fact-checkers, copy-editors, and a support organization. They also get paid to do this. For bloggers, it's usually a solo operation, and it isn't their day-job. They do it because the media giants like Gannett don't want to tell the story the bloggers want to tell.
  • Great post full of good information. My paid journalism differs from my blog posts in that the latter tend not to put the "who, why, what, where, when" at the forefront. I'm going to try to be more consistent with this after reading the poat.

    Thanks again (from the UK).
  • ... or even ... "post" ... "three months editing" ... !!!
  • Good site!
    http://www.youtube.com/coleporter78 buy cheap valtrex online
  • jorge caseiro
    hi anita
    im sorry but nowadays it seems that there´s no difference betwen bloggers and journalists, with the last descending to the former´s level. this rises the question, what are good journalists dooing now?bloggers on the other hand are web like content: it goes with the wind and most times can not be trusted.but can we trust what we read in the papers??
  • I partly agree with Jorge. Bloggers tend to have few ethical concerns or grasp of journalistic basics. However, redundant journalists are more likely to become PR officers - lol! - and let's face the truth that many journos are towing an establishment line required by their proprietors and advertisers ...
  • Great article! BUT did anyone else notice this, "Precision helps you gain respect and legitimacy because is shows you’re taking your writing and reporting seriously, even if you’re writing humor."

    I'm very detail oriented and noticed that "is" should be "it". =p It's just ironic.

    Anyways, good info.
  • hannry
    hey anita i like your way of expression of things and it is really great story thank for the information
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