Many people think that blogs are online diaries where people share their thoughts and information about topics that interest them, but blogging is actually a great way for journalism students to practice writing and establish a web presence. Blogs keep stories alive by rotating and regurgitating them with fresh perspectives, insights, and even breaking news. Readers can hear our voices and personalities as journalism students through our blogs. Blogs have the potential to demonstrate that newspapers aren't enormous corporations, but rather a collaborative team of individuals with diverse viewpoints who have more in popular with their audience than they could potentially know from reading their published articles alone.
Students use blogging to convey and refine their
creativity. This can transform
an uninteresting paper into an enjoyable creative process. It allows students
to express themselves in their own unique way. Because blog posts are simple,
self-contained pieces that can be written in a short amount of time, they can
be completed in one sitting. A post can be written and published in a matter of
days, and the start writing cycle can be helpful in establishing and
maintaining a regular writing habit. One of the greatest benefits of blogging
is connecting with others. You don’t just grow some followers on social
networks or email lists. You build genuine relationships. You make friends with
people you wouldn’t have met otherwise.
Students can see their storytelling improve over the
duration of this course, guided by clear goals of what is needed in a class
blog. This handout
explains how to use blogs in the classroom as a writing tool. Blog posts are
more receptive to social media audiences than ads or sales pages, and blog
posts are also more likely to be shared with their links than ads or category
pages. You give yourself more to exchange on your social media profiles by
creating blog content, and you give your viewers something to share when they
visit your site by creating blog content. Sharing your content on social media
will expose people to your intended audience and drive more traffic to your
site.
