The Blogosphere versus the Conventional Media: Competing for a More Informed Public

BTSU 315

The emergence of the internet and new media and communication technologies has raised concern about whether or not the blogosphere improves or threatens the accuracy of public opinion. Of specific interest to this paper is the blogosphere as an alternative to conventional media. Some scholars have criticized the epistemological merits of the blogosphere on grounds that it reduces accuracy of public opinion (Goldman, 2008) while others have argued that it does not have this effect but may actually improve accuracy of public opinion (Coady, 2011). I argue that the collective contents of the blogosphere tell us almost nothing about whether the blog actually improves the accuracy of public opinion. I also argue that another flaw in Coady;s case is that the virtues of the blogosphere depend on the conventional media, so any value brought forth by it can be traced back to conventional media. Therefore as the blogosphere grows and the conventional media shrinks, much of the value of the blog diminishes. Ultimately this will lead to a less informed public.