Monday, May 7, 2007

If a blog is a journal, can a journal have a blog? Can a journal have a blog?  I guess so. The "Bill Moyers Journal" program on PBS, at least. It has a companion blog, which Moyers' video introduction defines as more of a discussion forum for viewers of the show "to join the dialogue." It's not his personal blog, but he promises, "From time to time I'll be weighing in myself."  The blog previews upcoming programs as well as hosting discussions after a show. For example, his "Open-source journalism" discussion on participatory online reporting already had a few dozen comments when I got around to it, as well as links to places like a Salon item from 1999, in which Andrew Leonard combined the computer world's "open source" term with "journalism" to describe  the reporting/discussion combination at sites like Slashdot. (I also associate the term, and the combination of blog previews of broadcasts, with Christopher Lydon's fusion of blog, podcast and NPR talk show, RadioOpenSource.) Farther from the self-reflection about blogging and journalism, more than 1,000 viewers joined a followup discussion of the Moyers Journal Buying the War episode. It also gives Moyers a place to respond to critics, complete with reference to a transcript of the broadcast. The biggest draw was a Q&A session with Knight Ridder (now McClatchy) reporters Jonathan Landay and Warren Strobel, whose reporting was featured in "Buying the War," attracted quite a discussion. (There's plenty to talk about; along with the blog, Buying the War had online supplements, including a pre-war media slide show, interactive timeline and an article library of news stories leading up to the invasion of Iraq.) Moyers April 26 interview with Jon Stewart is another favorite at the blog discussion, with 91 comments, and new viewers finding the video in the program's online archive weeks later. I do see some room for improvement. Maybe I just haven't used the site enough, but I've gotten a little confused finding my way from archived video to text transcript, blog discussion and follow-up items. Anyhow, with all of this PBS video and discussion online, I'm thankful that I have a whole summer to catch up with what I've missed during a busy semester. (And if the news gets depressing, I can go find the online episodes of Lost.) 6:03:33 PM    comment []

© Copyright 2008 Bob Stepno. Last update: 7/19/08; 1:21:02 PM.