Kwami Ahiabenu,II President International Institute for ICT Journalism(penplusbytes) [email_address] www.knowledgechief.blogspot.com

LOCAL CONTENT Blogs present to us a quick easy inexpensive means of populating the internet with local content

Blogs present to us a quick easy inexpensive means of populating the internet with local content

In this presentation Introduction – Impact of ICT on the media/New media /web 2.0 What is blogging/ why blog /Types of blogs Content J blogs landscape in West Africa Future of j blogs in West Africa Challenges Recommendation Conclusion

Introduction – Impact of ICT on the media/New media /web 2.0

What is blogging/ why blog /Types of blogs

Content

J blogs landscape in West Africa

Future of j blogs in West Africa

Challenges

Recommendation

Conclusion

Introduction ICT and the media are in a perfect marriage ? The landscape of the media is rapidly changing due to ICT online edition of the Wall Street Journal.com is more profitable than the print version http://www.mediabistro.com/articles/cache/a4349.asp New Media is now the norm Web 2.0/social networking is making this field more interesting One of the exciting tools of Web 2.0 is blogging Citizen blogger vrs Journalist blogger

ICT and the media are in a perfect marriage ?

The landscape of the media is rapidly changing due to ICT

online edition of the Wall Street Journal.com is more profitable than the print version http://www.mediabistro.com/articles/cache/a4349.asp

New Media is now the norm

Web 2.0/social networking is making this field more interesting

One of the exciting tools of Web 2.0 is blogging

Citizen blogger vrs Journalist blogger

What is blogging and why blog Technical definition –The term blog is a blend of the terms web and log , leading to web log , weblog , and finally blog . Empowerment Dialogue -Conversation Democracy/ democratization of content Good governance – informed citizenry Innovation and Creativity Quality of journalism

Technical definition –The term blog is a blend of the terms web and log , leading to web log , weblog , and finally blog .

Empowerment

Dialogue -Conversation

Democracy/ democratization of content

Good governance – informed citizenry

Innovation and Creativity

Quality of journalism

Why blog New trends in journalism/experimentation Enormous efficiencies of online content delivery Blog to create buzz about online content Niche publishing Relative Unlimited space A perfect tool for breaking news Putting a face to content/interactivity

New trends in journalism/experimentation

Enormous efficiencies of online content delivery

Blog to create buzz about online content

Niche publishing

Relative Unlimited space

A perfect tool for breaking news

Putting a face to content/interactivity

Types of Blog Content – archeology to zoology Mode of content delivery - video/photo/micro/mobile blogs/talking blogs Authoring – single vrs collaborative blogging/anonymous Communities - Directory –connects bloggers

Content – archeology to zoology

Mode of content delivery - video/photo/micro/mobile blogs/talking blogs

Authoring – single vrs collaborative blogging/anonymous

Communities - Directory –connects bloggers

Blog content Text vrs multimedia User generated content/community-created content. Aggregation service Links Labels Comments

Text vrs multimedia

User generated content/community-created content.

Aggregation service

Links

Labels

Comments

Characteristics of blog Content Very good postings – original and created for blogs (writing for blogs is different) Advocacy content is limited Opinions Shoveling traditional content – edit it to make it look “digital” Dumping grounds for copy do not get published

Very good postings – original and created for blogs (writing for blogs is different)

Advocacy content is limited

Opinions

Shoveling traditional content – edit it to make it look “digital”

Dumping grounds for copy do not get published

J Blogs Landscape in West Africa Individual journalist blogs top the list Media houses blogs are difficult to find Some do not have website as well ironically blogs can give them quick inexpensive to publish their content online No J blogs association/movement Blogging equals Journalism? Debate is not hot yet

Individual journalist blogs top the list

Media houses blogs are difficult to find

Some do not have website as well ironically blogs can give them quick inexpensive to publish their content online

No J blogs association/movement

Blogging equals Journalism? Debate is not hot yet

J Blogs Landscape in West Africa A search on the Internet does not bring a lot of journalist blog up Nigeria – can said to have the highest number of bloggers in the region Places to find some of these blogs – penplusbytes, global voices, blog africa, afromix, Afrigator etc

A search on the Internet does not bring a lot of journalist blog up

Nigeria – can said to have the highest number of bloggers in the region

Places to find some of these blogs – penplusbytes, global voices, blog africa, afromix, Afrigator etc

Challenges Lack of Internet connectivity High cost of Access Lack of updates for existing blogs Low skills set and access to training Lack of newsroom policy for usage Absent of blogging culture and movement Perceived threat of blogs

Lack of Internet connectivity

High cost of Access

Lack of updates for existing blogs

Low skills set and access to training

Lack of newsroom policy for usage

Absent of blogging culture and movement

Perceived threat of blogs

Future of j blogs in west Africa Word is spreading round – ultimately increase in the quality and quantity of blogs Revenue stream will be develop from blogging Journalism schools are going to integrate blogging We are going to record more Issues in the area of blogging policy, ethics, regulation and law.

Word is spreading round – ultimately increase in the quality and quantity of blogs

Revenue stream will be develop from blogging

Journalism schools are going to integrate blogging

We are going to record more Issues in the area of blogging policy, ethics, regulation and law.

Recommendation Increase the number of j bloggers via training and media houses blogging as well Urgent need to aggregate j blogs in West Africa(“None of my clients want weblogs anymore, they all want aggregators.”) Ethics' and guidelines for j bloggers Special events blogging – elections etc Stimulating – regular posting via Awards Forming a network of journalists interested in blogging eg http://www.mediabloggers.org/

Increase the number of j bloggers via training and media houses blogging as well

Urgent need to aggregate j blogs in West Africa(“None of my clients want weblogs anymore, they all want aggregators.”)

Ethics' and guidelines for j bloggers

Special events blogging – elections etc

Stimulating – regular posting via Awards

Forming a network of journalists interested in blogging eg http://www.mediabloggers.org/

Conclusion Any journalist and media house worth his salt should take blogging seriously. This they can do by understanding the technology, its implications, challenges, develop strategies derive maximum benefits from blogging and more importantly invest time and resources in order to use it to improve the level of journalism in West Africa while increasing local content on the Internet.

Any journalist and media house worth his salt should take blogging seriously. This they can do by understanding the technology, its implications, challenges, develop strategies derive maximum benefits from blogging and more importantly invest time and resources in order to use it to improve the level of journalism in West Africa while increasing local content on the Internet.

Thank You Kwami Ahiabenu,II [email_address] www.penplusbytes.net www.penplusbytes.blogspot.com

Kwami Ahiabenu,II

[email_address]

www.penplusbytes.net

www.penplusbytes.blogspot.com