Comments on "The Weblog Handbook," and an attempt to justify having one of these blog things

As a new blogger, I have (as you can probably tell) a rather weak sense of what a blog actually consists of, and am still somewhat unsure why someone like me would have one. (If you do not know already, this blog is a requirement for a class I am taking at Bemidji State University.) In Rebecca Blood's "The Weblog Handbook," she makes a statement that I found rather interesting. It is as follows:

"One of the strengths of the weblog is its ability to contextualize information by juxtaposing complementary or oppositional documents and information. The Web allows easy access to numerous documents from a single source. When highlighting an interesting article, the weblogger can attach a primary source, a related news story, or a contrasting interpretation simply by adding a link."

"Too often, mass media represent only the views of the powerful, ignore important context, or even misunderstand crucial facts."

A blog, accompanied with the power of the Internet, equips the average intellectual, (or the less-than-average intellectual, as the case may be) with the tools needed to publicly support or attack almost any claim or position, with decent credibility. As a student of journalism, I find this quite interesting. With the terrible homogenization of news that has come about due to media consolidation, this kind of tool is invaluable. The news community could use a system of "checks and balances" if you will, and blogs could definitely provide some accountability in that arena.

Well, with that said, maybe I shall use by blogging powers for good rather than evil, to battle poor and inaccurate journalism. I could take on the world with one of these things! Or I could continue to post whatever random thought that happens to pop into my head while I am staring at the "create post" screen, with absolutely no direction in mind. Hmmm.... I'll have to get back to you on that one.