This collection of original essays addresses a number of questions seeking to increase our understanding of the role of blogs in the contemporary media landscape. It takes a provocative look at how blogs are reshaping culture, media, and politics while offering multiple theoretical perspectives and methodological approaches to the study.
Americans are increasingly turning to blogs for news, information, and entertainment. But what is the content of blogs? Who writes them? What is the consequence of the population's growing dependence on blogs for political information? What are the effects of blogging? Do readers trust blogs as credible sources of information?
The volume includes quantitative and qualitative studies of the blogosphere, its contents, its authors, and its networked connections. The readers of blogs are another focus of the collection: how are blog readers different from the rest of the population? What consequences do blogs have for the lives of everyday people? Finally, the book explores the ramifications of the blog phenomenon on the future of traditional media: television, newspapers, and radio.
Preface Introduction Examining the Blog-Media Relationship Mark Tremayne Part One: Blogging: Research on blogging using content analysis
A Longitudinal Content Analysis of Blogs: 2003-2004
Susan C. Herring, Lois Ann Scheidt, Inna Kouper and Elijah Wright
Audiences as Media Producers: A Content Analysis of 260 Blogs
Zizi Papacharissi
Pundits in Muckrakers' Clothing: Political Blogs and the 2004 U.S. Presidential Election
D. Travers Scott
Analyzing Political Conversation on the Howard Dean Candidate Blog
Sharon Meraz
Blogging for Better Health: Putting the 'Public' Back in Public Health
S. Shyam Sundar, Heidi Hatfield Edwards, Yifeng Hu, and Carmen Stavrositu Part Two: Citizenship: Examining blog use, antecedents and consequences
Reading Political Blogs During the 2004 Election Campaign: Correlates & Consequences William P. Eveland, Jr. and Ivan Dylko
Blog Use Motivations: An Exploratory Study
Barbara Kaye
Credibility of Political Messages on the Internet: A Comparison of Blog Sources
Lynda Lee Kaid and Monica Postelnicu
Blog Readers: Predictors of Reliance on War Blogs
Thomas Johnson and Barbara Kaye Part Three: The Future of Media: Examining the Impact of Blogging on Journalism
Protection in the Blogosphere: Applying a Functional Definition of 'Press' to Blogs
Laura Hendrickson
Blogs Without Borders: International Legal Jurisdiction Issues Facing Bloggers
Brian Carroll and Bob Frank
Emergent Communication Networks as Civic Journalism
Lou Rutigliano
Citizen Journalism: A Case Study
Clyde Bentley, Brian Hamman, Jeremy Littau, Hans Meyer, Brendan Watson and Beth Welsh
Harnessing the Active Audience: Synthesizing Blog Research and Lessons for the Future of Media
Mark Tremayne Contributors Index
