Blogs are here to stay

Religion blogs are no longer a just new trend but have matured.  Whilst they have a growing influence, they are still relatively underutilised especially in modern religious discussion, according to a study of the religious blogosphere by the Social Science Research Council (SSRC) in America.

The term blog originates from the words 'web' and 'log' and is an online journal or commentary by an individual or organisation on a variety of subjects and issues.  Readers can respond online and create a discussion or dialogue.

SSRC publicised the study on its own blogsite The Immanent Frame, and stated that blogs are responsible for a whole new set of conversations about religion in public life and represent a tremendous opportunity for publication, discussion, cross-fertilisation and critique of a kind never seen before.

"In principle, at least, the Internet offers an opportunity to break down old barriers and engender new communities.  While the promise is vast, the actuality is only what those taking part happen to make of it," say the authors.

The study includes a survey of around 100 top blogs involved in discussions about religion.  It reports that only a decade since first user-friendly blog, the blogosphere has become one of the eminent spaces for serious public discourse in the online world.  The blogs thrive on quick opinions, a minute-to-minute news cycle and public exchanges with one another.

Religious leaders, communities and individuals use blogs to share insights and build networks.  For example, blogs like BeliefNet, the more conservative GetReligion, and political, Talk to Action, helped rouse the religious left leading up to the 2008 USA elections.

When asked about motivation for blogging, most interviewees said they were seeking neither money nor notoriety they simply saw a need.  Some people, like religion reporters and academicians, reluctantly took blogging up as a necessary evil and learned to enjoy it.  After the initial push to get started, bloggers have to be motivated to keep writing day after day, but the blog's community and personal drive keep them going.

Because of their ease of use, blogs have shaped public discourse in society as a whole and around religious questions in particular, the study says.  As religion coverage at many national and regional media organisations has been cut back due to budget constraints, journalists increasingly look to Internet sources to fill the void.  However in the virtual world there is a thin line between journalism and editorialising.

by Ann Marie Foley