Kwami Ahiabenu,II President

International Institute for ICT Journalism(penplusbytes)kwami@penplusbyte.org

www.knowledgechief.blogspot.com

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 • 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

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

Types of Blog Content – archeology to zoology Mode of content delivery -

video/photo/micro/mobile blogs/talking blogs Authoring – single vrs collaborative

blogging/anonymousCommunities - Directory –connects bloggers

Blog content Text vrs multimedia User generated content/community-created

content.Aggregation serviceLinks LabelsComments

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

J Blogs Landscape in West Africa

Individual journalist blogs top the list Media houses blogs are difficult to findSome 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 AfricaA 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

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.

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/

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.

Thank You

Kwami Ahiabenu,II kwami@penplusbytes.net

www.penplusbytes.net www.penplusbytes.blogspot.com