The Huffington Post is the future of journalism.
OK, this might be a bit of a sweeping statement. However, the Huffington Post is an extremely successful blog that reaches a large audience, and functions as a "newspaper of the Internet," linking together various sites and related topics. How does this work?
1. Main page with breaking stories of the day
2. Entertainment on the front page
3. Multiple sections
4. A combination of articles from elite media and blogger opinion.
I explained this layout in one of my original posts, but after learning a bit more, it seems that this structure is particularly important in the context of the main stream media today.
In The Rise of the Blogosphere, Aaron Barlow writes that as media conglomerates formed, an increased emphasis on the bottom line led to an increased emphasis on entertainment. This entertainment took shape through both "frivolous" stories (116) and pundits, who "do everything they can to fuel discord, knowing that it will bring viewers" (127). Understandably, while this made news more entertaining, it seriously undermined the American public's opinion of the elite media.
In the meantime, blogs arose. Among them? Blogs focused on funny stories, "living," and celebrity gossip; right and left of center blogs focused on pundit-like entertainment; and, most importantly for those in search of "real" news, literally hundreds of blogs providing in-depth coverage of every topic under the sun. Granted, some of these blogs may be written by amateurs (an argument the main stream media harps upon). But there are more than a few blogs written by "professionals," by magazine editors, and even by former journalists.
The Huffington Post incorporates all of this. It has various sections, multiple bloggers, links to the main stream media, and above all, provides entertainment. If Arianna Huffington (granted: she IS incredibly wealthy, well-educated, and has worked with the media before... but still!) could pull this together, how have none of the media conglomerates figured out how to make this work?! Perhaps the most baffling part about this process is how the elite media first dismissed blogs, then saw them as competition, and only NOW are starting to realize their importance (although grudgingly). It seems like a pool of highly engaged, educated writers (of course, not all are, but there are many!) who frequently work based on their passions and not for money would be an incredible resource to incorporate into the elite media.
In Blogging, Citizenship, and the Future of Media, Mark Tremayne writes that "blogging, at least in its current incarnation, will not replace the functions of traditional journalism" (268). I agree - to an extent. If elite networks or newspapers find a way to feature bloggers for "pundit" opinion and entertainment while focusing their resources and expertise on in-depth, investigative coverage that an independent blogger might not be able to provide, the elite media could certainly recouperate much of its esteem. However, if they continue to fight against the tide, so to speak, we may see drastic changes in the years to come.
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