The Blogging Journalist

Is the International Blogosphere the Big Growth Area?

While reading PodTech founder and former Chief Executive Officer John Furrier's December 22, 2007, post headlined "Blognation Editors Will Survive - Tris Joins Jeremy at B5media," I was struck by the following observation:

The blogosphere has been experiencing ’civil war’ lately.  In my opinion this is  ‘growing pains’ due to a huge surge of growth coming.   I believe that the blogosphere is about to break out and grow exponentially in the next 24 months.  International is the big growth area.  The world is flat.  That’s where it’s heading then I wonder what the A-list will look like?

"When I talk about the blogosphere," explains Furrier. "I’m not talking about just content bloggers but I’m talking about infrastructure. Blogging networks are infrastructure based not content based." While I'm not informed enough to debate whether "Blogging networks are infrastructure based not content based," I do believe, as Furrier says, "...that the blogosphere is about to break out and grow exponentially in the next 24 months." I've come across many, well-written blogs on a variety of subjects while traversing the blogosphere.

I'm really impressed with what I see coming out of Europe and Asia. I think that's where we will see a lot growth among folks interested in more than casual blogging and keeping an online journal. Of course I have no concrete evidence, just a hunch.

By the way, the Tris referenced in Furrier's post is Tris Hussey and Jeremy is Jeremy Wright of B5Media.

Technorati Tags: John Furrier, Tris Hussey, Jeremy Wright, B5Media

The Scott Thomas Beauchamp Affair

Some of the commentary I've read in response to "Shock Troops, an article in the 93-year old  New Republic magazine by U.S. soldier Scott Thomas Beauchamp, the publication's  Baghdad Diarist and "a member of Alpha Company, 1/18 Infantry, Second Brigade Combat Team, First Infantry Division,"  reminds me of some of the venomous blog commentary that was common leading up to and after the U.S. invasion and occupation of Iraq. 

Now Beauchamp has come in for his share of criticism for daring to offer observations about the war that doesn't conform with views held by some of his critics. According to Wikipedia, "The veracity of these entries has been called into question by The Weekly Standard, the National Review, and some milbloggers, as well as SFC Hatley in Iraq, who is reported to be Beauchamp's NCO."

I won't sum up the dispute but offer a few links so you can follow the debate for yourself, if you are so inclined.

Blog Commentary I Recommend on the Beauchamp Affair

ABC News: Who Is the 'Baghdad Diarist'? --- by Marcus Baram, July 25, 2007, ABC News

The ‘Scott Thomas’ affair --- July 26, 2007, The Carpetbagger Report 

Doubts Raised on Magazine’s ‘Baghdad Diarist’ --- Louise Story, July 26, 2007, The New York Times

Army Private Discloses He Is New Republic's Baghdad Diarist --- by Howard Kurtz, July 27, 2007, The Washington Post

Scott Thomas” steps out of the shadows --- by Michelle Malkin, July 26, 2007, Michelle Malkin

Punishing Scott Thomas Beauchamp by Jon Swift, July 26, 2007, Jon Swift

Reacting To Scott Thomas Beauchamp --- by Hugh Hewitt, July 26, 2007, Hugh Hewitt.com

So Should Scott Thomas Face Charges? --- by Good Lt., July 26, 2007, The JaWa Report

The Scott Thomas affair at New Republic -- maybe a different take -- by John Barnes' Amazon Blog, July 24, 2007

Private Scott Thomas Beauchamp -- still wondering about the MFA --- by Laughing Wolf, July 26, 2007, The Black Five

Scott Thomas Beauchamp is married to New Republic reporter-researcher, Elspeth Reeve.! --- by Mrs Greyhawk, July 27, 2007, The Mudville Gazette

Technorati tags: Scott Thomas Beauchamp, New Republic, Baghdad Diarist, Shock Troops, Iraq War Debate

CPJ Wants Investigation Into Beating of Two NY Times Staffers

Back on December 22, 2006, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) called "for a full investigation into the detention of New York Times photographer Akhtar Soomro and the beating of [New York Times] reporter Carlotta Gall in Pakistan on December 19," 2006.

To read more, please see "New York Times reporter and photographer harassed and detained in Pakistan."

32 Journalists Killed In Iraq So Far This Year

I forgot to mention this back on December 21, 2006. Jemima Kiss, one of my favorite bloggers reported at MediaGuardian.co.uk that Iraq was the deadliest country in the world for journalists in 2006, with 32 killed in the Middle Eastern state, according to a study."

"It is the fourth consecutive year that Iraq has been the deadliest place for journalists to work,"  she noted. The above-mentioned study was "compiled by the US-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ)," according to Kiss. It "details the murders of 55 journalists killed around the world during the course of their work this year."

To read more, please see "Iraq 'deadliest place for journalists.' Also see CPJ's "In Iraq, journalist deaths spike to record in 2006.

Wounded CBS Correspondent Kimberly Dozier Making Progress

CBS News correspondent Kimberly Dozier, the only survivor of a three-person CBS News crew hit  Memorial Day 2006 by a car bomb in Baghdad, looks back on the six months since the attack in a December 21, 2006, post headlined "Emerging From A Nightmare. It's good to know she's improving.

The AP: Fewer Reporters Embedded In Iraq

According to Associated Press correspondents Lee Keath and Robert H. Reid, "The number of embedded journalists reporting alongside U.S. troops in Iraq has dropped to its lowest level of the war even as the conflict heats up on the streets of Baghdad and in the U.S. political campaign."

"In the past few weeks," they reported from Baghdad this weekend, "the number of journalists reporting assigned to U.S. military units in Iraq has settled to below two dozen. Late last month, it fell to 11, its lowest, and has rebounded only slightly since."

To read more about this development, see their October 15, 2006, report at seattlepi.com headlined "Fewer reporters embedded in Iraq.

Technorati tags: Iraq war, embedded journalists, The Associated Press, Lee Keath and Robert H. Reid