Blogs As Online Influencers

Today, bloggers are perceived as a lot more than just writers. In a world where so many people turn to the blog for advice, feedback, input, and commentary, bloggers are finding that not only are they writing for themselves, but many are also assuming the role of the journalist. In the past several years, a new style of news reporting has emerged: blogs are breaking news faster than traditional media outlets, and this is often because bloggers do not necessarily need to jump through the same editorial hoops as regular print publications. Today, due to the swiftness of news breaking via blogs, traditional media outlets are using blogs to supplement and support their own research.^[43] Indeed, the Internet has already taken over newspapers as the optimal news source,^[44] and traditional media journalists are finding that in order to thrive in this increasingly digital world, they must turn to the blogosphere for the latest news.