Off The Written Path

What’s the name of your blog? You don’t have one? Slacker. That’s right, in Chapter 2 of “JournalismNext,” Mark Briggs insists that “Every college journalist should have a blog.” Not just any blog, but a good blog.

What is a blog? Well, in my view it’s true information democracy. As Briggs says, anyone can publish with the click of a mouse. Briggs gives some straight forward advice for getting started, or if you do have a blog, he gives advice on how to make your blog better.

First things first. According to Briggs:

• Learn. Understand the blogging language
• Plan. What will be the name of your blog? Is there a catchphrase that can sum up what your blog is about? What is your mission statement, i.e. why does your blog exist?
• Choose. What blog system will you use? Will your blog be hosted by WordPress or Blogger?
• Customize. Make your blog your own. Pick a theme and enhance your layout; add a blogroll, widgets or RSS feeds.

Ultimately, you need people to read your blog. Briggs also goes in-depth on how to build your audience. The most important things he suggests are:

• Publish often, and make it interesting
• Grab attention with your post headlines
• Be part of your blog’s community

Once you have those basics down, Briggs suggests that you should continually look for ways to improve your blog and connect with your audience. Briggs reminds us that a blog is simply another way to transmit news and information, and it can be influential or boring–it’s all up to you.