Blogosphere and public sphere

Can the blogosphere act as independent and impartial public sphere?
 

The blogosphere is made up with all the forms of blogs includes Google Blog and micro blog platforms such as Twitter and Sina microblog. ‘It also a term some writers have used to describe the grassroots and interactive journalism in blogs and the symbiotic relationship between bloggers and traditional journalists’ (Rouse, 2006). In general, blogosphere is the particular media form that allows users to post short or long texts, comment on others’ articles and share their interests in such a public sphere.

 

(This is the capture picture of my Twitter)

Public sphere defines as an area in social life that individuals can come together to discuss freely and identify social issues. Public sphere provides a site to let the publicity discuss with their thoughts and opinions. The audience will fully engage in the activities in public sphere by using various communication devices. In relating to blogosphere, it provides the entry in a wide range to those audiences and writers to assume people involve in the public discussion area independently.

Apparently, most bloggers like writing in personal and diary-style observations to record some interesting things during their social life looking forward comments. ‘But when they write about politics, bloggers tend to focus on issues within their own country, and are more often than not critical of domestic political leaders’ (Etling etc, 2009). This is true because domestic bloggers are more likely to stand for their country policy and political leaders due to their growing background, and be more affected by the native situations. In that case, blogosphere could not act in an impartial way because of the various blog writers are in different country background. Additionally, when people talk about foreign political issues, they may not give a just view in terms of they focus less on international news partly, and easily be influenced by others’ opinions.

Blogosphere gives a free media platform to arouse people independent ideas, opinions even critical judgments in some popular news. However, with some sensitive political issues, there still exists a part of limitations due to some particular policy in some countries. For example, in China, any articles associating with the seditious speech or reactionary doctrine are be banned in discussion in public sphere also includes those public blogs.      

 Reference

Rouse, M 2006, ‘Blogosphere’, Retrieved on March 2006, <http://searchsoa.techtarget.com/definition/blogosphere >.

Etling, B Kelly, J Faris R and Palfrey J 2009, ‘Mapping the Arabic Blogosphere: Politics, Culture and Dissent’, Berkman Center for Internet and Society, Harvard University <http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/publications/2009/Mapping_the_Arabic_Blogosphere >.

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