The term web log which is then abbreviated to blog is a website that deliver links and comments to other pages, and it is from this basis that modern blogs emerged (Riley, 2005). These blogs evolved into personal diaries or journals. Towards the end of the 20th century, hosted services such as Blogger and Wordpress allow any internet user to easily sign up, create a blog, and post numerous entries and thus, millions of weblogs have been created.
According to the Technorati State of Blogosphere 2008, all studies aiming at understanding the size of the blogosphere found that blogs are a global phenomenon and as of 2008, 184 million WW have started a blog, 346 million WW read blogs, and 77% internet users read blogs (Winn, 2009). In Europe, when blogs began mushrooming on the Internet in the mid-1990s, their practitioners are mostly caucasian male but women bloggers have been increasing, indicating a national trend in female social networking that has taken the interest of politicians, companies and the media who tackles the opportunity of buying and voting power of this demographic (Carpenter, 2007)
(source: www.chrisg.com)
Good (2005) stated that besides being instruments of personal expression and independent news reporting, blogs are effective vehicles of open conversation, promotion, PR, public awareness, analysis, project management and more. In the United States, socio-political blogs seem to be predominant in the massive blogosphere. Citizens turn to alternative media such as political blogs instead of the traditional media such as newspapers and news channels on television so they can get the whole side of the story, and the content is less bias compared to traditional news organizations and thus, they tend to think political blogs are more accurate. Davis (2009) established that there are predictions that blogs will challenge existing political institutions and by putting power in people's hands. Therefore, it is reasonable to say that political blogs upholds democracy and freedom of speech in the American context.
References
- Carpenter, M 2007, More women are entering the blogosphere-satirizing, sharing and sharing a key demographic, viewed 12 April 2010, <http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07304/829747-51.stm#>.
- Davis, R 2009, Typing politics: the role of blogs in american politics, viewed 12 April 2010, <http://books.google.com/books?id=PWZ2-5wla3MC&pg=PA187&dq=influence+of+political+blog&cd=2#v=onepage&q=influence%20of%20political%20blog&f=false>.
- Good, R 2005, Group and multi-user blog platforms compared, viewed 12 April 2010, <http://www.masternewmedia.org/news/2005/05/16/group_and_multiuser_blog_platforms.htm>.
- Riley, D 2005, A short history of blogging, viewed 12 April 2010, <http://www.blogherald.com/2005/03/06/a-short-history-of-blogging/>
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