Prof. Alfred Hermida presented his research into how the BBC has integrated blogging in its journalism at the 9th International Online Journalism Symposium at the University of Texas, Austin.
The paper, The BBC Goes Blogging: Is ‘Auntie’ Finally Listening?, is available for download as a PDF.
This study examines how the world’s largest news organization, the BBC, has sought to incorporate blogging in its journalism, both as a format for new journalistic thinking and as a platform for greater accountability and transparency.
The research covers a period of seven years, from 2001 to 2008, when the BBC came under intense scrutiny over its journalism and mechanisms for public accountability. It is based on an analysis of internal and public policy documents produced by the BBC, blog content on BBC and personal websites and the personal recollections of senior editors at the corporation.
The findings suggest that the BBC is approaching blogging as a tool to enhance trust with audiences through expanded transparency and accountability, in an attempt to transform its historical elitist attitude towards its audiences. But, at the same time, the BBC is grappling with fitting this online format within its long-established journalism norms and practices, seeking to normalize blogs within existing journalistic frameworks.
