"Another way to spell conversation is b-l-o-g"....

...said Tom Curley, Präsident und CEO, The Associated Press on the Online News Association Conference on the 12 November 2004. Well then...let´s b-l-o-g about weblogs and the blogosphere from a scientific standpoint. Readers and writers as well as links from the academic world a more than welcome to further educate german bloggers and the public on the subject of weblogs. In my opinion blogs will have a strong impact on the way we communicate. Especially journalists and journalism as a social function will be influenced by the blogospehre thus transforming traditional functions of journalists such as research, selection, validation, editing, information, entertainment and orientation. There will be a shift from the more information oriented journalism to a form of background journalism. Recently I provided an article concerning the threats of blogging to journalism in the online magazine of "Die Gegenwart" - an online magazine on journalism and new media. In addition to that I am working on a new article together with a colleague of mine - Oliver Quiring - concerning weblogs which is currently being reviewed by the editors of "Der Fachjournalist". The article is more a less a commentary on the good introductory article on weblogs by Sven Przepiorka who is also working on a Ph.D. thesis on weblogs.