Global Blogging

This picture - taken at yesterday's Anoniblog workshop - wound up in today's Tennessean. (The article didn't actually discuss what we were talking about in the workshop but rather gave a basic introduction to what blogs are and how they relate to journalism.)

I thought this morning's Global Voices session went pretty well. I started by talking about how - according to initial findings by my colleague Ethan Zuckerman - the American blogosphere actually talks about less of the world than the mainstream media does.

Here's a map that came out of Ethan's research from last year. Countries in red were better represented in the blogosphere than in Google news (which last year was mainly mainstream media news sources) Countries in blue, were less well represented in the blogosphere than in the mainstream media. (UPDATE: Ethan has a new post with more research on this issue.)

Why don't American bloggers link very much to bloggers around the world? People in the room suggested there are 2 main reasons: One reason is that they don't know where to find the good blogs from other countries - unless Instapundit or somebody has linked to them. Another reason is that people don't have enough context or knowledge about events going on in foreign countries to blog about them.

The Global Voices project, with our Index and Aggregator, is trying to provide a solution to the first problem. The other problem has to do with lack of context. How do you get people linking to fascinating posts on Armenian or Bahraini blogs when they have no context about the situations in Armenia and Bahrain? This is more difficult and there are no clear solutions. One idea that came up in the session would be for bloggers who blog for global audiences to provide links on their sites where people can go for more information about their country - and recent news about their country. The GV wiki should probably do a better job in providing links to reliable contextual information.

Dave Winer says he would very much like to help out by organizing "blog tours" for A-list bloggers to go to various countries and report on them from a personal perspective. I think this is great. I also think that if A-list bloggers have face-to-face meetings with local bloggers in different countries, they'll wind up linking to them more frequently over time.

Technorati: blognashville

Comments

[Cottontimer]

The whole concept of linking to international blogs is very interesting. You seem to focus more on political blogs, but considering that most blogs are personal, self-center, and journal-like, I think it's just as important to get people to look outside of themselves and the world.

From the personal blog perspective, I have been successful at this by making the first contact either by leaving comments on others' blogs or posting in forums. I'm a Chinese-American blogging in Vietnam and I'm proud to have readers from all over the world; UK, Germany, Singapore, U.S.,....

It's not just the A-list bloggers who have a chance at encouraging the development of a global blogosphere.

[Frankenstein]

Dave's gonna pay for these tours, right?

[Rebecca MacKinnon]

Good question, Frankenstein! I definitely have no money to pay him!!

[Black River Eagle]

When I think about the blogs listed in my blogroll there is no excess of American blog authors or subject matter there, but I could be wrong. I don't think that authors and readers of blogs in the Blogosphere worldwide are overwhelmed by American bloggers or worried if "A List" bloggers are linking to them or not. People active in the Blogosphere are focused on what they are focused on and not too worried about the numbers (statistics).

I'm an American who has been abroad for way too long (Rebecca may be able to relate to that feeling). I live and work in Germany but write mainly about news and issues in Africa and how they affect the world as a whole. One reason I focus on Africa is because we all need to focus more on Africa and the rest of the developing world, plus Africa is interesting and African blog authors and their readers are very active in the Blogosphere.

I started my blog to encourage some young people down in Uganda to use weblogs to better express themselves on the Net. That didn't happen unfortunately, but something much bigger and better happened. All of Africa and much of the rest of the world started talking back to me and other authors, and speaking up loud and clear.

I think that we blog authors around the world who are aware of the Global Voices project and the Berkman Center and blogger seminars i.e. Blognashville benefit a great deal from what you write and are trying to do. It is just that it is very difficult for many to research and write well AND to follow the latest news and developments in blogging.

So my suggestion would be to give it time and see how it shapes up, the Blogosphere is still young. Some of "My Fellow Americans" may wise-up soon enough and realize that the train has left the station while they were busy profiling for fame and attention.

In the end, it should be the interesting and fascinating writing, audio, and video presentations via weblogs that win the day in the Blogosphere. I doubt very much that this will be dominated by American bloggers.

Sorry about the long-winded comment and for not getting to my point quickly.

[Evelyn Rodriguez]

Like Cottontimer, I have readers from all over the world. However, I feel as if I should "write what I know" which means writing from the locality I'm based in and from my personal experience.

I love the Global Voices idea because you bring global voices to our awareness. We don't need A-list bloggers to filter the world for us - rather I'd be more interested in bloggers going out on a "blog evangelism" tour to help locals do their own blogging in their own voice and from their perspective.

BTW, I'm working on a blogging project year-end to have a group of citizen journalists (i.e. aid workers, survivors) revisit the tsunami-struck countries for an anniversary fundraising and media tour. Collective attention will be back on the region on Dec 26, 2005 and memories will be stirred. However, it's an area not quite up-to-snuff on tech, but I'd love to have locals participate. I've found telling your own story and the act of writing, in my experience, is much more rewarding and healing than having it reported.

[Anna in Calif]

How do you get people linking to fascinating posts on Armenian or Bahraini blogs when they have no context about the situations in Armenia and Bahrain?"

"Sister blogs", akin to sister cities?

BTW you're aware of Doug McGill's blog on "Illuminating links between local and global life", right?

(sorry...just can't say that other word...)

[Librarian]

we are an international group blog very new, very small, probably 30% US, 25% UK, 15% other (Italy, Germany, Hong Kong, Netherlands, Switzerland, some others) and the rest we don't know from where.

we talk politics, events & issues, but also some about cultural and life comparison.

we can give each other the context for events that are lacking when you live far away.

you are welcome to visit, link:

New International Times
http://www.newinternationaltimes.com/