According to journalist Gina Chen, “news organizations need to embrace new media, change their thinking, improve their content, and innovate.” Most news organizations have done this, simply by entering into the blogosphere. The “blogs” page of the New York Times’ website is both easily accessible and well-organized. Current blogs are presented in alphabetical order, and most are constantly updated via RSS or ATOM feeds. Their topics represent a true variety, from “The Caucus,” which contains “News and notes from Washington government and in national politics,” to “The Pour,” in which wine critic Eric Asimov discusses, “the pleasure, culture and business of wine, beer and spirits.” This variety is made even more extensive through the use of opinion blogs, wisely kept separate from the others.
Within its blogs, the NYT takes advantage of many of those advantages that are innate within the blogosphere itself. Stories are reported almost as quickly as the news happens, with regular updates as more information becomes available. They are rich in media content, whether it is simply by linking to further information, or by using effective video, photos, or any other graphics. Bloggers take advantage of their ability to post “informed speculation” but also make sure to define it as such. Finally, the feedback that is so important to this free-flowing form is constantly encouraged, via links in every entry, inviting users to comment on, e-mail, print, or share. With such a formidable legacy publication, the New York Times might not be what comes to mind when you think of blogging…but as the blogosphere continues to grow in size and importance, this could very well change.
[...] I examined the blogging aspect of the publication, I noted how organized and easily accessible content was made to [...]