THE DIGITAL ERA BLURS THE LINES BETWEEN A JOURNALIST AND A BLOGGER

 Calling a typical blogger a journalist is like calling anyone who takes a snapshot a photographer. With the advent of computer-based communication technology and mushrooming of digital media, the distinction between a journalist and a blogger has been blurred. The internet has been inundated by bloggers to the extent of almost eclipsing the reputable profession of Journalism. Unlike the past, bloggers are growing in popularity than journalists in Cameroon. The journalists thriving in this ecosystem are the ones drifting towards blogging. Although blogging and journalism overlap; entail publishing articles and reports, there are fundamental differences between the two. Generally, a blogger is not necessarily a journalist but a journalist can be a blogger. However, bloggers can play a dynamic role as citizen journalists. Citizen journalism is a kind of journalism or reporting carried out by common citizens, predominantly on the internet. Mimi Mefo Info and ADE Divine are quintessential of a journalistically-oriented platforms. Journalists are professionally trained to collect and evaluate information on events and stories relevant to the requirements of the audience. Bloggers may use casual and informal tones in reporting news or presenting information. They have the flexibility to be satirical and lose whereas a journalist remains within the confines of his job ethics. Some bloggers are not abreast with independent verification of information and data. Sometimes when bloggers give an opinion about a subject, readers often say it’s unprofessionalism, oblivious to the fact that bloggers are free to give personal views. A blogger can be neutral or subjective and objective while a journalist by principle is supposed to be objective and fair. The burden of truthfulness and verification lies on the shoulder of a journalist while a blogger may publish rumors and gossip regardless of the source. NexDim Empire for instance is more drifted towards journalistic practices but wears the flexible hat of a blogger in illustrating some worldviews. Journalists do not just rely on information culled from internet sources but they investigate their sources to the hindmost. Digital media is slowly diffusing blogging to the detriment of journalism. Journalist their place dey ! Penned by NexDim #nexdimempire