Should journalists play bloggers?

Over lunch some time back, I had a conversation with two other journalists about the role of reporters who double up as bloggers. Should we, or shouldn't we allow ourselves to blog in our capacity as journalists? Do we need to differentiate blogs from news articles, and if we do, how should we go about doing that?

My take on blogs is that they are like a lighter version--or as I like to call it, a "lite version"--of commentary or opinion pieces. Blogs are usually less serious, the tone used is typically more casual and light-hearted, and they are comparably shorter--and briefer--than traditional commentaries.

I should add that this description is based solely on my personal approach to blogging, as well as on my capacity as a journalist. Obviously, not all bloggers share the same view nor would they blog the same way.

Blogs on ZDNet Asia are demarcated clearly. They are hosted on a designated section--aptly called "Blogs", duh--and the way blogs are displayed on our site is different from how news articles are presented.

Despite these efforts, there've been times when I would receive e-mail messages from people referring to a recent blog I posted as a "news article".

While I make the same efforts--as I do with a news article--to ensure the statements in my blogs are factually correct, my blogs also carry a mish-mash of personal opinions and ideologies. In contrast, the news articles I write do not necessarily reflect my personal views and merely mirror the insights of the spokespersons or companies I interviewed.

So, it worries me when readers freely interchange their reference of blogs and news articles because they could very well then regard my personal opinions as facts. As much as the narcissist in me value them, my views as merely that--mine, and mine alone.

The issue is further exacerbated with the growing attention on citizen journalism, where even ordinary bloggers can be regarded as journalists. With the line blurring between blogging and traditional journalism, it could become increasingly difficult for some people to recognize the difference between blogs penned by professional journalists and those posted by non-journalists.

But, should that matter? I'd say yes, primarily because journalists are expected to remain credible and maintain a high level of integrity--qualities that not all in the blogosphere are required to subscribe to. And if the general public is unable to distinguish blogs written by journalists and non-journalists, it's something I would be concerned about.

Should journalists then refrain from blogging? Not really. There are still interesting behind-the-scenes facts that we can share from our interviews, that we wouldn't normally disclose in a news article but would be perfect for a blogging platform.

For instance, I wouldn't say in my article about Google CIO Douglas Merrill that the guy liked my watch, but I would in a blog. Okay, so it isn't exactly an interesting piece of behind-the-scenes fact, but it gave me the opportunity to shamelessly plug my story. So, go read it!