March 29, 2004

Blog coverage

Posted by Eszter

For the data geeks in the audience, here’s an updated version of the graph I created last year (see disclaimers there) tracking the coverage of the word “weblog” and “blog” in 47 US and international (English-language) dailies. Of course, this doesn’t mean too much except that the term and the artifact of blogging is diffusing in mainstream media coverage (notice the change in the ratio of the two words). It is unclear, for example, how often journalists in such newspapers acknowledge blogs as sources of information when they get a story or an idea from them. That would be something interesting to look at, but would require much more work than running some queries on Lexis-Nexis and may also involve collecting some qualitative data. Since this is not part of my research, I’m going to leave detailed investigations to others.

Posted on March 29, 2004 09:14 PM UTC
Comments

Dunno if this is the earliest cite (online OED may tell ya, sense 2, per a.f.u.; my access is unattainably devoid), but your “1995-1997” (0,0) may be superfluous.

Posted by nnyhav · March 29, 2004 10:19 PM

I have grad student-type friends, and almost none of them read blogs. A few have faintly heard of the concept.

But I believe that a year from now, all will have heard the term, and many will read blogs occasionally. It’s definitely coming.

But five years further out, who can predict? The medium might change completely.

Posted by belaborer · March 29, 2004 10:26 PM

I think it’s worth noting when it was still 0/0, but I have no idea why I picked 1995 as the first year to check when I started all this last year. That does seem a bit arbitrary. It should either start at 1993 (Web history) or just say 1997. I’ll try to remember next year when I update this.. if I ever do.

Posted by eszter · March 29, 2004 10:26 PM

Belaborer - I think a very small percentage of the general Internet user population even knows what blogs are never mind actually reads them. It would be interesting to see survey data on this, but I know of none. I’m about to put a survey in the field and I wish I had more resources to explore this question a bit, but as I said, this isn’t the focus of my research and so it’s hard to find room for it.

Posted by eszter · March 29, 2004 10:40 PM

In the “The Times, they will have a’changed” dept, this recent WaPo article on kids on the web (Generation WWW: Kids Create Web Sites -
http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A19006-2004Mar23?language=printer ) goes on and on about the subject without covering weblogs at all - except for one “and he has a blog” - no explanation or definition - near the end. I can’t decide if it’s evidence for ubiquity (of course all readers will know what “blog” means!) or blindness…

Posted by Anna · March 30, 2004 02:40 AM

You should add “web log” to your next analysis. Somewhere along the line, major media outlets decided to start misusing “web log” (instead of the proper “weblog”) as the origin of “blog”, resulting in the usage of “web log” in many stories where “weblog” would be more correct.

Posted by jkottke · March 30, 2004 04:01 PM

I just did a quick search on Westlaw’s News data bank. 3698 news documents reference either weblogs or blogs. In the last three days, alone, weblogs or blogs were referenced by — among others — the Los Angleles Times, the Dallas Morning News, The Christian Science Monitor, Newsweek, the Seattle Post, USA Today, the Boston Globe, the Chicago Tribune, the Charlotte Observer, Newsday, and the Austin American Statesman.

The earliest reference I found was in the January 1, 2001, Orange County Register. (Is it widely known that Orange County is populated by conservative Republicans?) It was listed as the first of “this year’s buzzwords.” “Blog — Short for ‘Weblog,” a software program that allows people to post entries in online journals about whatever strikes their fancy. Sort of like reading your sister’s diary. Only horrifyingly boring.” Much like Orange County!

Posted by dog 2 · March 31, 2004 12:36 AM
Followups

→ blogs in the media.
Excerpt: Over on Crooked Timber, Eszter Hargittai has posted an updated graph showing use of the words “weblog” and “blog” in English-language daily newspapers. “Weblog” outpaces “blog” in 2003, 687 to 389; that&#...Read more at Many-to-Many
→ Les blogs dans la presse.
Excerpt: Pour faire écho aux billets de Houssein sur le "Top 50" des blogs francophones selon Blogolist, ou sur la date...Read more at pointblog.com
→ TUESDAY'S COMPENDIUM.
Excerpt: The 50 cent gas tax hike that John Kerry supported would have cost me about $1200 a year. Conversely, the motion Florida AG Charlie Crist and State Rep Bob Henriquez are proposing to the state legislature to remove at...Read more at The SmarterCop
→ Weblog vs. Blog.
Excerpt: Many 2 Many mentions some new statistics on the use of the terms blog and weblog. As they note: “Blog” outpaces “weblog” in 2003, 687 to 389; that’s a big change—in scale as well as preferred term—from 2002, wh...Read more at SocialTwister
→ Use of the Terms Web Log and Blog in Traditional Media.
Excerpt: Interesting stats from Crooked Timber showing that the usage of the terms "blog" and "weblog" in traditional media is increasing. Looks like they're starting to catch on. I agree with Read more at joereger.com
→ In the "blog" vs "weblog" grudge match "blog" wins!.
Excerpt: Thanks to Ezther Hargittai for the link (and creating the graph)...Read more at Blog.org
→ Blogging zitiert.
Excerpt: Crooked Timber zeigt wie das Wort Weblog u./o. Blog sich in der englisch sprachigen Presse verbreitet. (Via Mone) Wie man sieht wächst die Verbreitung schnell in den 45 Zeitungen die einbezogen wurden. Das sagt aber natürlich noch nichts darüber wievie...Read more at Interdependent Thoughts
→ Blogging zitiert.
Excerpt: Crooked Timber zeigt wie das Wort Weblog u./o. Blog sich in der englisch sprachigen Presse verbreitet. (Via Mone) Wie man sieht wächst die Verbreitung schnell in den 45 Zeitungen die einbezogen wurden. Das sagt aber natürlich noch nichts darüber wievie...Read more at Interdependent Thoughts
→ Blogging zitiert.
Excerpt: Crooked Timber zeigt wie das Wort Weblog u./o. Blog sich in der englisch sprachigen Presse verbreitet. (Via Mone) Wie man sieht wächst die Verbreitung schnell in den 45 Zeitungen die einbezogen wurden. Das sagt aber natürlich noch nichts darüber wievie...Read more at Interdependent Thoughts
→ blogs in the media.
Excerpt: Over on Crooked Timber, Eszter Hargittai has posted an updated graph showing use of the words “weblog” and “blog” in English-language daily newspapers. “Blog” outpaces “weblog” in 2003, 687 to 389; that&#...Read more at Many-to-Many

This discussion has been closed. Thanks to everyone who contributed.