There are advantages for having multiple authors on a blog:
- The blog can be updated more frequently. The authors can post whenever a they find a newsworthy story. Multiple authors will post on the same days, which amounts to more stories on the blog.
- The content's quality is not compromised. The author's are not pressured to blog multiple times per day because of the many contributors. Without strict time constraints, the author can be sure to comprise a newsworthy story that is well-written and interesting to the readers.
- The blog covers a wide range of topics. Each author has there own personal style and expertise. For example, Glenn Beck may report on topics that were covered on his television program, while the Baghdad Bureau will post stories relating to the middle east.
- The reader can easily navigate through the posts. Readers can choose which author's posts they enjoy and do not enjoy reading. On The Scene offers a side bar with each author listed; here the readers can click to see all the stories posted by the specific author.
- The blog is more interesting. With a wide range of story topics, quality posting, and frequent updating, having multiple authors makes the blog both visually and contextually interesting.
I understand that having multiple authors on one blog is not realistic for most blogs. In certain contexts, however, multiple contributors is a great asset to blogging.
While there certainly are advantages to multiple writers on a single blog, the problem becomes editorial collaboration and potentially, the loss of the individual voice on the blog. You can hone in on John Doe's specific blog or the blog that John Doe just happens to be a part of. At the end of the day it boils down to just how distinctive the individual blogger's voice is and how distinctive a voice the individual consumer is looking for.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Bryan. In this specific case, having multiple authors works because the point of the website is to give firsthand, on-the-ground reports of breaking news. Obviously, one person can't cover the hemisphere by himself, even backpack journalists limit themselves to a specific area or topic. FOX News On The Scene acts as a one-stop-shop for viewers who want to read a more personal version of a newspaper. It's really about the content, not the tone or voice.
ReplyDeleteIn most cases, however, it is better to have just one author. Blogs usually have a specific mission or topic, so the scope is much narrower. In this case, having one author not only lowers costs (if there's money involved), but it makes the blog more complete and connected. Each post shares a voice, which readers usually respond to.
I think the hardest thing about blogging is coming up with material to post several times a day. Most blogs cover a niche or a beat (like entertainment or sports) and there is only so much you can write. But as consumers we expect a new thing every time we visit a site and if there isn't any new content we get disappointed and might stop coming back.
ReplyDeleteAll excellent points. It goes to show that there's more than one path to success. NPR, USA TODAY and other orgs also maintain blogs with multiple owners, though they tend to be broader and more about leveraging the publishing platform. Single-author blogs tend to build more of a community and have a narrow interest.
ReplyDeleteI feel like when I visit blogs, my tendencies are to favor those that have multiple authors and cast a more skeptical eye on those that don't. That is just my natural inclination as a journalist. Innately I feel like the more pairs of eyes that see a particular piece of information the more fact-checked it is and the fewer bits and pieces fall through the cracks.
ReplyDeleteThe other reason why I think it speaks to credibility is that any old person can decide to set-up a computer in the basement and blog to their little hearts content by themselves. Getting a group of collaborators together to contribute to a blog means that there has to be a higher purpose than just personal whim. If my neighbor wants to blog about anarchy, he can do so as much as he pleases—it doesn’t mean that I’ll join up forces.