Why bloggers must blog about the elections - Luz Rimban

Why bloggers must blog about the elections:

1. Mainstream media can't cover everything
2. Mainstream media is highly selective about its coverage
3. Bloggers, as citizen journalists can/must fill the gaps
4. Citizen journalism can help reconnecy the public with the political process

The followng issues got little media coverage in 2004

1. Partylist elections
2. Local elections
   
3. Senatorial elections
   
4. Policy development issues

Coverage of 2007 elections:

1. Covergae not as extensive
2. Media noted public disinterest, skepticism over election
   

Other gaps to fill:

1. Failure to turn key issues into election issue

• Hello Garcy
• Extrajudicials killings
• Corruptions

Linking local ossues

Citizen journalism:

1. Journalism done by non-journalists
2. Non-journ doing random acts of journ
3. guerilla-style journ
4. new alternative press
   

Bloggers as citizen journ can:

• spot news stories
• report them
• take vids and photos
• deliver commentary & analysis
• engage big media in dialog about news issues:

• ethics
• inner working of the media
• journalists' methods of covering the news
  

Questions:

• How to do it?
• How do bloggers work with other election watchdogs?
• How do bloggers get the public interested in the effort?
  

What can be done?

• Brainstorm about blogging on the elections
• Develop a bloggers' election handbook
• Train bloggers in election coverage