Online Journalism News

New kid on the blog

Journalists looking for discussion and comment on the latest issues facing their profession can now turn to a new blog launched this month by UK media expert Guy Clapperton.

Mr Clapperton is a freelance journalist who writes regularly for the Media Guardian and also contributes to the Times, the Independent, the Financial Times, the Radio Times and the Observer.

His new blog will allow him to comment on issues and developments in the industry that the mainstream media might miss, he said.

Blogs are structured by listing the writer's entries by date in diary format. Users can browse entries by date or subject and also post comments and responses on the site.

"The opportunity to comment on my own industry is something I value," Mr Clapperton told dotJournalism.

"I"m really looking for debate among media professionals, with me as the little oik stating opinions to which people can object or otherwise.

"As it grows and people hopefully start passing me information, I'll be telling them things they don't know."

Launched in collaboration with journalism.co.uk, the blog will cover a wide range of issues related to journalism and media practice. Mr Clapperton has already posted comments about the implications of the Hutton Inquiry, the debate around the UK's compact newspaper editions and the use of expletives by ex-Sex Pistol John Lydon on TV recently.

The demands of writing for the blog will push him to improve his editing skills, he said, as he can use the blog to respond quickly to breaking events.

"One of my heroes as a journalist was the late John Diamond, who managed to be funny, sharp and incisive when typing in haste," said Mr Clapperton.

"If I can master that in front of an equally sharp readership it can only do my own writing some good."

Guy Clapperton’s blog:
http://www.guyclapperton.co.uk

See also:
http://www.clapperton.co.uk

John Diamond:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/section/0,,1120,00.html

Tags (click tag to find related articles; click icon for feed):
the times | the observer | guy clapperton | united kingdom | mainstream media | the financial times | the independent | html | media professionals | media expert | john diamond | john lydon | guy clappertons | the radio times |

Sign up here for our free, daily email newsletter to get all the latest stories, jobs, tips and more.

Got a story? Email our news team: Laura Oliver; Judith Townend or telephone +44 (0)1273 384290. You can also follow us on Twitter: @journalismnews / @LauraOliver / @JTownend.