Journalists are increasingly finding that blogging is not only a unique storytelling tool, but also a way to directly engage with their audience. But despite the increase in the number of blogs used by individual news organisations, many still ask: Why blog? So here are just a few reasons:

• It gets you writing everyday, interacting with the online world and developing new skills. This could be particularly important if you are an established journalist trying to upskill for the challenges a rapidly changing media world.
• It is a great way to showcase your work. Rachel Hills does this particularly well.
• The ‘unfinished’ and conversational nature of blogs has opened opportunities for journalists to test their work in public, fine-tune it for errors, and invite additional information. Talking Points Memo, one of the most successful investigative journalism blogs, frequently draws on its readership to pursue big stories.
• It gets you a profile and the opportunity to network with other writers, editors and thinkers in your field.

With this in mind, this blog will be used by participants of the APJC Fellowship to begin embracing the blogosphere.