Take a look at these journalism blogs. They are all quite different, but each shows how a blog can add to your current journalism.

Background, personal voice: New York Time Baghdad Bureau
Analysis: The Guardian Education blog
Breaking news/ specialisation: Mumbrella

Now let’s have a look at some examples that are more relevant to Asia and the Pacific

Breaking news

Coupfourandahalf

Intelligentsiya

Audience development and  behind the scenes

Ratang

Specialist/ freelance

Aulia

theunspun

Analysis

Lowy Interpreter

East Asia Forum

The best way to be a good blogger is to read good blogs. You can find some blogs here:

• NY Times blog index (60 blogs)
• Aggregate of breaking news blogs around the world: Global Voices
• Blog tracking service Technorati

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.