In this presentation, we will explore how blogging has changed the face of international documentary and journalism in the past decade, particularly via the accessibility of the personal blogs of journalists, world travelers, and other global experts. The modern mediasphere has become characterized by interactive technologies, and nowhere is this more apparent than in international documentary and journalism. While readily available photographic coverage has in some cases removed a sense of wonder from the world, the newfound ability to see crises and geographies through first-person blogging has created a culture of heightened global awareness. Even more important is the abundance of media that never makes it to the printed (or virtual) front page. This talk will cover ethical and artistic issues related to blogging, in particular those addressing crisis, conflict, and socially sensitive situations. The talk is organized by sub-topics from global news: politics, crisis, music, design, photography. In each section, a popular headline article by a given media producer is presented, followed by an exploration of further coverage on personal blogs. In each section, an ethical or quality issue is also addressed.

This Talk Is For: Everyone!

What The Audience Will Learn: The audience will walk away with a better understanding of the importance of using WordPress and other blogging platforms to read beyond the front pages of international media coverage.