Blogging vs journalism how different?

Blogging vs journalism.  How different are they?  It’s often intriguing how far they’re alike and yet also unlike.  Read on to find key similarities and differences.

I’ve been a solopreneur and blogger for years.  As a business graduate, I enjoy digital marketing.  Finding myself on the marketing side, I personally, don’t think of myself as a journalist.

Through this article, I’ll highlight how both roles compare.  They do overlap in certain areas, yet also are separate in others.  Where are they similar and different, read on for more.

Journalist vs blogger

Are bloggers journalists?  The difference between the 2 is interesting.  Although with some similarities, they have their nuances.  

While some confuse one for the other, others recognize the differences.  If you’re reading my article, you’re likely to be asking the question.  It’s interesting to see how they compare.

Employment type

Generally, journalists tend to work as employees for media companies.  Companies also hire staff to work on their business blogs.  On the other hand, bloggers are often self-employed. 

After a few years in the corporate world, I moved to working on my terms.  I spend time in my home office, enjoying the flexibility.  My content creation skills developed over the years, and do so ongoing.

Citing sources 

Journalists have to cite sources, provide quotes, and show references to sources.  Although bloggers also do the same, they can also just state certain things.  Opinions and personal anecdotes are natural.

I share my views when relevant.  When needed, I quote reliable sources and link to them.  My most popular references go to Wikipedia.

Facts or opinion 

Journalists normally report facts and news.  They follow a formal code of ethics while reporting.  This includes having set standards and being accurate.  Bloggers, on the other hand, can express their opinions where needed.

Much of my blog content is experience.  Through EEAT (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness), bloggers can stand out.  It’s natural for us to share it, and readers tend to value genuine, unique, original stories.

Editing responsibility 

In the press, editors edit the works.  For the self-employed running their own sites, they do so themselves.  It’s crucial to proofread, correct, and check fact accuracy.

When I first started as a newbie, I had to seek help from close ones.  I’d ask them to proofread.  Over the years, I not only use an automatic spell checker but can do more solo.  I learned techniques to scrutinize my own work, in the absence of another human pair of eyes.

Level of formality 

With news, the writing style has to be formal.  Think of the biggest news outlets.  With blogs, you can suit your writing voice according to your personality and niche audience.  

I tend to write informally showing friendliness, but not familiarity.  The natural flow of words is conversational.  I don’t use slang and prefer to avoid jargon as much as possible.

Audience type

Mainstream media concerns the masses by millions.  News is everyone’s concern.  As a blogger, I provide tips targeted to my niche readers.

The words ‘self-improvement for bloggers and digital solopreneurs’ make my site’s tagline.  I use ‘bloggers work smarter’ on Instagram.  Having a sub-niche has supported me in creating better-targeted content for my audience.

Monetary rewards 

Media company staff normally work for a salary.  In some cases, they could be on a freelance basis.   As for the self-employed, monetization is often running ads, affiliate marketing, sponsored posts, and selling digital products and services.

Publishing articles started as my hobby.  Over the years, it has become a side hustle.  My first paid gig was a sponsored article.  I also started running ads and joined affiliate marketing.  

What is blogging in journalism?

My experience is in my home office, working on my terms.  I’m not an expert on how media companies operate.  To find out more, I had to search for relevant information.  

As I found out by searching the internet, the sources refer to online articles.  It appears that while media companies publish traditional press articles, their online versions are more blogging-style.  Opinions and conversational writing style are appropriate there.

As I also learned for my search exercise, the online versions are great for collecting reader feedback.  While newspaper articles remain as they are, websites can be updated.  It’s interesting to note a blend of both approaches in such cases.

Want to start publishing articles?

Are you new, or aspiring at the activity?  Or else, you could already be experienced at it.  It’s something that requires working smart and perseverance.

While it’s rewarding to start your site, success doesn’t come overnight.  Publishing your articles is satisfying, but also requires consistency.  Work smarter, and build skills.

Results don’t come overnight, and that is why many give up too soon.  The ever-changing landscape also asks for perseverance.  If you’re determined to get started, find out about the different platforms you can use.

Conclusion

Blogging vs journalism is interesting!  They’re similar, yet different in specific areas.  Both are brilliant in their own ways.

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