In this weeks reading of The New Influencers, I enjoyed the comparison of how blogging today is viewed in the same light that journalism was in the day of Thomas Jefferson.
The Wikipedia definition of a pamphleteer is a historical term for someone who creates or distributes pamphlets. Pamphlets were used to broadcast the writer's opinions on an issue, for example, in order to get people to vote for their favorite politician or to articulate a particular political ideology.
While most writing done during Jefferson's time, the news was driven by politics, our current 24 hour news cycle lends itself to people blogging on anything and everything. The blogging process allows the commenting and interaction to happen at an instantaneous rate, allowing those with influence to be spread new ideas at an infectious rate.
There are also a few characteristics that remain similar between a blogger and a pamphleteer. Just like a pamphleteer, bloggers are passionate. Their passion is evident through their arguments because they may have a sort of one-sided viewpoint. Also, both bloggers and pamphleteers use the fastest and widest form of communication available. Today the newspaper, what was the standard for pamphleteers, is becoming more obselete, while the blogging on the internet has allowed shifted power and influence to more ordinary individuals.
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