Are blogs reliable as sources of information?

With all the various sources of information available online today, many prefer blogs as their primary source for online news and information. Free online news has helped fuel the growth of the internet, and there are no signs that its popularity is slowing down. With all the various sources of information available, blogs have earned a reputation as breaking news. This is mainly due to the fact that blogs are free of obstacles in terms of the accuracy of their content.

A blogging platform typically bypasses the traditional ‘red tape’ that can slow down the delivery of news from syndicated sites. However, this advantage can also work against a blog, as the facts can sometimes be distorted. Without any regulation, blogging sometimes tends to reflect more views of writers. This leads to the question of whether blogs can be considered a reliable source of information.

Let’s look at the pros and cons associated with any news or information that is distributed from a blog platform rather than a regulated news site.

The professionals:

Updated frequently

A common characteristic of blogs is that they are updated frequently. Most of the information found on a blog continues to “evolve” due to frequent updates. Syndicated news sites contain information that tends to ‘stagnate’ as updates are far off and few in the middle.

Breaking fast with news

Lacking syndicated site regulations that slow down the news or information distribution process, blogs have the ability to reflect information in “real time.” This is a great attraction to collect information from these sites.

Knowledge

The fact that blogs are independent entities allows them to share their knowledge about the news and information they deliver. These insights can present information in such a way that it can encourage readers to consider certain perspectives that they might otherwise have missed.

The cons:

Too subjective

An unregulated blogging platform can easily present information or news that leans heavily towards the personal opinions or perspectives of the authors. Too much subjectivity can easily distort the information being delivered, diminishing its real value to the reader.

Incorrect

In the rush to “rush” the news, inaccuracies occur. Not being regulated or supervised by news value, there is a certain expectation of unreliability and therefore it should be tolerated and expected.

Sometimes hard to locate

Where do you start to find the most accurate, objective and authoritative site? Finding a credible blogging site that you can trust for its accuracy is an uncertain and time-consuming task.

The only realistic evidence for such a site after you have located it is, in fact, your personal perseverance and your time.

When reviewing the various pros and cons associated with using blogs as sources of information, questions remain about their reliability. Free online news sites are often more regulated, slowing down the transmission of the news itself. On the other hand, this also helps to validate these sites as reliable sources of information. In fact, the very regulation that can slow news delivery but does not exist on blogs is the reason why a typical blog post can be called into question as reliable information. In the end, it seems that many are willing to “risk” the veracity of their news to receive it in a more convenient way. In a society dominated by an instant gratification mindset, this is not so surprising.