David Hayward talks to Mick Fealty about blogging
This was a really interesting session at the CoJo Future of Journalism event in Belfast. Jem Stone, BBC Audio and Music's social media guru, was in conversation with Mick Fealty, writer, journalist, blogger and the editor of Slugger O'Toole, the most powerful blog about Northern Ireland politics and culture.
Jem introduced the session outlining how important bloggers have become is such a short space of time. In 2006, Kate Adie described blogging as egotistical nonsense. Today, Jem says it's become an essential part of what the BBC's best journalists do, just look at Robert Peston, Nick Robinson and Rory Cellan-Jones.
Slugger O'Toole has in turn now become a central part of the political landscape in Northern Ireland. It's read by 96% of Assembly Members and, according to Mick, has created an entirely new way of engaging all sides to debate politics. He discussed the importance of transparency, permanence, archive and how blogging actually complements mainstream media rather than threatening it.
