Blogs take on the mainstream
By Roberto Belo
BBC News website technology reporter
Web logs or blogs are everywhere, with at least an estimated five million on the web and that number is set to grow.
These online diaries come in many shapes and styles, ranging from people willing to sharing their views, pictures and links, to companies interested in another way of reaching their customers.
But this year the focus has been on blogs which cast a critical eye over news events, often writing about issues ignored by the big media or offering an eye-witness account of events.
Most blogs may have only a small readership, but communication experts say they have provided an avenue for people to have a say in the world of politics.
The most well-known examples include Iraqi Salam Pax’s accounts of the US-led war, former Iranian vice-president Mohammad Ali Abtahi exclusive insight into the Islamic Republic’s government, and the highs and lows of the recent US election campaign.
There are already websites pulling together these first-hand reporting accounts heralded by blogs, like wikinews.com, launched last November.
