Blog viewers still watch TV, read the paper

For all the hype, blogs have yet to replace traditional news outlets for most readers.

Only 13 percent of blog readers said that following the sites caused them to spend less time with newspapers, television and radio, according to a survey of 1,000 adults conducted July 30 to Aug. 1 and released last week by Synovate, a Chicago-based research group.

Only 5 percent of the respondents read blogs several times a day. Fifteen percent read blogs daily, 28 percent monthly and 39 percent viewed them less than once a month. Their motivations are not entirely serious: 15 percent said they went to blogs for news, while half wanted to be entertained. A little more than a quarter read blogs because they covered a specific hobby or area of interest.

Still, there’s a credibility gap.

“Because anyone can start one at any time, blogs are not necessarily seen as legitimate information source despite the fact that some bloggers are experts in their area,” said spokesman Tom Mularz. “However, as their prominence and influence continues to rise, this could certainly change.”

The survey found that eight out of 10 respondents knew what a blog was, and almost half had visited one. Blog readers seem both loyal and curious: 46 percent said they visit the same blogs over and over while 54 percent surf the Internet seeking new fare. More women maintain blogs than men — 20 percent compared with 14 percent.

“About 8 percent of Americans currently have their own blog. This is surprising given that a few years ago, hardly anyone knew what a blog was,” Mr. Mularz said.

There are now more than 102 million blogs, according to San Francisco-based Technorati, which tracks both content and traffic.

Earlier this year, the Project for Excellence in Journalism’s “State of the News Media 2007” estimated that the number of blog readers in the U.S. alone rose 39 percent last year and now stands at 57 million. Blogs have not surpassed other online diversions, though. The analysis said that although 20 percent of us read blogs, 87 percent checked e-mail, for example.

While blogging has come to be called “citizen journalism,” the debate whether bloggers are journalists has come under scrutiny from the Pew Research Center, the Poynter Institute and other research organizations concerned with press credibility.

Journalists who blog — sometimes mixing opinion with hard news — are also prompting discussion. For better or worse, news organizations typically showcase journalist’s blogs as news and an interactive draw to attract readers or viewers. Some seek a happy medium, such as MinnPost.com, which will go live later this fall.

The nonprofit, online news site will rely on 25 Minneapolis-St. Paul-area newspaper reporters and editors — a few with Pulitzers. The site will feature breaking news and dispatches intended to be “a bit like blogs, but unlike many blogs, they will be built around original reporting, not just opinions or links to other people’s work,” said Eric Newton of the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, which contributed startup funds.