The BBC has an editorial strand called City Diaries, in the business section (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7788608.stm).
Are these blogs? Are they user generated content? Are they vox pops? Are they amateur journalism?
They’re a bit ‘diary’ blog, because they’re written in the first person, but they’re not owned by their authors so they’re not full blogs. (And there’s no opportunity for ‘comments’.)
They’re definitely user-generated content, but as they’re solicited, edited, and, I’m assuming (hoping), verified, it’s not raw UGC.
They’re much closer to vox pops, only the method for acquiring the contacts is by online request (instead of stopping people in the street, for instance).
Amateur journalism? No. There’s no investigation although you could make the case that it’s a kind of reporting (of personal impressions during a crisis).
Whatever they are, they’re blurring the lines between journalism, editorial and online editorial strands.
Interesting.
