Question

Imagine that you are looking for the latest news about a national disaster such as a hurricane. List the pros and cons of getting your news from a) an independent blogger and b) a mainstream daily newspaper. Then choose which you would prefer and explain why.

Answer 1

I will help you out, but I will not do the whole thing for you. Additionally, please do not copy-paste my writing.

I will list out some examples of pros/cons for each category, and then let you form your own opinion and explain your preference in part b)

pros of newspapers:
- barrier to entry is higher, as newspaper writers need to have a strong background in writing/journalism esp. to cover a major story like a national disaster
- higher quality of information, as newspapers can set standards for writing and fact-checking

cons of newspapers:
- outdated, fewer multimedia options like video or sound
- hard to correct (if they get something wrong, they have to re-publish a correction later on)

pros of blogs:
- can be updated in real time
- can incorporate media like videos, sound, links
- can get more honest, down-to-earth, non-editorialized opinions and perspectives of ordinary people

cons of blogs:
- zero barrier to entry (anyone can make a blog and write whatever they want)
- less fact-checking/peer review