I’m happy that my colleague Salbiah Said, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Bernama Economic Service, has entered blogosphere -- salbiahs.blogspot.com.
With her vast experience and high-profile position, I’m sure her jottings would benefit readers.
As blogging becomes trendy, I recalled writing an e-mail to my then editor-in-chief while on a press fellowship in Cambridge in November 2004.
“Our competitors are emerging in new forms as a result of advancement in the information age. Online diarists or "bloggers", for instance, are coming to the fore in such a tremendous speed that even their existence have often been misrepresented. What began as a hobby is turning into serious business and changing the face of journalism. Blogs (short for weblogs) have become common feature in providing accounts such as the US-led invasion on Iraq and the recent US presidential election, prompting big-timers like CNN and BBC, to venture into this new field. Back home, blogger Jeff Ooi is riding high on the global wave of this web influence, giving an alternative 'no holds bar' information channel for free. The big question for us is how do we deal with this new competition while struggling to keep pace with our traditional competitors (subcribers???)”
It’s been more than three years since and blogs are posing an even greater threat to the mainstream media, capturing a bigger slice of readership especially among the younger generation.
While the editor-in-chief has retired, Jeff Ooi has enhanced his profile having been elected as a member of parliament in the March 2008 General Election.
