“Should a blogger be more or less credible than a reporter for the New York Times?” is the question that is really bugging me for the last few weeks. I saw how Engadget managed to move Apple Inc quotation on the stock exchange, when they released internal news about the company. This is the power of the blog, but should we trust Engadget or any other blogs more or less than an offline magazine because the news turned out to be nothing but fake (how’s that Jason Calacanis? Engadget publishes everything they get in their email, TOO?).

However, my other question is, is the blogger a real journalist? Yes!

Bloggers are the new storytellers

I agree that false alarm stories were published on big blogs, but You have to agree with me that it happens with mainstream magazine, too. For those that think a blogger is someone that won’t fact-check a story I am here to tell you different because I’ve read a survey made by PewInternet which really makes it very clear: bloggers do check their sources! Even if you think at Engadget, the email they’ve got their eyes on, was really from the Apple system. But let’s see what the survey says.

Only one-third of bloggers see blogging as a form of journalism. Yet many check facts and cite original sources.

34% of bloggers consider their blog a form of journalism

57% of bloggers include links to original sources either “sometimes” or “often”.

56% of bloggers spend extra time trying to verify facts they want to include in a post either “sometimes” or “often”.

However, I am aware that many bloggers publish anything hot they get for a little more traffic (yeah I remember Jason Calacanis saying ValleyWag will eat everything you mail them) but it’s not the general trend. Also, if I think, there are mainstream blurry magazines that publish anything just to fill all their pages, I don’t think a journalist from CNN is more credible than Michael Arlington from TechCrunch.

One last thing worth to mention. If the blog wouldn’t have power, believe me not as many journalists would come up with a personal or company blog, so yes, I think blogging is the new face of journalism.

If anyone that’s not a blogger or a mainstream journalist, I would really love to see what you think.