Blog or News site??

What exactly separates a personal blog from an online news source? It's a tough question to answer, but as a journalist student at the University of Missouri, I have been taught the last several years to think critically about news and personal commentary. Interestingly enough, within the journalism school, there is substantial hubbub about a 3 senior journalism students' purported news website. The site, called "J-School Buzz" is part of their senior capstone project. Their mission? Report news pertaining specifically to the journalism school. Their critiques? Well, that's a little more complicated. From within the journalism school, there are many students who feel the site shouldn't constitute a capstone project at all, let alone a news site. Reportedly, (and I can say this, because I am in fact writing on a blog) the goal of the site is not really reporting news, but measuring traffic on the site and comparing viewers depending on the article topic. (Entertainment, career/business, etc)

While it is clear many online news sites and the journalism "industry" in general are propelled by ad sales and high traffic as any other "business", their job first and foremost is to provide accurate news to its viewers. So is there a problem with the site's goals, or are the writers/managing directors adhering to a typical business model?

The latest J-school Buzz drama revolves around a physical altercation that occurred in the journalism school. One of the editors was assaulted, and then decided to write about. The same day. Within an hour of the attack. Why? Therein lies the plethora of comments and criticisms from website viewers. The tone and verbage in the "news article" seemed very bloggy, and to be honest, I got a -- as one commenter called it -- hero complex vibe from the story.

The writer was also challenged on his ability to even produce an "objective" news story on a situation where he was directly involved. To which he claimed -- absolutely. I, however, find this impossible. How could you possibly maintain any objectivity in a situation where you are a victim? Isn't that the subjectivity journalists look for in their human sources?? It was bizarre, I find the site bizarre, I find the proposal of this as a plausible capstone project bizarre.

The end.