QotD: What Blogging Means
What are the positive and negative associations that you and those around you have with blogging? Have attitudes changed over time?
We don't usually answer the questions of the day, but this one seems relevant.
This is, we believe, the first blog of a deployed Marine Corps organization. Normally the sort of public information a unit puts out is sort of a real static, old-school journalism style of keeping the public informed. All a public affairs staff can do, really, is track where stories get picked up by external media and hope they tell our story for us.
A blog has let us be very proactive and interactive with our audience in a way not done before. Already we have been introduced to some great people who have helped us tremendously. I won't plug Blair any more but suffice to say he has contributed directly to the accomplishment of our slice of the mission pie.
Two years ago this might not have been feasible. Vox wasn't around, of course, to make integration of video, photos and audio so easy. We are also blessed with a very blog-friendly big-boss public affairs officer who has given this site his blessing. Blessings or no, however, this blog is meaningless without you: the audience. We know the American public is hungry for the military side of the story that isn't filtered through the media. You get direct contact with the troops through us. I get the impression that we've got a wide array of political opinions among our readership. I hope that, whatever your political persuasion, we have given you food for thought from a perspective maybe you haven't been exposed to before.
As always I beseech you to send us your questions or requests for information. We are glad to oblige, plus we just love hearing feedback.
Comments
Hey, we appreciate the effort you put into this! Even though my brother's in another place and branch, when I read the Team-6 blog and see what you've posted, I feel like I get a little more info and a feeling about what he's facing. I hope his team will do something like this in the future, since the little brat re-upped and he'll be party to this for another 4 years.
Really, again, just thanks!
Secondly, this blog is very helpful to the public discussion of what's going on. It seems to me that the mainstream media covers our troops in three situations: homecoming, injury, and anonymous numbers. Anyone who's ever known someone in the military knows that there's more to being in the military than just that. While I think all of those things are newsworthy, it doesn't give civilians a full understanding of what it's like for our deployed military personnel. The blog puts a very human face on everything, highlights the daily aspects of life, and thus adds to a person's understanding of what's going on. Over here it's easy to think of this as just a political issue (especially for people who don't know someone in the military). This blog is a good reminder that it is a human issue as well.
I'm really glad I found this blog. Thanks for doing it.
Thank you so much for this blog, and for your service.
It is so important that we get it right in the Middle East, and I know those of you who are on the ground over there, actually doing the job, are doing your best. I really love your blog because it helps us understand more who our soldiers are and the kind of work you are doing. Also, it helps us understand the extent of teamwork with the Iraqi forces and the Iraqi citizens.
Thank you so much for that, and for everything you do!
Thank you for sharing your lives with me.