2004 proved year of the blog

Posted on 5 Jan 2005 at 12:07

Internet users reading blogs, or online diaries, have rocketed 58 per cent in the last year in the US to 32 million, according to a recent survey by the Pew Internet and American Life Project. That figure represents more than a quarter of the online community.

The surging interest in blogs stems not only from its high profile media coverage over the past year, but it was also galvanised by events that polarised political opinion, such as the US election campaign and the Iraq war - suggesting blogs are only as interesting as the events they comment on rather than those that write them.

Nine per cent of Internet users said they read political blogs - a third of all blog readers. The practise of blogging would appear an ideal way to stimulate political debate. Nearly half of readers (44 per cent) say they also post comments on blogs - particular the younger 18 to 29 demographic. Perhaps a Blair blog is the ideal channel to defeat political apathy and stimulate the youth vote here in the UK...

However, blogging has yet to hit mainstream. Blog authors and readers are in general a core of well-educated and well-paid long-time users of the Internet. But in relation to all Internet users, only 38 per cent knew what a blog was at all.

The survey is available as a PDF from the Pew Internet website.

Author: Matt Whipp

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