A Look at the Local Blogosphere

In signing off as a blogger at InJersey, Mark Spivey notes the wide-ranging array of local blogs.
The number of bloggers became evident when Saul Qersdyn began aggregating blogs in Union County's 21 municipalities and found that Plainfield alone had 21 blogs. A check today finds about half of them with current posts and then a drop-off of half-dozen others in the past month, then one from January, three from 2010 and one post dating back to 2009. Meanwhile, a couple more blogs have emerged that are not included in Qersdyn's Plainfield page.

Qersdyn himself has a very nice online news source for Roselle Park that could be a model for others. He sets a high standard for hyperlocal blogging.

Plainfielders who blog take a number of approaches that include news coverage, commentary, raw information, sports, self-expression and aggregation from mainstream sources. Together, they give readers a pretty good picture of the city. The "comment" function available on most blogs allows readers to agree or disagree or add more information to the topic of a post.

Several elected officials use blogs to explain their views or amplify on actions taken or pending, which is a help to their constituents.

In all, the city's hyperlocal blogs add to residents' understanding and appreciation of their hometown in a unique way. One loss with the shutdown of InJersey will be the roster of Plainfield blogs and links that ran down the right side , although blogger Dan Damon has a comprehensive list on his blog, CLIPS.

Anyone with a point of view or something to say about Plainfield can create a new blog at no cost except time and thought, on Blogger or any of several other platforms.

InJersey was interesting while it lasted, although Plaintalker found it a bit hard to navigate at times. It proved easier to catch the posts on Facebook than to keep checking the InJersey link. The mycentraljersey.com link can also be tricky at times, certainly more so than turning the pages of an actual newspaper to find columnists and features as well as news.

None of us can tell the future of the newspaper, as publishers deal with readers who want the news on various devices along with or instead of the print format. The New York Times seems to be the master of the online platform, with videos, slideshows and graphics that the print format cannot replicate. But dedicated viewers will have to pay a price for these enhancements. Smaller newspapers are struggling to find their way in a forest of options.

As for Mark, he just turned 29 and he was about to complete his third year on the Plainfield beat. Plaintalker thinks he has a bright future in newsgathering, even if it is not just in the Queen City, and he has created a legacy for himself with his memorable and important coverage of some turbulent times for Plainfielders. Thanks, Mark, we will miss your evenhandedness in reporting and your genuine love for the city and its people.

--Bernice