Why to blog | Getting started | Attracting attention

3 | Contents

1 How blogs have

changed journalism
Roy Greenslade
2 How to set up
your own blog
Will Coldwell
3 How to promote your
blog using social media
Harry Slater
4 How my blog led to
a career in journalism
Owen Jones
5 How to blog for
Blogging Students
Judy Friedberg
6 Blogging in style
David Marsh

4 | How blogs have changed journalism

chapter
one:
it was common for
seasoned reporters
to deride bloggers
as weirdos, wannabes
and wankers

6 | How blogs have changed journalism

How blogs
have changed
journalism

Bloggers offer their

wit, wisdom and
wild theories. Its
up to you to decide
whom to follow.
By Roy Greenslade

ith due apologies to

Descartes, blogito ergo
sum. I seem to recall that
when I started my Media
Guardian blog, back in
May 2006, I did write: I blog, therefore I am.
A quick Googling of the phrase shows
that it has become common across the net.
Lesson one in the brave new digital world:
nothing is new for long. For some, this is a
disappointment. For me, it is just how things
are. Get over it.
In fact, the get-over-it slogan is one I have
been urging print journalists, especially those
of the golden-age-of-Fleet-Street variety, to
adopt for years. Newspapers are different, not
worse. Journalism is different, not worse. Life
is different, not worse.
Though blogging has swept away old
certainties, it has not destroyed old verities.
The central elements of our journalistic trade

I first realised its potential during the

2003 invasion of Iraq when the man who
came to be known as the Baghdad Blogger
rose to prominence. Using the pseudonym
of Salam Pax, he wrote an online diary that
was compelling reading because it gave the
outside world a window into the reality of life
within a city under siege.
He saw himself as a concerned eyewitness
rather than a journalist (he was, in fact, an
architect) but was intrigued enough after the
war to take an MA course in journalism at City
University London, where I taught him.
But, as I told him, we professional journalists
had already learned from him. We had
recognised the power of the blogger. At the
time, it was common for seasoned reporters
to deride bloggers as weirdos, wannabes and
wankers. Unsurprisingly, since they tended
to view the internet itself as anarchy, they
thought of bloggers as anarchists.

Lesson one in the brave new digital

world: nothing is new for long. For
some, this is a disappointment. For me,
it is just how things are. Get over it
remain intact our first obligation is still to tell
the truth (or, at least, strive to do so) and our
method for ensuring we do that to our best
ability remains verification. That public service
mission, which is our raison dtre, has not
changed.
In that respect, blogging is not a threat to
the craft of story-getting; it is a wonderful
and powerful aid. And it has proved that, time
after time, over the past decade.

What they found offensive, just as they do

about online journalism in general, is that they
(meaning also, of course, their publishers and
editors) had lost their status as secular priests,
telling the public what they should and should
not read.
Blogging enables people to pass on their
wisdom, wit and, yes, wild conspiracy theories,
to an unlimited audience. Then it is for the
people to decide which blogs are worth

8 | How blogs have changed journalism

[blogs] are personal

mini-newspapers that
remind us veterans that
we know less than we
previously were ever
willing to admit
reading. In essence, just as in choosing a
newspaper, people seek out that which they
find credible or, if they are obtuse, then they
will go to the incredible.
The point is that the people the people
formerly called the audience, in Jay Rosens
apt phrase can make their own reading
choices. That is a challenge to mainstream
journalism, not its nemesis.
Though some journalists may never be
reconciled to the brilliance of the blogosphere,
others have come to see its virtues. Blogs
written by specialists whether about
cars, medicine, politics, the state of the
Icelandic economy, the history of the Samoa,
whatever are invaluable journalistic sources

on which to draw.
Then there are blogs written by journalists
themselves. These allow reporters confined
by newsprint space or tight broadcast time
slots to add to their output. For example,
the one written by the BBCs business editor
Robert Peston routinely offers insights and
extra information.
It is true that blogs have faced competition
for public attention from social network sites,
such as Facebook, and especially Twitter,
which is unbeatable for breaking news. But
blogs remain important to journalism. They
are personal mini-newspapers that remind
us veterans that we know less than we
previously were ever willing to admit

10 | How to start up your own blog

chapter
two:
There are over 180m
of them and most are
beyond dreary. It is not
the blog that matters,
it is what you do with it

12 | How to start up your own blog

How to start up
your own blog
Setting up a blog
is easy - but make
sure its motivation
comes across clearly.
By Will Coldwell

tarting a blog is easy. Since the

1990s, millions of people have
taken the time to create a place
online to present and share
theirideas.
Anyone capable of building a Lego wall can
start a blog, says Angela Phillips, who teaches
journalism at Goldsmiths University. There
are over 180m of them and most are beyond
dreary. It is not the blog that matters, it is what
you do with it.
In recent years, the medium has really
come of age. Blogs play a big part in the
political debate: some of the best known are
respected more than the mainstream media.
Of course, intellectual conversation isnt for
everyone there are plenty of blogs featuring
funny photos of cats, some of which do very
well indeed.

aboutit, tweet it, and put it on your

Facebook, she says.

What does a good blog look like?

It should have personality, be well-designed
and keep you clicking back through the
previous pictures and articles, says Barber.
A bad blog is boring, badly designed, too
text heavy or someone just spouting on
because they think their opinion is important,
without considering their audience.
Pick a clean theme for your blog. You want
readers to be able to read your work without
getting distracted, so avoid multiple sidebars
and unnecessary widgets.
If youre looking for a more professional
appearance, consider paying for a premium
theme (around 30-70). Your own domain
(available from WordPress for 17) will add to
the effect.

But what makes a blog successful?

Sonya Barber, editor of the Time Out blog,
which has had 6.5m views since launching
in 2010, says a good blog is one you keep
coming back to.
You should want to tell your friends

How mouthy should you be?

As long as you can avoid ranting, however,
you shouldnt be afraid to include your
opinion. Thats what distinguishes blogs from
traditional journalism.

Successful bloggers
Paul Haydon
Paul is a freelance writer
who regularly contributes
to the Guardians Comment
is Free as well as Lib Dem Voices and
Nucleus. He has a blog called Eurology.
Having a blog has definitely helped
raisemy profile as a writer. I started one
that focuses on the UKs relationship with
the EU a topic that often gets distorted
inthe press.
As a student of European politics,
Iwanted to try to encourage more
ofaninformed debate.
My first big breakthrough writing for
Comment is Free came when I pitched
a piece on Greek arms imports. It was
about how France and Germany had put
pressure on Greece to keep importing
weapons from them, when the first bailout
was being negotiated back in 2010.
I put in my pitch that I write a blog on
EUpolitics, and I think this probably helped.
It was also a niche angle that hadnt been
covered before.
At first it was daunting: the piece was
featured on the main CiF page and got a
lot of comments. It was really rewarding to
feel that Id had an impact and of course it
drove a lot more traffic to my blog.

Basia Cummings
Basia is a film writer,
editor and curator who
regularly contributes
totheblog AfricaIs a Country as well
herpersonalblog.
Before I started, I thought the
blogosphere was a space online where
people rant. Once I started reading blogs
like Mark Fishers Kpunk, or Africa Is A
Country (AIAC), I realised that they are
incredible places to formulate ideas
and correct the mainstream medias
reductivetendencies.
Perhaps more powerfully, they can
beplaces of convergence, where people

Blogs play a big part in

the political debate:
some of the best known
are respected more than
the mainstream media
interested in similar things can meet and argue.
I was invited to contribute to AIAC by Sean
Jacobs, the writer who set it up in New York.
Sean had seen some projects I curated here
inLondon, and asked me to work on UK-based
stories. It was a really exciting opportunity
for me, as I had been an avid reader of the
blog for a long time. Since then, my writing
career has definitely progressed because of
the relationships Ive built with those who are
interested in similar issues.
As for my personal blog, I really wanted
aplatform for my writing that didnt just rely
on a pitch getting accepted by an editor.
Ithink there is a tendency among freelance
writers towrite only what they think will get
published, which I think is limiting after a while.
Blogging allows for much greater freedom,
is often more experimental and certainly
alotwilder.

Pip Mckenzie-Borev
Pip is a Romany Gypsy
teenager who writes about
the issues that affect his
community. An open letter he wrote to
Channel 4 in February 2012 went viral,
helping to prompt a fresh look at the media
portrayal of traveller communities.
Among my community, being a blogger is
not really the norm, but the debates over the

Dale Farm eviction inspired me to start.

I was specifically angered by
aDispatches documentary on Dale Farm
which I felt painted Gypsies and Travellers
in a terrible light.
At the same time, it was the sympathetic
voice of Dale Farm supporters that was
dominating debates and I wanted people
to hear the voice of areal Gypsy. A blog
was somewhere Icould do that.
When my open letter to Channel 4
went viral, it was the most overwhelming
experience ever. When I checked my stats
in the morning, it had been viewed around
2,000 times, which I thought was pretty
impressive. (Now, its over 100,000.)
A couple of hours later, my phone
started going crazy and the newspapers,
radio and TV channels started contacting
me. Most people would probably love the
attention but I found it weird.
Ive only ever wanted to be a writer, but
suddenly people were asking me to be in
documentaries and go on chat shows.
I am glad that a lot of people read my
blog because it is hard for a Gypsy to get
their voice heard. It is nice to feel like I have
made an impact.
Having a blog has given me confidence
in my abilities that I didnt have before.
Ifailed school, I was expelled and I dont

14 | How to start up your own blog

have many qualifications. I didnt

have anything to be proud of, but now
I can be proud of my writing. Im really
hoping that the success of my blog
willbe beneficial when I am applying
for university.

Holly Baxter and

Rhiannon Cosslett
Holly and Rhiannon
created The Vagenda,
a blog that takes a satirical look at
womens magazines, soon after
graduating from university. They
are now regular columnists for the
New Statesman and are awaiting
the release of their first book.
It was poverty that really motivated
us to start a blog. We were living
ina run-down flat in Kentish Town,
crawling with mice. All we had to
cheer us up were womens magazines.
Themore we read them, the more
we realised that they were making
usfeel terrible about ourselves, as well
as being full of absolutely barmy and
hilarious advice.
And thats where we got the idea

for the Vagenda. It took about a year

to actually start it but we could never
have predicted the sudden media
attention it would generate.
Having a blog demonstrated that
wewere capable of writing regularly to
a certain standard, and that really helps
when youre trying to impress editors.
Not long after, Helen Lewis, the
deputy editor of the New Statesmen
took us out for a drink and asked us
ifwed like to write for them, which
was amazing.
When the blog went viral we
found ourselves being chased by
anumber of literary agents. There was
a biddingwar between companies
and in the end, 13 different publishers
made us offers. They certainly
wouldnt have done that if they didnt
have any material by which to judge
our writing style.
Having a blog has definitely pushed
our careers in the right direction.
Weveboth been able to quit our day
jobs and concentrate on writing full
time which, for us, is pretty much living
the dream.

People read blogs to hear the views

oftheblogger, says Barber. So you should
allowyour personality to come through
inyour writing.
Blogging is a chance to be completely
uncensored, creative and niche. Be it
apersonal collection of phrases overheard
on public transport, or a specialist analysis
ofcurrent affairs, this is your chance to share
your views with the world.

Having a blog demonstrated

that we were capable of writing
regularly to a certain standard,
and that really helps when youre
trying to impress editors

What kind of blog should you go for?

Wordpress
With over 59m blogs and nearly 34m
comments each month, WordPress is
apopular and powerful blogging platform.
Individuals and businesses alike use it, and
ifyoure thinking about a career in digital
media, pick WordPress its software
ispopular with publications.

Tumblr
For retro lovers and those considering a more
visual blog, Tumblr is an excellent way to share
photos as well as other multimedia content.
Theres also a strong social element; users can
follow, like and re-blog others.

Blogger
Owned by Google, this is one of the longest
running blogging platforms. Its quicker and

easier to use than wordpress but is also

simpler, with fewer themes to pick from.

Posterous
Posterous is all about simple blogging. Ittakes
care of the fiddly stuff like resizing and
optimising images. Theres the option to send
posts to the biggest blogging platforms and
social networks, which is ideal if you want to
spread your content across the web

16 | How to promote your blog using social media

The golden rule is:

tailor your updates
to suit each site
and its users

chapter
three:

18 | How to promote your blog using social media

How to promote
your blog using
social media
Dont fling your
stuff out there: tailor
every update to suit
the audience.
By Harry Slater

romoting your blog is just as

important as writing it. Theres
not much point in saying
something if nobody is going
to read it.
With the web humming to the tune of social
media, the easiest and most effective way
to gain readers is to get your blog posts out
to all corners of the internet. And there are
anumber of things you can do on the blog
itself to get it noticed.
Ultra popular blogging platform WordPress
preaches a message of get social,
encouraging users to publicise their posts to
Twitter, Facebook and Tumblr. Sharing posts
to a range of networks is the number one way
of getting readers but theres more to it than

simply flinging stuff out there.

The golden rule is: tailor your updates
tosuit each site and its users.
Its essential to know your audience
content will get lost if its not presented in
the right way, says Laura Oliver, community
manager at the Guardian.

Get tweeting
There are several things you can do on Twitter.
Add hashtags, for example, and use services
like bit.ly to shorten urls and track clicks. Pay
attention to referrals and page views and act
on them, advises Oliver. If youre not seeing
the results you want, change how you share
content.
If youve written about a person, place or

Its essential to
know your audience
content will get lost
if its not presented in
the right way
brand, tag them in your tweets. If your blog
is updated by a few people, create a Twitter
account for it so that you have somewhere
central and identifiable to promote from.
Signoff tweets with your initials or handle
toinject personality.
Make use of Twitter cards. These are
afairly new addition to the site that display
the headline, summary and photo from an

article (or an image or video in full) when

a link istweeted. Most blogging platforms
have them enabled. If youre blogging with
WordPress, be sure to write an excerpt (a brief
summary) so that the cards summary text
isnt just an unco-ordinated mass of content
from your blog.

Use Facebook
Facebook has over a billion users and the
average number of friends each member
hasis 190, which means you stand to gain
agood number of readers from sharing
blogposts on Facebook.
The trick is to boost the posts position
in the news feed. Posts with a lot of activity
willappear higher on the feed, so ask family
and friends to comment on, like and share
your updates.
Facebook lets you tweak the title and
summary of a post so tidy it up if it looks
messy. If your posts arent being noticed,
trysharing a related image with a link
toyourblog.
Alternatively, take things up a gear by
paying for post promotion. For a tenner at
most youll get high exposure, with updates
appearing in the news feed of every friend

20 | How to promote your blog using social media

Just because a post

is seen by thousands
doesnt mean your
blog will be read by
thousands. Promote
in an engaging and
enticing way

and, if you opt for it, friends of friends.

If youre going to do this, your content
needs to be top notch. In the same way that
theres not much to be gained from writing
something and not promoting it, theres
even less to gain from promoting something
ofpoor quality. Theres also a chance that
people might think youre view-hungry and
onsome sort of ego-trip. Use it carefully.
Similarly, just because a post is seen by
thousands doesnt mean your blog will be
readby thousands. Promote in an engaging
and enticing way.
Make blog post shares public, and allow
people to subscribe to you, so that future
shares show up in news feeds without your
having to be friends with a load of strangers.

sweet comments and excessive tweeting

are transparent and very annoying. People
are interested in projecting a certain view
ofthemselves, Oliver points out, so present
content in a way that will make people want
toshare it on their networks.
Make it easy for people to share by using a
theme that displays social media icons clearly.
Be social offline is another of Olivers
recommendations go to meet-ups and take
the relationship from URL to IRL.
Establishing an audience, followers, likes
and interest takes time so dont be put off
if your hits and comments dont rocket
overnight. Its very easy to become fixated
on statistics and figures and, while they
are important, the quality of your content
shouldalways come first

Try Tumblr
Tumblr isnt just artsy photos; there are
formalblogs covering serious issues. Its
audience is young though, so adopt a fun
andinformal tone for successful sharing.
Itsalso one of the most excited (and excitable)
platforms, with 88.5m blogs publishing over
90m posts each day.
Users who follow you will most likely see
your content on their dashboard, alongside
hundreds of other posts (think Facebooks
news feed but for blogs).
Big chunks of text might make wouldbe readers scroll on by but tumblr is an
extremely visual platform. Post your entry as
a photo and use the description area for your
written content.
Tagging is vital on every platform but its
especially important on Tumblr as users
browse by tags. Oliver advises tagging with
the words users will use in a search, for
example, literature, not lit.

Useful links
How to use WordPress excerpts

(for Twitter cards)

Info from Twitter about Twitter cards
How to maximise your Facebook

promotion

On your blog itself

Your Tumblr stats

Interact with people. Follow them, link

tothem, leave comments and like and
re-blog their posts but be sincere. Sickly

Tumblr users are constantly

running meet-ups

22 | How my blog led to a career in journalism

chapter
four:

[Blogging] is a way for young

people to bypass the financial
and social barriers that make
journalism elitist

24 | How my blog led to a career in journalism

How my blog
led to a career
in journalism
Owen Jones,
bestselling author
and popular
columnist, tells
Rebecca Ratcliffe
how he got started

lucky, opinionated and cherubfaced, Owen Jones has fast

earned a reputation as the new
voice of old Labour. Famed for
his bestselling polemic Chavs
and regular columns in the Independent,
itwas blogging that gave him the exposure
needed to forge a career as a writer.
Blogging, he says, is a way for young people
to bypass the financial and social barriers that
make journalism elitist. Its an alternative
to unpaid internships, which I couldnt have
afforded to do, and to an expensive journalism
qualification at City University, which was also
out of reach for me.
For those with no contacts in the media,
no journalism training and no experience,
blogging offers the chance to get a foot in
thedoor. And theres never been a better time
tostart writing.
Theres a lack of young leftwing voices in
the mainstream media, but that means theres
a real opportunity for young people to emerge
and build a readership. So many people are

screaming at their tellies because their views

arent being expressed.
Jones never intended to become
ajournalist he started blogging to vent his
anger at the policies being put in place by
the coalition government. It seems he wasnt
the only one who felt this way four months
after writing his first post he realised that hed
started to develop a loyal readership.
A few months in, I was getting several
hundred clicks a day people were
retweeting, discussing and debating the issues
I was writing about. It felt like what I was doing
was worthwhile.
Another big affirmation came when senior
journalists started following me on Twitter
people like Kath Viner at the Guardian, Paul
Mason at the BBC they might not have
agreed with what I was saying, but they were
taking an interest in it.
Then came an email from the Guardians
Comment is Free: They told me that they
liked my blogs and would I be up for writing
something for them. The first time I wrote

For those with no

contacts in the media, no
journalism training and
no experience, blogging
offers the chance to get
a foot in the door

a comment piece was in March 2011, about

social mobility. That was my first opening into
the world of mainstream journalism.
Establishing yourself as a blogger amid a
world wide web that is bursting to the brim
with Tumblrs and Wordpress accounts isnt
easy. Jones says he fought his way through
the babble by building up a Twitter following
and writing guest posts on blog aggregators
like Liberal Conspiracy and Labour List.
Promoting your blog is also about the
wayyou engage with other people online,
headds. Find people with common
interests,comment and share their work.
Ifthey like what youre doing, they might
return the favour.
As your readership grows, so too will your
style. Looking back, Jones reflects that some
of his early posts were a bit too long and
wordy. Knowing how to put my thoughts
into a concise format was a challenge at first.
Because my training was academic, I used to
write in a very formal style, always giving two
sides of the argument. I had to change that

part of me and have a bit more passion.

And while he says isnt bothered with
flowery langauge I dont have time for
writing thats all about showing off your
vocab, he laughs that doesnt mean his
writing isnt carefully crafted. For me its
about short, snappy sentences, not long
oneswith lots of subordinate clauses.
You should always use the simplest word
possibleto convey your point accurately.
I used to send work to friends to
proofreadbefore I posted online having
people who are critical and whom you trust
isvery useful. My friends are very honest
withme and theyll tell me if something
doesnt work.
With blogging though, time is of the
essence. As Jones says: You need to be able
to put into words what other people want to
say but havent yet expressed for themselves.
If youre any good, youll respond quickly to
the news agenda. Thats why, although Jones
loves being a columnist, his heart will always
lie in the blogosphere. If youre a blogger, you

can respond to events instantly. Its not like

being a columnist, where you need to work
toprint deadlines.
Blogging is about immediate reaction. You
can be the first to write the definitive piece on
something, and thats pretty exciting.

Useful links
First blog for Comment is Free
Personal blog
Personal Twitter
Liberal Conspiracy
Labour List

26 | How to write for Blogging Students

chapter
five:

It is exciting to be unearthing
so much writing talent among
the student community and
exposing it to a wider audience
and you could be part of that

28 | How to write for Blogging Students

How to write
for Blogging
Students
Get the content
and style just right,
and you could find
yourself with huge
traffic figures on the
Guardian website
By Judy Friedberg

heres no magic formula

forproducing a great blog
forBlogging Students, the
hugely popular community
blog on the Guardian
Students website.
Weve published a wide variety
ofcontributions, but all those that have
done really well have something in common:
theyve pinpointed an issue thats important
tolots of students and cast new light on it.
It is exciting for us on Guardian Students
tobe unearthing so much writing talent
among the student community and
exposing it to a wider audience and you
could be part of that. You might be in sixth
form, or studyingat an FE college, doing an
apprenticeship or attending university, either
as an undergraduate or as a postgraduate
student. We want Blogging Students
toreflectthe full range of student life in
theUKand, indeed, much further afield.
Get the content and style just right, and

you could find yourself with huge traffic

figures onthe Guardian website - weve had
blogsthat have drawn well over 100,000
readers - and your piece will pop up all over
Facebook and Twitter.

Pitch first, blog later

So how do you get started? By sending in
abrief, well-structured pitch.
Please dont send us whole blogs. Pitch
youridea, discuss it with us, and only if you
get the go-ahead start writing. This is a lot
lesstime-wasting for all concerned.
The best topics are small and specific rather
than huge and wide-ranging. For example,
dont pitch the state of higher education,
dopitch my course is mostly being taught
byother students.
Your pitch should say what your
argumentwill be, who will be quoted in your
piece, and what links to news reports or
surveys orstatistics you are going to include.
Send it to me.

At the end of 2012, we shortlisted a top 10

ofthe blogs that impressed us most and
asked Guardian readers to vote for one
theyliked best.
Anyone whos thinking of blogging for us
should read some of them, not to copy their
style, but to ask themselves: what is it about
each of these blogs that makes it so special?

How to write a blog for Blogging

Students
A Blogging Students blog is not like your own
personal blog. We are not looking for creative
writing about something that has caught
your attention. Its not a comment piece or
apolitical speech or an essay.
Its a personal engagement with a student
issue, and it will generally - though not
always - include the following elements:
A logical argument, pointing out opposing
views but taking your own stand
Colour. This means writing that makes
it come alive. (Tip: avoid abstract nouns entrepreneurship, authenticity, passion - and
paint a picture with simple strong words like
boots, apples, gulp)
Links to relevant articles, surveys and data.
Any factual assertion you make (for example,
theres been a drop in the number of student
applications this year) needs to be backed up
with a source
Quotes from other students, university
staff, experts whoever is relevant to the
discussion. This allows you to show different
points of view, making your piece much richer
Personality. We want to see a bit of you
in the blog and this should come across in
the way you write. But dont go overboard
- we dont want you standing on a soapbox
banging on about your pet hates
Specific examples, perhaps based on

The best
topics are
small and
specific
rather
than huge
and wideranging

Originality

Brevity

Write about something no one else has

covered, or take a very different approach
to a familiar topic

Dont repeat yourself, dont waffle

anddont go off on a rant

Conversational tone
Bring in lots of different voices and show
you understand the issue from a range of
viewpoints

Our blogs are usually around 600 words long.

Dont write more than that unless you have
discussed it with us and weve agreed that
youshould.
Its a good idea to read what youve written
aloud. Does it feel natural coming out of your
mouth? Is that how you talk?

What should you write about?

The blogs have covered a huge range
of issues: academic concerns (revision,
plagiarism, dissertations), health (drugs,
depression, illness), politics (student unions,
tuition fees, protests) and lifestyle (clubbing,
accommodation, music). As long as its a topic
that affects significant numbers of students,
wed consider it.
Dont be disheartened if we turn your
topicdown - it may be because we feel
the topic has been well-aired already,
orbecauseweve accepted a similar pitch
fromsomeone else. Just have another
thinkand try again.

What do you get out of it?

What were looking for

Variety

personal experience, perhaps based on

aninterview you have done
A grabby intro. Is it intriguing/engaging/
different?
A news peg. This is by no means essential,
but staying abreast of developments will often
help you come up with a relevant story
A focus for debate. The reader should
emerge clear about what youre saying, what
other people have said on the subject, and
what they are being asked to comment on.

Use the words you use when youre

chatting to your friends, not the sort
ofacademic language you might deploy
toimpress someone marking an essay.
Avoid jargon and acronyms.

We dont pay for blogs, but those whove

written for Blogging Students say theyve
benefited in many ways.
Theyve been guided by professional
journalists to produce a blog of a high
standard. Theyve got their own contributor
page on the Guardian, which is a huge boost
to their online profile and their CV. Because
of the enormous following these blogs have,
their writing has been exposing to tens of
thousands of readers.
If theyve joined in the discussion
beneaththeir blog, theyve got a C
(forcontributor) tagnext to their name
whichaccompanies them all over the
Guardian site. They also tend to end up
withheaps more followers on Twitter
andfriends on Facebook to say nothing
ofaveryproud family.
So, what are you waiting for?

30 | Blogging in style

Style is the difference

between a blog that knows
its shit and a blog that
knows its shit

chapter
six:

32 | Blogging in style

Blogging
in style
Think it doesnt
matter how you
punctuate and spell
things any more?
Think again, advises
Guardian style guru
David Marsh

tyle is the difference between

a blog that knows its shit and a
blog that knows its shit.
Its the difference between
I helped my Uncle Jack off a
horse and I helped my uncle jack off a horse.
And its the difference between Goths
(a Germanic tribe that invaded the Roman
empire) and goths (Sisters of Mercy fans who
invaded the Shepherds Bush Empire).
Youre interested in blogging, which
suggests you can write and you have
something to say. But if you dont say it in

style clearly and accurately your blog may

not have the effect you hope for. It may not
affect your readers in a positive way. Theyll
read something else unless you effect some
changes and start to communicate effectively.
If this sounds complicated and is making
you regret spending English lessons at school
gazing dreamily at the legs of the person
in front of you, dont despair: theres plenty
of help available. Most newspapers have
style guides, and the Guardians is not only
much more fun than the traditional English
textbook, but more importantly its free.

keep posts to a maximum of

400 words. There are a lot of
attractions out there competing
for readers attention

Six top tips for sounding stylish

1 Grammar and punctuation
Good style is not about observing rules
for the sake of it, and some rules
can cheerfully be ignored if anyone
complains that you have split an
infinitive, tell them to boldly go away.
But you do need to know that its
isshort for it is while its is possessive,
and not to put an apostrophe in
plurals(cabbages), because these
arethesorts of mistakes that make
youlook unprofessional. If your
readerscant trustyou to punctuate
properly, whyshould they trust what
youhave tosay?

2 Words easily confused, misused,

misspelt, or all three
Not to labour the point about affect and effect,
there are many words that its easy to mix
up. Again, you will lose credibility with your
readersif you dont know the difference.
They wont be at all complimentary if
youmisuse complementary. You can flaunt
your knowledge, and flout the conventions,
but if you get those two words the wrong
wayround, you may flounder and your
blogwill founder.

3 How to write clearly

Dont get your syntax (sentence structure)

in a twist, as this Guardian columnist did:

This argument, says a middle-aged lady
inabusiness suit called Marion... (What
wereher other outfits called?)
Dont be tempted to use long words
in anattempt to impress: sesquipedalian
posturing will just put people off.

4 Keep sentences and paragraphs

brief and to the point
If you want people to read your blog, rather
than merely admire your industry, keep
poststo a maximum of 400 words. There
area lot of attractions out there competing
forreaders attention.

5 Getting your facts right

6 Reflect your values

This ranges from spelling peoples names

correctly (whether they are famous or not)
and quoting them accurately particularly
ifyou are writing a post replying to
somethingtheyve said to getting dates
andplaces right.
If you say George Osborn was elected
MPfor Totton at the 2005 general
election,you will just look sloppy or
causereaders to wonder if this can be
theGeorgeOsborne who was elected
MPforTatton at the 2001 general election.
Andwhat else you are wrong about. If in
doubt, check.

For the Guardian, a liberal newspaper

witha repuation for tolerance and
fairness,its crucially important that
our language reflects our values. This
is why we have taken a lead in avoiding
racist andsexist language, and terms
that denigrate or stigmatise disabled
peopleand other groups.
I hope you will feel the same
way, butwhatever your views, you
should beaware that the language
choices youmake will reflect them.
Words can bepowerful, and need
tobeusedwithcare.

34 | Blogging in style

You can read it here.

If Guardian style is not to your taste, there
are lots of other guides you can try, some of
which are available online. Grammar books
are a mixed bag, ranging from the dull to the
frankly incomprehensible, but I recommend
anything by Bill Bryson or David Crystal.
Dont be afraid to use a dictionary; Collins
isaccessible and up to date, and is the one the
Guardian favours.
The way to communicate effectively is
to be clear, coherent and consistent. A style
guide cant turn you into a good writer, but it
can help you achieve those aims. Good luck.
David Marsh is production editor of the
Guardian and, with Amelia Hodsdon, is
editor of the Guardian style guide. They
blog here and tweet as @guardianstyle

Dont be tempted to
use long words in an
attempt to impress:
sesquipedalian posturing
will just put people off

guardian.co.uk/students