I haven’t had time to scan the ST’s Urban article (dated 19 June 2009) which featured Singapore fashion bloggers. Noelle Loh contacted most of us for a photoshoot and interview – obviously, to talk about the fashion blogging phenomenon. The interview was much longer than what was published. I respect journalists for what they do for a living but I need to voice out my opinion on this article.
There is an on-going debate on credibility social media for the longest time. I don’t want to sound ‘petty’ but the quotes picked for this article showcased how bloggers are not qualified for ‘reporting’. I did say I’m not an expert but I do feel this article is in favour of traditional media. Read on and you’ll see why:
One such buzzed-about blogger is Singaporean Wai Xiao Wen, 26, who runs three-year-old blog Fash-Eccentric!.
Says the assistant director of external affairs at a school here: ‘I don’t think I’m qualified to be considered influential but I do think readers see us as alternative opinion leaders to the conventional media.’
Here’s another:
Still, some may face credibility problems.
Says Wai: ‘I don’t think editors and journalists fancy bloggers much. Most of them go, ‘Oh, I see,’ when I introduce myself as one and I’m not sure if they mean it positively.’
Well, the thing is we care about credibility but at the same time, we don’t have rules to abide by like journalists. Of course, both media should co-exists with one another – with very different purposes. Social media excels on immediacy and some even, accuracy. Traditional media provides insight and credibility. I think the article provides Singapore fashion bloggers a great exposure but at the same time – thank you for that. At the same time, I hope journalists can look at us as a peer in the industry – rather than treat us like amateurs (which I do get that feeling most of the time).
I rest my case.
…or they are afraid of the impending doom of traditional print media.
Congrats on the feature! =DD I thought it was really interesting reading about you guys…
To tell you the truth, there are times when I wonder just how credible reporters working for local magazines/newspapers are when it comes to fashion. It just seems like they are no different from any of us who are interested in fashion, just that they have the means to air their views via traditional media to reach a wider audience. But since a lot of them aren’t specialized fashion reporters per se, I wonder how much time they have to spend reading up and observing fashion trends alongside their own research for other work related areas… possibly as much as us?
(btw, hope you don’t mind that I’ve added you to my blogroll! ;D)
Congratulations on the feature! And traveling the world does sound like a major perk…something I look for in a job, anyway!
Thanks guys!
Timothy: I don’t think they are afraid but traditional media should start getting used to have a new player in town. OR, they should start adapting to changes and diversifying their product – or embrace us
tis serendipity: That’s pretty true – how do you define an expert? If you study something hard enough, I’m sure you can be an expert of all sorts. Do you need paper qualifications to prove your expertise? I don’t think so. Thanks for reading, and will add you to my blogroll too.
Sara Jayne: Thanks, I’m not really traveling the world. I have a full-time desk job besides blogging! Traveling as a job will be totally neat
I had the same vibe too. and well said!!!