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DEBATE: Are aid agencies ready for the blogosphere?
Written by: AlertNet
Photo by REUTERS/Sultan Al Fahed
As one blogging true believer has said, blogs should be written while sitting in front of the computer in dirty pyjamas. They're not the type of thing you write while wearing a suit. Much of aid agency communications is of the wearing-a-suit variety. Open and frank discussion is rare. Many blogs read more like press releases, crammed with acronyms and technical aid-speak. Others are just plain boring, or so thoroughly vetted by head office that all the juice has been squeezed dry. Why is this? On paper, aid workers should be the perfect bloggers. They're working in fascinating places, witnessing events full of human interest. They have an inside look at the machinations of the multi-billion dollar aid industry. AlertNet wanted to get to the bottom of this - and to try to help relief groups maximise the opportunities offered by this brave new medium. At an event at our London headquarters, we encouraged aid workers to share their experiences and hammer out tips for better blogging. Joined by an expert panel from the media and non-profit sector, the group grappled with how to sell blogging to headquarters and field staff, how to protect against security risks and how to make blogs that sing. Follow the links below to see what they came up with. And join the debate by leaving your comments at the bottom of this page. How have blogs helped - or hindered your work? What are the horror stories? Are the risks involved only perceived or are some of them real? What are examples of blogging at its best?
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6 responses to “DEBATE: Are aid agencies ready for the blogosphere?”
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02 Aug 2008 16:43:02 GMT
We're already publishing. Check aidworkerdaily.com
03 Aug 2008 08:48:57 GMT
The proper usage of blogs could make an enormous difference when disseminationg your agency's vision and mission.
04 Aug 2008 13:59:15 GMT
IRIN is at least ready. Check out IRINâs blogs. IRIN PlusNews is particularly juicing the humanitarian blogosphere. Posts range from the rarely discussed phenomena of conference sex to party dresses and repacking HIV/AIDS messaging
Check out the IRIN Blog Check out the IRIN PlusNews Blog04 Aug 2008 18:00:31 GMT
Blogs open up conversations and that's what lots of people will expect from a website today.
if you are interested in checking out blogs about human rights issues, Amnesty UK has created a platform for people passionate about human rights to share their stories and discuss at http://blogs.amnesty.org.uk04 Aug 2008 18:01:20 GMT
Who exactly is the audience for these blogs? Policy makers don't have time to read anything, let alone blogs. Other aid workers rarely have access to internet in the field. Your folks back home want details that are considered too dangerous by security to release. So in all, unless you go the route of the "Sleepless in Sudan" anonymous aid worker - all you are going to get are either propoganda pieces or poorly updated and too shallow to mean anything pieces - which the agencies publish enough of. I'm not convinced that the blog universe is well suited for the aid universe.
13 Aug 2008 11:40:55 GMT
"Much of aid agency communications is of the wearing-a-suit variety. Open and frank discussion is rare."
That says enough why many aid agencies don't use blogs as part of their corporate communications strategy. Almost by definition, blogs are spontaneous, written at the moment, with room for error, and are often opinionated. Contradicts with corporate communications. Those aid agencies using the blog tools, use it as they use their corporate website. That is why there are very few corporate aid blogs. But there are loads of aid worker blogs. A list you can see on http://theroadtothehorizon.