Believing the blogs of war? How blog users compare on credibility and characteristics in 2003 and 2007

Abstract

This study surveyed those who used blogs for information about the war in Iraq to investigate the degree to which judgements of credibility, reliance, demographics, and political characteristics of war blog users have changed between 2003 and 2007. In both 2003 and 2007, blog users judged blogs as more credible sources for war news than traditional media and their online counterparts. This study also found that different types of blogs were rated differently in terms of credibility in 2007 with military and war blogs rated the most credible and media blogs being judged the lowest in credibility. Additionally, parallels are drawn between the findings and possible roles for blogs in the escalating war in Afghanistan. Results are also discussed in terms of the changing roles of the military in Iraq as well as the changing role of blogs in the Iraq War.