They have taken notice of blogs, at last!

My colleague Robert Micallef has won the e-journalism category of the Malta Journalism Awards, sponsored by HP and organised by the Institute of Maltese Journalists. Well done Rob!

His winning submission were from his Wired Temples blog on MaltaMedia.com

This is the third time out of the four that MaltaMedia.com won the e-journalism category sincd its inception. The other winners are me and Pierre Mejlak.

I interviewed Robert to shed more light on rise of Maltese blogs which have finally been recognised as part of Maltese media.

1)A blog has won the e-journalism awards. Is this proof that Maltese blogs can be news content creators?
Bloggers have established themselves in The US, Asia and Europe as part of the mainstream news environment. In the Maltese scenario, blogs tend to be less news creators and more in the line of online journals in which people share their thoughts and ideas on certain topics. There are very few examples of breaking news via Maltese blogs as in the case of American politics, news from the ground in Iraq or the Tsunami in Asia. But it wont be long before blogs become channels for new news content even in Malta. One advantage of news blogs is that blog readers can immediately post comments pointing out inaccuracies that later visitors can read.

2) Why did you start a blog and what is its function on the web?
When I started my blog in 2004, I had no idea where it would take me but I used it to express my own opinions about a number of issues and events. I started independently on a Blogger platform and later joind the MaltaMedia Online Network. I also established my blog as a channel to promote other Maltese blogs and contribute to the development of a 'Maltese blogging space'. Later, I started using it as a platform for Malta references on the blogosphere, in cyberspace and the online international media so, in a way, it is partly a kind of online depository of views about Malta as seen by others.

3) Can you point me to other Maltese blogs with newsy content? What’s their offering?
I recommend a visit to Toni Sant's blog particularly for his music podcasts, Mikiel Galea's cartoon blog for his depiction of the cultural scene in the eighties and Antoine Cassar's blog for his reflections on the Maltese language. For blogging of a more political nature, Jacques Rene' Zammit has entertaining commentaries about the news while Aaron Farrugia is a promising new blogger who writes from a labour perspective.

4) Do you think online journalism is leaving its mark locally?
Online journalism is still under construction locally. More new content needs to appear online. Established news websites tend to rely on news that is created elsewhere. Maltastar is one bold exception even if under - resourced. The Times of Malta has the best webpage amongst the mainstream press even if, like the others, it only reproduces the news that is published in the printed version. The breaking news section is welcome but still limited in scope. The left wing media have been in the forefront of technological innovation around the world and I would like to see more signs of that locally. Online journalism could also be the ideal platform for more free and independent news sources in Malta.

5) MaltaMedia has won 3 of the 4 e-journanilsm awards since the category was started. To what do you attribute this success?
MaltaMedia and its sister portal aboutmalta.com have a loyal readership particularly amongst Maltese who are travelling or living abroad. It has been very consistent over a number of years and it is now ready for the next stage of its development.

6) Anything else you would like to add?
I hope that the award by the Institute of Maltese Journalists will help to increase exposure to the idea of blogging in Malta and to increase recognition of new media as a growing phenomenon. The mainstream media have been slow to acknowledge the rise of new media but they will eventually embrace it once they see more evidence of its growing popularity.