Update: This post was first published in 2013 and things have changed a lot over the past nine years. We updated this piece to remove blogs that are defunct or no longer useful to journalists and added a handful more to help you stay up to date with the latest developments.
Although the journalism industry has seen a shift from blogging to social media and newsletters over recent years, there are still many blogs by journalists that are alive and kicking. This is a list of blogs by journalists, academics and photojournalists sharing tips and perspectives on topics such as social media, data journalism, apps, tools, and the latest developments in the industry.
The blogs are listed in random order and we have not included any blogs hosted by news organisations, though we have included two key media companies powered by single author.
They are loosely grouped by type and the order is not intended to be read as a sliding scale. It is also not a definitive list. We invited people to nominate blogs via Twitter and received a good number of responses, many of which we have included here. If we have missed your blog or a favourite blog that is written by a journalist and of interest to fellow journalists, please add it to the list by way of a comment below.
General
Adam Tinworth covers journalism and technology, plus shares tips and advice on useful tools for journalists and reflections on the industry. He works as a consultant on digital journalism, publishing, mobile and social media, and he is a visiting lecturer and module leader in the Department of Journalism at City University London.
Tinworth has been blogging for nearly two decades and covers many conferences by liveblogging, not giving minute-by-minute updates but publishing a chronology of a talk, usually before the speaker has left the podium.
Jon Slattery is a freelance journalist and former deputy editor of Press Gazette. He posts media quotes of the week and uses his blog to offer an "independent view on media matters".
Jack Lail, former director of digital for the Knoxville News Sentinel, uses his blog to share news about the industry. He keeps up to date with the latest experiments in online commenting and posts links to related resources.
Data journalist Claire Miller is behind Wales Online's data store. Her data-related blog is a must-follow for anyone interested in that area of journalism. For example, this post on 'a great big list of FoI ideas' is a fantastic resource for local reporters.
Kristine Lowe
Kristine Lowe is a Norway-based journalist and industry expert. Her blog includes topics such as 'how to make the newsroom embrace data journalism'. Altough it has not been updated since 2017, there is plenty of archived content worth looking up.
Mary Hamilton was an executive editor, audience at the Guardian before becoming programme director at Citizen Advice. Their blog is not updated as often as you would like it to be but contains a lot of great content about technology and storytelling.
Fiona Cullinan's blog gives "tales from the sub-editors desk and crossing the digital divide". She also blogged during the pandemic - one of the rare lockdown diaries. Take a look.
Zombie Journalism, by Mandy Jenkins
Established in 2009, Zombie Journalism spreads the word that the industry is alive and kicking. It celebrates and evaluates changes in the world of journalism, from the increase in remote working to fake news.
A blagger's guide to getting into journalism, by Rhian Jones
Rhian Jones is a freelance music business journalists. When she was starting out in the industry, she has created the 'blagger's guide to getting into journalism'. There are writing tips, pitching tips and general advice that still holds true. It was nominated for this list by Amanda Leek.
Started in 1997, Scripting News may be the longest running weblog on the internet. Dave Winer, a software developer and writer, explores developments in journalism as well as a range of other issues that ignite his interest.
DigiDave
David Cohn is a co-founder of Subtext, and a former executive producer at AJ+. He blogs about innovation in the media and aims to help develop the emerging practice of participatory journalism.
The Authentic Storytelling Project
Christoph Trappe, who has worked as both a journalist and a content marketing strategist, blogs about how best to tell and share authentic stories on social media.
Ok, this is not strictly a blog but a website of the award-winning journalist, researcher and trainer Shirish Kulkarni. He publishes posts about innovative approaches to storytelling, mental health and inclusion. Well worth a read.
The Rebooting, by Brian Morrissey
We cannot completely ignore Substack if we try. For digital publishing and media topics discussed from a business model angle, The Rebooting by Brian Morrissey is an unmissable site and newsletter. Recommended by Dmitry Shishkin.
Media HighlightHer by Esther Kezia Thorpe
Freelance journalist and well-known member of the Media Voices Podcast Esther Kezia Thorpe** **launched this blog and newsletter to elevate the work of women in covering the business of media, from advertising and technology to publishing and journalism.
Created by the founder of Storyhunter Alex Ragir, Media Jungle is a Substack newsletter that is also accessible as a website. It promises you to stay informed and entertained on the intersection of media and technology.
Journalism academics and educators
Online Journalism Blog, by Paul Bradshaw
Professor Paul Bradshaw is an online journalist and blogger, who leads the MA in Data, Multiplatform and Mobile Journalism at Birmingham City University. His blog is a must-read, and features guest contributions from all over the world.
PressThink, by Jay Rosen
This blog is written by Jay Rosen, associate professor of journalism at New York University. He writes about the state of the press in the digital era and the challenges it presents, posting essays, interviews and press criticism. Rosen's blog was nominated by Anjali Mullany.
Alan Geere online
Alan Geere is a journalist, academic and international editorial consultant. His blog is a mix of reflections on the industry, international issues, and snippets of his life.
BuzzMachine, by Jeff Jarvis
Jeff Jarvis needs little introduction. He is a media commentator, author and associate professor and director of the Tow-Knight Center for Entrepreneurial Journalism at the City University of New York. BuzzMachine is an invaluable blog charting his personal opinions on journalism and media.
George Brock is professor of journalism at City, University of London. He uses his blog to comment on the industry. It was suggested by Rosie Scammell.
Media Nation, by Dan Kennedy
Dan Kennedy is an associate professor at Northeastern University's School of Journalism, specialising in alternative business models for news. He posts frequent news and commentary about the industry.
Alan Geere is a journalism tutor at Victoria University in Kampala, Uganda. He reflects on journalism and provides a glimpse of life in Uganda.
The Editor's Desk, by Andy Bechtel
This blog welcomes "anyone who loves words and the news", according to an explainer on the site. Andy Bechtel, copy editor and professor of journalism at the University of North Carolina, writes about editing and posts interesting Q&As with people in the industry.
Bill Gentile is a documentary filmmaker, who teaches at the American University in Washington, DC. He blogs about his work teaching 'backpack video journalism' around the world.
Damian Radcliffe
Damian Radcliffe is a chambers professor in journalism at the University of Oregon. Often featuring content he has taught as part of his university courses, his blog is at the intersection of journalism and research with frequent updates. Recommended by Thomas Seymat.
Photo and videojournalists
Telling The Story, by Matt Pearl
Video journalist Matt Pearl takes a continuing look at how journalists tell stories, aiming to offer commentary, links to great stories, reflections on deeper issues, and thoughts on his own work.
Football Photographer Blog, by Matthew Ashton
Matthew Ashton is one of the most highly published football photographers of his generation. His blog, although not updated for a while, has a post on how he got started in sports photography and details on the technology he uses to file the pictures.
This is a photo blog by Leon Neal, a press photographer for Getty Images. It has been nominated by John D McHugh.
Video Journalism, by Cyndy Green
Cyndy Green is a retired freelance video journalist with a background in TV news. She blogs about visual storytelling and life outside of the news industry.
Hixposure, by David Hicks
Self-described as "art journalism meets social comment", Hixposure is David Hick’s photojournalism blog exploring all the extraordinary moments in ordinary life.
Data
David Higgerson writes about data journalism, social media, and freedom of information, and does weekly round-ups of stories generated by FOI requests. He works in audience and customer relations at Reach PLC, and also uses his blog to reflect on digital opportunities for regional journalists.
Simon Rogers is data editor at Google and creator of the Guardian Data website. His blog covers a variety of areas within journalism, with information for those starting out, as well as more experienced journalists.
Telling Stories Through Numbers, by Claire Miller
Claire Miller, an award-winning data journalist and editor of the Reach Data Unit, explores data journalism and FOI news and debates on her long-running blog.
Media companies
Baekdal Plus, by Thomas Baekdal
Though not a blog, Baekdal Plus is an invaluable resource, bringing analysis of the media industry, focusing on future trends, editorial and business strategies, monetisation models, as well as analytics and data. You need to subscribe to access full content.
A Media Operator, by Jacob Donnelly
Another subscription-based publication with twice-weekly newsletters on the tactics and strategies that go into building digital media companies (recommended by Isabelle Roughol).
Have we missed a must-follow blog by a journalist, for journalists? Let us know on Twitter or via email.
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