Blogging education

When my newspaper's Web site was updated and gave reporters the ability to blog, I took advantage of it. While it's been an on-again, off-again experience, I'm proud to say I'm back on.

I'm also learning it isn't always easy.
Like my co-workers, I tend to be perhaps too cautious. We are taught to not take sides, to hide our bias and not share our opinions. Yet blogging is about putting your personality on display, not just reciting information that had already been in the newspaper.

I've tried to strike a middle ground. When a controversial issue comes up, I've discussed the pros and cons but left it up to readers to give the opinions. That keeps me on safe ground while making sure these varieties of views aren't forgotten or left out.

I have also learned quickly that I must do my homework. While someone may not call me or e-mail me about concerns in a story, they are more likely to leave a comment on my story or on my blog. In one such case a reader asked why I failed to disclose that the superintendent received a raise shortly before the district started talking school levy. I hate to say I really didn't have a good answer.

My blog is part local news, part education trends. I try to focus on some of the people involved in education, such as students completing an impressive project or teachers trying out a new teaching method.

It also is valuable when trying to promote an upcoming story.

The catch is how to drive people to the blog. I am not quite ready to promote it heavily in the print edition because I am not at the point where I blog regularly in it. Stories still are the priority and sometimes don't leave much time for other pursuits.

I am also hampered because our Web site's blog doesn't have the same features as more popular blogging sites. It isn't the easiest to navigate, but it is what we have.

I would be interested to hear about other education reporters' blogging experiences, especially those working for smaller newspapers.