Live blogging

Live blogging is still new. Very new. It's still a time of experimentation, hits and misses. But already journalists are beginning to discover there are quite a few key elements in creating a good live blog.

Full-time blogger Darren Rowes, who owns a number of blogging websites including ProBlogger.net, asked his readers what they believe makes a great live blog. These were some of their responses:

• Chetan recommends using a video camera to record as much of the conference as possible and then edit and upload sessions during breaks.
• Becky and Alrady shared some thoughts on capturing the ‘mood’ of a conference rather than just the information shared – mood being something that is hard for those following a conference online to get a handle on.
• impNERD encourages those live blogging events to take their time and focus upon quality rather than focussing upon just being ‘first’ to post something.
• Will coded his own system that tracks what other people are ‘tweeting’ about an event to update them onto his blog.

I thought each of these recommendations were right on the money. I did notice, however, that there was no mention of 'newsiness'. Okay, so I just invented a word, but this truly is a grey area in blogging - how newsy do the blogs have to be?

After coming across the Guardian's online coverage of the Emmy's, I felt even more confused as to where the line is drawn between being entertaining and informative. Below is a snapshot of the coverage -

7.19pm: We're playing the compulsory awards ceremony red-carpet drinking game. One for "I love your dress", two for "my jewels are from Bulgari". Sobriety will be a struggle tonight, I can tell this already

8.09pm: It infuriates me that Boardwalk Empire is nominated, not just because Paz de la Huerta is in it and therefore is inherently awful, but because it proves that if you throw enough money at something and slap Scorcese's name on it, it will get nominated, even if it is UNBELIEVABLY BORING.

If they don't give Steve Carrell the best actor in a comedy award for The Office, I'll eat my laptop.

8.34pm: HF: Why is Will Arnett paired up with Zooey Deschanel to give an award? She can't even read a teleprompter, for God's sake. He looks so embarrassed. Poor Will. He needs me. I should be there with him.

9.05pm: GONG! Outstanding writing for a variety, music, or comedy series goes to the Daily Show. That makes co-creator Lizz Winstead very happy. And drunker.

Predictably, the writers deliver a very badly written acceptance speech

Is it really appropriate for these journalists to include such personal commentary? Surely mentioning drinking games is out of the question? Well, surely not, as this type of coverage was produced by a reputable, widely-followed news source.

I guess blogging really differs depending on its source, and the same principle applies with journalistic blogging. Each news organisation is representing itself through its blog, whether as a serious, hard-news type or as a personable, entertaining source, like the Guardian. As I said, now is a time of hits and misses with live blogging. And the Guardian's Emmy coverage? You decide.