Blogging about blogging: Part 1

Blogging, trending, SEO, tags, topics, niche, monetizing, content, posts, RSS, domains, hosts and ... does it ever end? 

For the majority of this semester, blogging has been at the forefront of the conversation in 2/3 of my classes. We've talked basics — sites and topics and how to write a blog — and we've gone in depth — how to use keywords for SEO, how to take advantage of trending and topics/niches on which to focus. Most of this is stuff I never thought I'd need to know, and stuff I never thought I'd want to know. And, to be honest, I'm not sure yet whether it is stuff I want to know.

I guess I don't exactly get why people blog. I don't get who reads them and why. For me, I'd rather stick to journalism — and, frankly, I don't see blogging as journalism. I understand the industry is changing. I'm only reminded of that 100 times a day, on average. But that, to me, doesn't necessarily mean blogging is the answer. Why can't journalists write for an online platform, in the form of online articles? 

I see blogging as online journals, most of the time. People can take to the Internet, write about whatever it is interests them, spout off about their opinions and call it a day. Some people might find what someone says to be interesting or humorous or informational, and maybe they like to read that blog. But what is it about this that is journalism? Can anyone help explain this?

Don't get me wrong: I'm not against blogging. Obviously, I myself am a blogger (though, admittedly, not entirely by choice). And I understand it has merit. It's a great platform for people to express themselves and share ideas, and I really see the value in that. My question is: Why can't we draw the line there?

Mostly, this curiosity comes at the heels of a panel of bloggers in my Entrepreneuial Journalism class today. They are really savvy individuals who have worked on some incredible Web sites and launched some cool ideas. But the whole blogging aspect of their jobs is what leaves me baffled.

So, if anyone has the answer to my question, I'd really love to hear it. Maybe I'm just missing something.