1 A STUDY ON EELAM WEBLOGS In this study the researchers intended to analyse the Eelam Weblogs. This research has empirically investigated to understand and examine how weblogs influenced the Eelam Tamils for their social networking and interaction. Also it studied how the blogs were used as a tool for communication. It analysed the evolution of blogging during subsequent period of the Eelam war and assessed the impact of this new form of media under the present scenario in journalism. This research employed qualitative and quantitative content analysis, in a case study approach and applied the theory: ‘Uses and Gratifications’. The study based on a content analysis with 517 entries of 6 established Eelam weblogs selected by purposive sampling method. It focused on the theme and the structural content of Eelam blogs. It also concentrated on and the demographics and the underlying motivations of Eelam bloggers. The findings revealed that Eelam bloggers were highly motivated to write blogs for social interaction and have seen as an alternative form of Journalism. Also they highly discussed their ‘feelings and thoughts about Eelam’. It has also found that through blogs, they could unfold the stories of Eelam which were never unwraped by the mainstream media. J.P. Josephine Mary & Dr. P. Govindaraju
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A STUDY ON EELAM WEBLOGS
In this study the researchers intended to analyse the Eelam Weblogs. This
research has empirically investigated to understand and examine how weblogs
influenced the Eelam Tamils for their social networking and interaction. Also it
studied how the blogs were used as a tool for communication. It analysed the
evolution of blogging during subsequent period of the Eelam war and assessed the
impact of this new form of media under the present scenario in journalism.
This research employed qualitative and quantitative content analysis, in a
case study approach and applied the theory: ‘Uses and Gratifications’. The study
based on a content analysis with 517 entries of 6 established Eelam weblogs
selected by purposive sampling method. It focused on the theme and the structural
content of Eelam blogs. It also concentrated on and the demographics and the
underlying motivations of Eelam bloggers. The findings revealed that Eelam
bloggers were highly motivated to write blogs for social interaction and have seen
as an alternative form of Journalism. Also they highly discussed their ‘feelings and
thoughts about Eelam’. It has also found that through blogs, they could unfold the
stories of Eelam which were never unwraped by the mainstream media.
J.P. Josephine Mary &
Dr. P. Govindaraju
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A Study on Eelam Weblogs
1. Introduction
Blogs are the new kind of online media. Rebecca Blood (2003) defines web
logs (blogs) as personal or organisational web pages organized by dated entries with
newer items posted to the top of the site, usually consisting of links, media
commentaries, personal thoughts, essays, papers and ongoing discussion”.
Blogging represents one of the most democratic media or media formats in history.
Weblogs are popular because they enable easy, inexpensive, self publication of
content for a potentially vast audience on the world wide web, while being more
flexible and interactive than previous publication formats, print or
digital(Herring,Scheidt, Bonus, &Write,2005).
Media generally reflects and supports specific cultural norms, individual
behaviour, and public expectation but at times of unexpected or anticipated crisis,
when political agents and media gatekeeper modify their communication practices
they protect or implement dominant political interests and goals (Lee Artz,pp9). A
tendency for mainstream media to take the side of the government of the day under
condition of war or emergency, has often been observed. A key theory in this
matter has been provided by Bennet (1990) who proposes that journalists tend to
reflect or index the range of voices and viewpoints according to the range of views
in the mainstream political debate (McQuail.pp 521).
The news media, however, is widely viewed as biased. The most commonly
discussed form of bias occurs when the media, supports or attacks on a particular
political party, candidate, or ideology and the bias including reporting that favours
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or attacks a particular race, religion, gender, age, sexual orientation, or ethnic group.
Also the other common forms of bias include the ownership of the news source, that
owners may demand coverage that reflects their corporate and ideological interests
(Herman &Chomsky, 1988; Parenti, 1986; Sparrow, 1999). Language may also be
seen as a political factor in mass media. The choice of language of mass media may
represent a bias towards the group which may speak that language, and can limit the
public participation by those who do not speak the language.
According to the Reporters Without Borders index, Sri Lanka ranked 165th
among 173 countries in the index. Since 2005 the government has imposed strict
censorship on media coverage of the war. Tamil journalists over the years had been
targetted by the state sponsored guerilla attacks.
During and after the Eelam war, traditional media outlets couldn’t keep up
with original reporting and the political agenda blocked the Srilankan Tamil news.
Media kept a silence regarding the fact during the war. Blogs are the most
important tool and they play a significant place among the Eelam Tamils. The
bloggers could empower a new group of writers to challenge a storyline presented
by mainstream media and to move from observer status to commentator or even
shaper of events. The Eelam bloggers are much closer to an average people, where
the importance of Eelam blogs arises.
Thamizmanam aggregator claims that Tamil blogs create an open
environment and opportunity to discuss sensitive Tamil issues which is not possible
even in the mass media. It encourages citizen journalism which leads to a wider and
faster coverage of news, reported the moment they happen. Among Indian
bloggers, Tamil bloggers are stand in front.
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‘Examining Polish bloggers through content analysis’(Trammell.K. D.,
Tarkowski.A; Hofmokl. J., & Sapp.A. M. (2006),in this study examines the unused
space of Polish blogs, including their descriptive elements/content, technological
features, and the motivations of Polish bloggers. It employed quantitative content
analysis of Polish language blogs using a coding structure based on the work of
Trammell and colleagues(Trammell, 2004; Trammell & Keshelashvili, 2005) and
Papacharissi (2004); under the theoretical framework of uses and gratifications.
This study finds that Polish bloggers do not often utilise the links in their blogs.
Tthe first ‘Longitudinal content analysis of weblogs’ Susan.C.Herring, Lois Ann
Scheidt, Inna Kouper, and Elijah Writet(2003-2004) has been used to analyze the
structure, purpose, and themes found in high profile blogs. They had identifed and
quantified structural and functional properties of blog in three corpora. The result is
categoried such as change, stability, and variability. Bridging the gap: A genre
analysis og weblogs( Lois Ann Scheidt and Elijah Wright), in their study, the
researchers apply content analytic methods to a random sample of weblogs as a
means of exploring current visual trends within the blogosphere. Politically
interested Internet users, perceptions of blogs credibility(Johnson T.J; Kaye. B.K;
S.L & Wong.W.J (2007) indicates that politically interested Internet users find blogs
to be moderately credible sources for news and information. It has specifically
linked credibility with uses and gratifications theory. The findings are encouraging,
to that people who are seriously motivated by political examination indeed find
blogs to be credible sources for their information inquiry. Blogging Practice: An
Analytical Framework (Jan Schmidt )in this article proposes a general model to
analyze and compare different uses of the blog format. Based on ideas from
Sociological Structuration theory (Sociological structuration theory . It is argued
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that the individual and situated use of blogs is framed by the three structural aspects
of rules, relations, and code.
Research Method
Case Study Approach
This study employed quantitative and qualitative content analysis in case
study approach, by selecting six Eelam blogs by purposive sampling method .
Because the goal of the study required an in depth, holistic investigation, and a case
study approach is utilized. Yin (2003) indicates that “the case study is the preferred
inquiry method to examine a contemporary phenomenon with in its real life context,
especially when the boundaries between phenomenon and context are clearly not
evident”.
Theoretical Perspective
The present study is informed by the uses and gratifications theory. Uses
and gratifications (Blumer & Katz, 1974)approach emphases motives and the self
perceived needs of audience members and they concluded that different people can
use the same communication message for very different purposes. The uses and
gratifications theoretical framework is built on the assumption that individuals
pursue media related behaviors, based on specific predispositions or motives and
social-psychological characteristics.
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Research Questions
The following research questions are addressed in this study.
What are the structural and content characteristics of the Eelam
Webblog?
What are the motivation and gratification behind the blogging?
Demography of Eelam bloggers and How the weblogs influence the
Eelam Tamils in their social networking?
How are the blogs used as a tool for Communication and
Interaction?
What is the Evolution in the content and theme of blogging during
the period of Eelam war, and the subsequent periods?
What is the impact new form of media ‘blogs’ in the present day
journalism scenario?
Sample selection
The blogs are tracked from the Thamizmanam aggregator and used the
software Blogger. The researcher tracked one group blog and the five individual
blogs, which all discussed about Eelam in the aspect of cultural, social and political
perspective. In addition, blog owners also individually handle the blog sites and
they update if they wish. Also it was checked if the blogs are applicable to the
features advocated by Paquet (2003) which lists five features that a representative
blog exhibits: personal editorship, a hyperlinked posting structure, frequent updates,
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free public access to the content via the internet and archived posting. To construct a
coherent corpus for this study, the researchers include those blogs those are in
reverse chronological sequence and has sidebars containing links and calendars
(Herring, Scheidt et al, 2004) and each has its own signature style and content,
format and point of view although labeled as Eelam blogs. Also we excluded
inactive blogs and if the blogger has more than one Eelam blog, then the researcher
use some criteria to select the blog which we want to investigate, that the blog had
entries in high frequency.
Samples
The final sample comprises 517 entries drawn from 6 different blogs
including one group blogs and 5 single authored blogs. The group blog ‘Eelam Life’
encompass 189 entries, the blog Ilavenil includes 104 entries, ’Sasi’s Diary’
contain 35 posts,’ Madathu Vassal Pilliyaradi’ finish off with 59 entries, the blog
‘Deebam’ has 86 entries and ‘Ennachitharalgal’ has 44 entries. Altogether it has
517 entries.
Blog Name Blogger nameNumber of
entries
1 Eelam Life Group authors 189
2 Ilavenil Tamil Nathi 104
3 Sasi’s diary Tamil Sasi 35
4 Madathu Vaasal Pillayaradi Kana Praba 59
5 Deebam Deeba Chelvan 86
6 Ennachitharalgal M.Rishan Shareef 44
Total Number of blog entries 517
Table 3 . The list of blogs and it entriesincluding in the study.
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Data Analysis and Interpretations
To evaluate the content (theme or topic) of blog entries by using the
Trammel code sheet each of the entries is read and the topics discussed in the posts
were categorized. The topics were recorded as being present or absent within the
unit analyzed and code sheet adapted (Trammel) and web style using content
analysis. The presence and the absence of 12 general topics/theme was coded
within each unit of blog and analysis (Trammell, 2004; Trammell & Keshelashvili,
2005). These included record of the day, sharing long held or recent memories,
technical statements, references to current events in society, personal interests and
hobbies, family and friends, announcements or updates specifically about blog
postings, current projects or work in the blogger's life, intimate details of the
blogger's life, feelings and thoughts expressed by the blogger toward or about
something, expressions of gratitude to readers, and political statements. From sheet
of Trammel the researcher took nine codes: record of the day, sharing Long held or
recent memories, expressions of gratitude to readers, personal Interest/hobbies,
family/friends, intimate details of the bloggers life, feelings and thoughts expressed
by the blogger toward or about something/Eelam that is we modified, current
affair, and political surveillance remaining three codes reconstructed for the
research point of view were social surveillance, Eelam life or culture, media Check.
Distinctions were made between political statements and references to current
events in society, specifying that the former expressed an opinion or perspective of
the blogger, whereas the later was an objective reference to current events.
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To find the Blogger Demographic Characteristics the researcher coded the
demographic characteristics of blog authors such as the blogger name, age, gender,
occupation, profile viewers(since from they are blogging) identity indicators
(contact e-mail id, choice of name, inclusion of photo) and explore this information
throughout the entire blog and profile of blogger provided by special template
provided by blogger software.
To evaluate the motivation behind the blogging, the three categories of
motivation: self expression, information seeking, social interaction were assessing
from Trammel. K.D (2006) the personal fulfillment, from Kaye(2005,2007), and
the alternative form of journalism from (Kaye,2005,2007;Seitzer &Mitrook,2006).
The researchers considered motivation for our research, the self expression referred
to informing others about oneself, providing personal information, and
communicating feeling or thoughts. Social interaction as a motivation included
keeping in touch and maintaining relationship with others, including acquaintances,
family, friends, and addressing or reaching out to readers. In items that exhibited
social interaction motivation, bloggers would speak directly to the audience by
asking questions or appearing to converse with the reader asynchronously.
Information seeking is actively searching out information about current issues and
analyzing blog information. Personal fulfillment means fulfilling various emotional
needs and gathering information use in discussion with others. It was also then
investigates whether Eelam blogs influence the Eelam Tamil for their social
networking.
Further the researcher analysed how the Eelam blogs are used as a tool for
effective communication. Additionally the researchers explore what is the
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evaluation of blogging. Finally we find out the impact of new form of media
‘weblog’ has on the present scenario of Journalism.
Findings
The Content /Theme characteristics of the Eelam blog.
Theme of blog.E
elam
Lif
e
%(g
rou
pb
log)
ILav
enil
Sas
i’s
Dia
ry
Mad
ath
uV
asal
Pil
laiy
arad
i
Dee
bam
En
nac
hith
aral
gal
tota
l
%(I
nd
ivid
ual
blo
g)
1 Record of the day 4 2 % 7 _ 1 1 _ 9 3%
2 Sharing recent or
long held experience
63 33% 12 1 7 2 1 23 7 %
3 Expressions of
gratitude to Readers
_ _ 1 3 _ _ 3 7 2%
4 Personal interest &
Hobbies
21 11% 7 _ 8 _ 4 19 6 %
5 Family & friends 7 4% 13 _ 16 14 6 49 14%
6 Intimate details of
the Bloggers life
6 3% 13 _ 7 7 10 37 11%
7 Feeling & Thoughts
towards Eelam
_ _ 31 13 17 29 6 96 29 %
8 Current events 7 4% 4 _ _ _ 9 13 4 %
9 Political surveillance _ 7 8 _ 11 3 29 9 %
10 Social surveillance 8 4% 9 6 3 21 _ 39 11 %
11 Eelam life &Culture 73 38% _ _ _ _ _ 0 O %
12 Media check _ _ 4 _ 1 2 7 2 %
Total 189 104 35 59 86 44 328
Table 9: The content /Topic in the Eelam blog.
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Content of Eelam Weblog Blog
The result of the content analysis answers the questions made about the
Eelam Weblog. The first research question sought to investigate the characteristics
of the Eelam weblog content. In answering this question, each posts of the blog was
read and the topics discussed in the posts were categorized(see Table 9). The topic
were recorded as being present or absent with in the unit analyses, as based on
Trammel’s code sheet.
It is a remarkable fact that the group blogs topics were oriented more
towards their life and culture, while the individual bloggers concentrated in the
‘feeling and thoughts towards Eelam’. In blogging which has focused on the local,
interpersonal, domestic, experiment in communication.
Structural Characteristics
To find the structural characteristics of blogs was adopted the previous
content analytic research on web genres was adopted, the researcher counted the
number of words written on each post, number of images, number of links,
frequency of posting, number of post featured on front, the number of hyperlinks,
wall paper, map, cartoons, arts, the number of audio, video format content and the
number of comments they received. We could come to the conclusion the Eelam
blogs highly engaged with different format of content such as images, wall papers,
cartoons, book cover, links, audio and video content. The Eelam blogs greatly
increased capacity to transmit sounds and images across frontiers and around the
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world. For authors there are increased opportunities posting on blog with
abundance and diversity of forms. The individual made more choices , effort to
integrate and make sense of communication. It allows for a high degree of end user
manipulation content.
Structural Characteristics of Eelam WeblogsE
elam
life
(G
rou
p
Blo
gg
ers)
ILav
enil
Tam
ilS
asi
Mad
athu
Vas
alP
illi
ayar
adi
Dee
bam
Enn
achi
thar
alga
l
Tot
al
Posts 189 104 35 59 86 44 517
Words 58706 73280 43196 68851 14714 24153 282900
Comments 1855 1979 _ 1293 122 1399 6648
Photos 297 61 36 205 75 34 708
Wall Papers 10 10 26 75 3 23 147
Links 8 _ 93 109 _ 1 211
Maps 2 1 6 _ _ 1 10
Videos 3 _ 3 13 _ _ 19
Audio 28 _ _ 29 _ _ 57
Painting _ 3 _ _ 7 2 12
Book Covers 1 7 8
Cartoons 4 4
Table12: The Structural Characteristics of Eelam blog.
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Motivation and Gratification
For this current study we identified 5 motivations they are self expression,
information seeking, social interaction, personal fulfillment, and alternative form of
Journalism.
Sel
fE
xp
ress
ion
Info
rmat
ion
See
kin
g
So
cial
Inte
ract
ion
Alt
ern
ativ
eF
orm
of
Jou
rnal
ism
Per
sona
lF
ulf
ilm
ent
Eelathumuttram - - -
ILavanil -
Sasi’s Diary -
Madathu Vassal
Pillaiyaradi
- - - -
Deebam - - -
Ennachitharalgal -
2 3 5 4 2
Table 13: Motivation for Blogging.
Note:-
it represents the motivation designated by the concerned blogger, through
their blog entries and personal mail on the request of Researcher. It has
been enclosed under Appendix-C.
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Motivation for blogging is analysed are each Eelam blogs. The highly
motivation is social interaction scored 5 point, followed by alternative form of
Journalism with 4 points, information seeking by 3 points, personal fulfillment and
Self expression both scored 2 points. Each Eelam bloggers see the blogging as
very rigorous task.
Influence of the Eelam Weblogs among Eelam Tamils for social networking.
The Eelam people after their independence in 1948 especially in the last 26
years they are compelled to live under the atmosphere of war. Weblogs give an
opportunity to Eelam Tamils to speak freely and share their ideas, views, and the
details of their personal lives. The Eelam bloggers are emotionally bound to
organise a virtual community through blogs. They can make a difference; especially
they group together for a serious couse. They believed that all the way through blog
they can make a social networking.
Use of blog as a tool of Communication & Interaction
Eelam bloggers can call them exclusive or self-referential since they make
a difference by means of this community of bloggers who come together and
spread the news around the Web. Compared to the personal homepage, blogs are
more dynamic because content is updated more often, and other users can add
comments. They encourage interpersonal communication. The blog systems
provide various tools for supporting interaction with others; the most distinctive are
comments and Track Back. Blogs also have a communication function; when
someone transmits information on their own blog, they create opportunities for
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others to participate in their behavior. This may also help the authors identify
themselves as having a social existence. They connect their blogs on other Eelam
bloggers profile by link or roll bar in front page of their blog, or using RSS.
The evolution of blogging during the period of Elem war, before and
subsequent period
Also this research qualitatively also quantitatively analysed and
investigated what changes in content /topic selection and format of blog writing by
the bloggers during, and subsequent period in Eelam war (between April 2008 and
April 2010). This was the more distressed occasion among Eelam Tamil and in thise
period it is difficult to access the media and also even write blogs.
The researcher couldnot generalise the fact commonly. Because each blog
has its own uniqueness, written by separate individual those who are located at
diverse place also lived under various cultural context.
We found a peculiar fact that the Eelam bloggers not only visit the blogs
but also most of them afford comment to other Eelam blogs. The researcher went
through the comments and find that a great social intercourse has taken place
through it. At the month of June 2009 the strength of bloggers was 32, at present it
raise in to 59 bloggers.
The impact of the ‘blogs’ on present journalism scenario
Eelam IV war was launched in 3 stages at Mavil Aru in July 2006 to liberate
the east, capture Kilinochi, crushing the LTTE around Mullaithivu and the
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government forces claimed a victory on 18th May 2009. The total death toll from
the near 26 year civil war was 1, 00,000 and most of them civilians. In the final
military push an estimated 7000 civilians died and 265,000 Tamils are in internment
camps just outside the conflict zone. Paris based Reporters Without Borders RSF
said that, ‘It is a disgrace that this war is being waged without independents
journalists present’. Right groups regard Sri Lanka as one of the most dangerous
places in the world for journalists.
During the IV Eelam war traditional outlets could not keep up with the
original reporting major news sites are inaccessible and man on the street
commentary not found in news reporting, most of the news reporting were just
second or third hand news but news and Pictures are reaching through email,
webcams and weblog community. Some media just copied from the blog and
publish as their own direct reporting. Although the mainstream press ignored the
significant story, they just tell the stories of very outdated stories as just happened.
Both pro-government and counter-government people have created extreme and
unrealistic images of Sri Lanka. Yet bloggers can ignite the traditional media’s
interest in a topic. But blogs have shown a light on to stories that were missed by
the traditional media there by acting a agenda setters. Users may deem blogs to be
credible because they are viewed as being independent from corporate controlled
media and thus are free to discuss issues more openly and from different
perspectives.
Blog users Tamil Nathi and Tamil Sasi asserted that opinionated,
http://tamilnathy.blogspot.com/2009/06/blog-post_29.html, thoughtful analysis of
the news is precisely given which is missing from mainstream media and adds to
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blog credibility. Also they commented as perhaps blog content is perceived as more
credible because it is considered more independent than news reported in corporate
controlled media. Also, blogs provide an open forum for users to address issues.
Users may also gravitate toward blog content because it allows for a more personal
and interactive venue for acquiring information (Papacharissi, 2004; Reynolds,
2005; Thompson, 2003; Wall, 2005) than traditional media. Bloggers can serve as
grass root reporters and they can report the stories what they witnessed. In case of
Eelam blogger Deepa Chelven, who write about the war report through his blog
‘Deebam’ how it affect the civilian and lived among the people of Eelam and lead a
bunker life.
Conclusion
This study carried out a historical significant moment during the first year
of controversial war named 4th Eelam war. However, it did not analyse the blog
content specifically about the war or other news. Our research focused on the
themes that people are blogging, influences and impact of blogging among Eelam
Tamil in the present scenario of Journalism. The time span covered in this study is
24 months from April 2008 to April 2010.
It is observed that blog entries became more textual supporting the trend
identified in Herring (2004) towards a renewed popularity of textual forms of CMC
(Computer Mediated Communication). This findings supported the earlier
characterization of the blogosphere as interconnected and conversational.(Herring,
Kouper.et al, 2005). But some evidence is contrary to the popular characteristics
that most blogs are personal diaries (Herring, Scheidt et al, 2004, 2005;
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Papacharissi, 2004). Also the research result shows that Eelam blogs are note-book
variety, that means combination of filter and personal journal. It also reveals that
the Eelam blogs have highly discussed the topic ‘feelings and thoughts towards
Eelam’, Eelam bloggers are always inspired by their cultural aspects of identity as
‘Eelam’. They do blogging as a serious task thus they could find Eelam identity.
The Eelam bloggers are educated and high profiled employers although situated in
different parts of the world. It provides a space to a common man to express his
voice throughout the blogs.
This study finds its structural content highly active and influential, they are
not only text based but includes the wide format such as images, wall paper, audio,
and video with highly linked format, thus the Eelam bloggers used the wide mode
of communication in an effective way. The Eelam bloggers used the blogging
software broadly such as using comment, blog roll, track back, poll box and
follower gadget. Thus they proved to use the blog effectively as a tool of social link
and interaction. This analysis thus illustrates the flexible hybrid nature of the blog
format means than it can express a wide range of communicative needs of its users.
Thus it proves that blog software makes web pages truly interactive, to be fully
exploited. It comes the barriers of space and time. Blogs belongs to participatory
media and they are flexible with richer information.
To analyses the responses from bloggers, aimed to understand the
motivation behind Eelam blogs. The results disclose that the Eelam people are
blogging for social interaction. Also they find them as an alternative form of
journalism. The examination of content, here provided further insight into the
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manifestation of motivation for blogging. The Eelam bloggers are highly motivated
to write the blog after May 2009 (see Table:19).
Tamils are slaughtered by the Sri Lankan army with total support of 27world
countries(Col R Hariharan:2009) . Though Britain appointed special envoy and
tried to bring the issue to the UN Security Council, unfortunately China and Russia
have blocked the issue from being debated in the council. The government had tried
to suppress and brutalize them by the force and tried to rule by the power of guns.
But the inherent anger in the Tamil minds has been taken in the shape as Blogging.
Their legimate demands have to be propagated through blogs, because the media
has already neglected their demand. The Eelam blogs empowers the writers with
greater freedom to subjective and political commentary than that would be possible
within the frame work of a traditional media outlet. They believed that through
blogging, they could be able to unfold their stories which were deliberately silent by
the mainstream media.
In this study a linguistic as well as ethnic group was the unit of analysis. We
assume that Eelam people constitute a special social and cultural environment both
offline and online. In the current research, language is a distinguishing element.
Communications on blogger take place solely among Tamil speakers.
Bibliography
Works Cited
Primary Sources:
1. Group Blog: http://eelam life.blogspot.com/
2. Blogger Tamil Sasi: http://blog.tamilsasi.com/
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3. Blogger Kana Praba: http://kanapraba.blogspot.com/