APPENDED:
“This is why i love columbia. you’re all so obnoxious.”
On Bwog, the Blue and White magazine’s news and gossip blog, it’s typical to find readers’ comments like this, written by alias “hahaha” in reply to the post “The 8th Annual Fun Run.”
Bwog began in 2006 as an alternative to more traditional campus journalism. “It is different in the sense that it’s created by Columbia students who have nothing to do with Bwog,” Juli Weiner, editor in chief of the Blue and White and BC ’10, said of commenters and tipsters, whose input drives the site.
It may not be transparent how comments such as “hahaha’s” contribute productively to the blog. But others do so more obviously, like one posted in response to the same article, correcting Bwog’s misprint of the Fun Run as the fifth annual rather than the eighth.
The editors also see tips as essential to Bwog’s role. Weiner suggested that the site may streamline the process with help from Twitter or Facebook, and noted that “capitalizing on video would be a logical next step.”
While these ideas have not yet been worked on, Bwog went through its third major site redesign in January.
And Bwog sees change as a constant. Editor in chief James Downie, CC ’10, said that tone tends to vary with each new editor in chief, contributor, and commenter. “It really does conform to the temper, talent, and interests of those involved,” Lydia DePillis, past editor in chief of Bwog and CC ’09, added.
This semester, Bwog has had more posts on free food and replaced “QuickSpec” with “Bwoglines”—links to what Bwog editors deem interesting articles, not only from Spectator, but also from other sources. Downie said the blog is working to expand its coverage to Columbia athletics and campus arts.
But with change, he emphasized the importance of overall consistency. “It’s sort of a guiding principle. As long as we can keep the same voice, as long as we can keep the same writing sources, we’d like to expand it as much as we can.”
Bwog carved out its presence on campus by making quips that become integral to Columbia culture. With “Hawkmadinebwog,” a section of Bwog devoted to following the activities of a resident hawk dubbed “Hawkmadinejad,” the bird “sort of became this campus sensation,” Weiner recalled, even making its way into the Varsity Show.
“It unifies campus in that way,” Kate Burrows, CC ’13, added.
Still, Liz Kuenstner, CC ’13, said that “Every so often there’s a post that’s so short and witty that it goes right over our heads.”
Bwog’s tone has the potential to divide. There are often disputes among commenters, and subjects are liable to feel offended.
But DePillis dismissed this concern. “People will accept the fact that it’s Bwog and they’ll probably be snarky,” she said.
After rushing out of his class on the First Amendment, University President Lee Bollinger said of Bwog, “I do read it.”
When asked about how he is depicted, Bollinger said, “I care so much about freedom of the press that it doesn’t get to me.”
news@columbiaspectator.com
An earlier version of this article contained an inaccurate name spelling, school affiliation, and date. Spectator regrets the error.
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