The Influence of Young Bloggers

Let’s say you love fashion, know enough about it to be a source of global inspiration, but are only halfway through high school; how do you show the world that you’ve already arrived? “Start a blog, of course,” says Evonne Gambrell, who interviewed a slew of young influential fashion bloggers for the March 2009 issue of Teen Vogue. I mean, we can’t all be Esteban Cortazars, now can we?
Gambrell’s article, entitled “key players,” does an excellent job of employing news decision values, recently discussed in class, to create a story that is fresh, inspirational and connects readers around the world. Gambrell's sources, although young, create the excitement that both journalism and fashion need. They are youthful, extraordinary and original in thoughts and action which is important for capturing and holding an audience's attention.
Blogging is hardly considered an innovative concept, but when blogs written by teenagers garner 25,000 views per day, and undoubtedly more now that they’ve been featured in a major magazine, the idea is fresh and newsworthy. How often is it that fashion bigwigs, like Anna Wintour, are knocked off their high horses by mere high school students who couldn’t possibly know more about style than they do? The thought is inspiring.
In addition to inspiring fashionistas internationally, the article appeals to aspiring journalists as well. Through her blog, bunnybisous.com, eighteen-year-old Julia Frakes has been able to launch her journalism career by drawing enough attention to become a reliable source in the world of fashion. She says, “I get, like, 800 e-mails a day from PR people pitching me stories.” Gambrell claims that, “gaining access to events and connecting with industry idols, from models to designers, is definitely a perk for some bloggers.”
Through “players” Gambrell also creates a bond between bloggers, viewers and Teen Vogue readers. These stylish blogs are areas where fashion enthusiasts of all ages can come together to view and comment on an idea. It can be described as a social network that allows viewers the ability to feel personally connected to their fashion idols while receiving the chance to become trend-setters themselves. The influence that these Web sites have is astounding.
Hey, we’re living in a technological world, and it’s nice to see that with the aid of this technology, one is never too young to start making his or her dream a reality.