Many blogging communities are close-knit affairs. Bloggers know each other well, have often met in person, and more often than not keep a close watch on what everyone else says about them. The closeness of blogging communities often makes critical blog posts very tough things to publish. But, of course, criticism, if done well, can positively push a community in the right direction. And yet, there are those out there who can become offended when they read a blog post critical of themselves.
So, if you are writing a blog post that is critical of an aspect or issue within a community, you have to think of ways that you can frame the post so as to keep the hard-hitting criticism in it, while respecting the emotions of the original author or community member in your crosshairs.
Here are a few questions you should ask yourself before you publish your post:
Is the criticism excessively personal?
Check over your critical blog post to make sure that it is not a personal attack, but rather a criticism of ideas. You can help make this a reality by phrasing your criticism this way: ‘This idea is incorrect because.’ This is less personal than saying something like, ‘John Doe is wrong because.’
Is the criticism worded aggressively?
Look at the language you use to express your criticism. Make sure it is full of phrases that are formal and respectful. Words like ‘stupid’ and ‘silly’ are not respectful, nor do they help you explain your argument. Instead, use qualifying phrases like ‘incorrect’ or ‘flawed.’ The heightened diction will show your audience that you are thinking carefully about the issue.
Is the criticism biased?
Examine your criticism to see if it is unnecessarily one-sided. If it is too biased, then your readers will question your integrity, especially if you have a history of constantly criticizing this one particular issue. Be sure you present your argument in light of a focused, but well-presented context.
Is the criticism logically argued and well-researched?
Use formal argument methods in order to put together a logical argument. An argument is a claim plus reasons, and these reasons should be supported by evidence that you have acquired through responsible research. If you can put together a solid argument with research, you’ll do well in furthering the discussion of the issue in a responsible way.
Is the criticism open to other perspectives?
Finally, make sure that your critical article closes with an invitation to more discussion. You should want to create more discussion to resolve the issue. You’re not trying to shut down the issue, but instead expand its discussion. You can only do this by inviting others to join the conversation.
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14 comments
Hi Raine,
Criticism is good, but; in my company need or should the person who brings criticism also come up with an alternative, option or other proposals. I hate criticism without any solution.
Great thoughts on criticism, I know sometimes we might want to rush to conclusions or make a post when our mind isn’t in the right place yet, but having a checklist like this does work in the long run.
-Jean
Hello Raine, thank you very much for your post about criticism. If not so urgent I think I don’t want to write any critics on my blog
good stuff, I love the way you write. Everyone should read it’s own article before posting to make sure it’s proper.
Criticism is good but not everywhere. Sometimes is leads to a negative image. If someone wants to criticize then he should have a better option with or an alternative. Criticizing something with no option or conclusion leads to nothing. And all seems nonsense.
Although criticism can be benefit the targeted blogger, if done in a hating manner where you actually batter the accused, it will certainly ruin your friendship with them.
But when done in a friendly manner, you can actually help the accused to improve and help him correct his problems.
Most importantly, is that you research in depth if that blogger was wrong and present him all the arguments.
Criticism is good but not everywhere.
Good post about criticism, we should use formal and respectful language to express it.
Is it really necessary to use formal and respectful language?
A good checklist to run through for a critical blog post. Thanks for the tips!
Blogging has always intrigued me, I always like reading others blogs but never make time to write in my own let alone promote it to get people to follow me
Blogging is really an effective marketing tool because it’s been proved that blogs have changed the way of communicating to clients and potential customers. Thanks for sharing this checklist…
Blogging is an Effective Tool, Blog is a great way to connect clients and customers.
This is a great checklist to use not only for writing a critical blog post — but for responding to one. From my observation, blogs that welcome a diversity of viewpoints are often more interesting and attract more traffic than ones that cater to only one viewpoint. At the same time, blogs that are entrenched with negative rhetoric or emotional rants are a real turnoff.