SHAH ALAM: Malaysians interested in blogging may soon be able to take up courses on the subject at Universiti Teknologi Mara.

Its vice-chancellor, Datuk Seri Prof Dr Ibrahim Abu Shah, said the university was ready to help prospective bloggers become more credible in their reporting.

He said blogging was different from traditional media, which required reporters to have academic qualifications.

"Anyone can become a blogger now," he told reporters after a seminar here yesterday.

But this did not mean bloggers could write about anything, as they first needed to master several aspects of writing, such as language, ethics and accuracy of reporting.
Ibrahim said he supported any proposal to offer courses on blogging and that it was the most suitable time to do so.

"We know bloggers are intelligent, but we want to help them be more professional."

Earlier in his speech, Ibrahim said the function of traditional media had changed with the arrival of new media, which he said focused more on the younger generation.

He added that people saw new media as an avenue through which they could express themselves and speak their minds.