CNN.com most cited source for hurricane news,

with bloggers playing unique roles in disaster and relief efforts

    CINCINNATI, Aug. 31 /PRNewswire/ -- Bloggers are mobilizing to provide
 much-needed information and relief aid in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, and a
 few on-the-scene and remote bloggers are emerging as unique sources of
 information in an area where electricity, Internet connections and telephone
 communications have been severely compromised.
     Intelliseek's BlogPulse (http://www.blogpulse.com), which analyzes daily
 posts from 15.6 million blogs, finds that CNN.com and Yahoo! News are the most
 cited news sources for Katrina-related information, while the Irish Trojan
 blog (http://www.brendanloy.com/), written remotely by Brendan Loy from South
 Bend, Ind., is the most frequently cited hurricane-related blog.
 
     The top Katrina-related news sources cited by bloggers include:
     1. CNN.com
     2. Yahoo! News
     3. MSNBC
     4. Washington Post
     5. BBC News
     6. The New York Times
     7. Fox News
     8. USAToday.com
     9. South Florida Sun-Sentinel
     10. The Miami Herald
 
     Top Hurricane-related blogs
     While traditionally popular bloggers discussed the hurricane, many lesser-
 known but hurricane-specific blogs have emerged since Katrina slammed ashore
 over the weekend.  On-the-scene and remote blogs providing information about
 Katrina and the relief effort include:
 
     1. Irish Trojan Blog (http://www.brendanloy.com) by Brendan Troy of South
 Bend, IN
     2. Metroblogging New Orleans (http://neworleans.metblogs.com/) by nine New
 Orleans-area residents
     3. Eyes on Katrina (http://eyesonkatrina.blogspot.com/) from the Biloxi
 Sun Herald
     4. Kaye Trammel's Hurricane Katrina blog
 (http://hurricaneupdate.blogspot.com/) written from Louisiana State University
     5. Ernie the Attorney blog (http://www.ernietheattorney.net/about.html)
 written by a New Orleans lawyer
     6. Stormtrack (http://stormtrack.blogspot.com/) written by two scientists
 from the University of Massachusetts
     7. A LiveJournal group blog called Katrinacane
 (http://www.livejournal.com/users/katrinacane/friends)
     8. Dancing With Katrina (http://dancingwithkatrina.blogspot.com/) from two
 Gulfport bloggers, last updated Tuesday, August 30
 
     Other blog highlights
     *  Pre-hurricane article creating the most blog conversation: Chris
 Mooney's May 23 article, "Thinking Big About Hurricanes, It's time to get
 serious about saving New Orleans," in The American Prospect online edition
 (http://www.prospect.org/web/page.ww?section=root&name=ViewWeb&articleId=9754)
 created the most blog conversation before the hurricane made landfall (as
 determined by BlogPulse's Conversation Tracker).
     *  Post-hurricane articles creating the most blog conversation: MSNBC's
 "Nightmare Worsens: More Flooding, and Death"
 (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9063708) and the Washington Post's "Looting,
 Fires And a Second Evacuation" (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-
 dyn/content/article/2005/08/30/AR2005083000689.html) have created the most
 post-hurricane conversation.
     *  Blog entries most likely to be shared: LiveJournal Blogger Insomnia's
 "New Orleans Stories -- Hurricane Katrina"
 (http://www.livejournal.com/users/insomnia/599039.html) and New Orleans based
 Wizbang Blogger Paul's reports from within the Superdome "Riding Out Katrina
 in the Superdome" (http://wizbangblog.com/archives/006917.php) have been
 shared more frequently among bloggers than other entries.
 
     "Just as they did during the 2004 tsunami, bloggers are emerging as unique
 and very necessary sources of information, especially from areas where access
 and communications are so adversely affected," said Pete Blackshaw,
 Intelliseek's chief marketing officer.  "Bloggers are indeed providing
 valuable roles in the relief and cleanup efforts."
     One blogger, The Truth Laid Bear, has designated Thursday (Sept. 1) as
 Blogging for Relief Day (http://truthlaidbear.com/katrinarelief.php) to raise
 awareness and funds for relief and cleanup efforts.
 
     About Intelliseek
     About Intelliseek (http://www.intelliseek.com)
     Intelliseek is a marketing intelligence firm that helps marketers promote
 and protect brands through real-time monitoring and analysis of Consumer-
 Generated Media (CGM), as expressed through online boards, forums,
 communities, blogs, search engine results, and direct company feedback.  Its
 BrandPulse(R) solution has been recognized by leading analysts and its
 BlogPulse portal provides timely, daily analysis of blog data.  Intelliseek
 maintains headquarters in Cincinnati with offices in New York and California,
 and an Applied Research Center in Pittsburgh.
 
 

SOURCE  Intelliseek