"More people are familiar with the term dogging than blogging", an audience of editors has been told.

But blogs - web logs - can bring a range of benefits to local newspapers.

Nick Turner, deputy editor of the News and Star in Carlisle, took to the stage to ask the Society of Editors' conference in Windermere: "Where are all the blogs?".

He explained how the News & Star conducted an experiment through its own website, appealing for contributors, and within a week there were a dozen eager bloggers ready to post their contributions. They included mothers and housewives, freelance journalists and local MPs.

And he told of the benefits of blogs to his paper, which included recruitment of freelance writers, hearing from people not often featured in newspapers, as well as the authors doubling as district correspondents.

"If you can head up the local blogging community, there are advantages to be had," he said.

"It gives you virtual district correspondents who have an emotional take on their patch.

"They are always available for case studies and will take part in any feature you suggest.

"They provide alternative voices from parts of the community not generally heard from in newspapers.

"And they generate traffic to the newspaper's website."

He told the conference that there were now 16m blogs or online diaries in cyberspace and one in three people aged under 24 have their own blog or website.

The discussion session entitled 'Read it, watch it, hear it, surf it' also heard from Asha Oberoi, head of multi-media at the Press Association, who said newspapers should "embrace the opportunity for new digital platforms".

And Steve Egginton of Worldwide Media Limited, said that "if newspapers stick to ink - they will sink".

Meanwhile Pat Loughrey, BBC director Nations and Regions discussed the plans for five new local TV companies designed to improve TV news.

He said the BBC aimed to produce local, updated TV news and a new level of news channels via the digital network - but was not trying to create TV versions of local newspapers.

He said: "We can't match their detail, their breadth and their intense local focus and knowledge-but, more to the point, we have no intention of trying!"