Bloggers and Journalism Oh My

Baloney. It's one thing to have a voice, it's another to have an audience. An influential, reasonable, and engaged audience is another thing altogether. The idea of a grassroots community of bloggers is a lovely idea. So were communes - just ask the ex-hippies. Changing the world a blog at a time?

The argument is that these bloggers are having an impact on the mass media news agenda. Sure. Try this: Congratulations, another cultural form has just been assimilated into the existing structures.

Fact: there is a wealthy, powerful elite. Fact: They want to stay that way. Fact: Yammering away in an impermanent, "virtual forum" isn't going to have a huge effect on the power structures. Fact: Just when claims of a new world communication order ring their clarion call over the land... that's when the feel-good crap is going to sedate everyone again.

Bah.
USATODAY.com - Freewheeling 'bloggers' are rewriting rules of journalism