Mainstream Media’s Love / Hate Affair with the Blogs

There was a time when blogs couldn’t buy press time, but how the times are-a-changing. Almost every day I can peruse the news and find at least one or two mainstream stories about bloggers.

For example, just this morning I found an article entitled “Does Noise Trump Contemplation In The Blogosphere?”

Is the blogosphere full of citizen journalists who, with a seemingly limitless supply of bandwidth and resources at their fingertips, are becoming a powerful addition to the mainstream media? Or is it in danger of slipping into the 21st Century version of cable talk shows, where those who can shout their outrage the loudest get the most attention?

Discussion about the blogosphere has long included two topics that generate a tremendous amount of impassioned feelings on all sides. The first is the value of bloggers as journalists. Blogging champions tout the ability of blogs to perform as well, if not better, than traditional news organizations in exploring stories and issues, digging up information and connections and breaking news. Even some of their biggest critics acknowledge at times that bloggers perform valuable services in that area.

The second oft-discussed topic about the blogosphere has been civility, or lack thereof. There are plenty of examples about the issue of civility, enough to make you start thinking that raw discourse is simply part of the whole deal. But could all this unbridled, unchecked and unfiltered anger be having a real impact on the blogosphere as a whole?

My how they love to talk about us — but mostly in a snobbish, derogatory manner. Rather (pun intended Dan) like oggling a fish in a bowl.

But ya gotta admit they are getting better with the buzz words. They must have discovered Wikipedia. So keep talking about us guys. We’re lovin’ it.

Here’s another one called “The Revenge Of The Blogosphere”.

Good Golly, Miss Molly! There was my name dragged through the blogosphere mud as a result of my recent “E-mail Insider” articles on RSS.

Chris Redlitz, president of Feedster, called my first article “one of the most ignorant statements I have seen in my years of developing emerging technology (and advertising) platforms.”

Heh, are they worried or what? But they belie their ignorance of the medium when they make statements like this:

At this stage in Internet history, I figure most search engines are basically the same, the only difference being the ads that appear along with the results, so I’ll use the one that’s easier for me to use. I suspect a lot of other folks are in the same boat.

Is he dreaming? What schwag was this guy smoking? Thanks for my morning chortle guys.

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