document.write("

Read the commenting rules carefully because they will be enforced!

$\"Gravatar\"$ In the America of our Founding Fathers, newspapers were few and far between. The major means of communication were people hectoring the populace in public squares. There were no editors or pundits to proclaim \"truth\" so the listerers had to decide for themselves what was crap and what was not. That model worked out OK (the republic survived.) Why can't it do so again in the internet age? Especially given how well served we've been by the \"professionals\" in recent years, I'd say bloggers have a low bar to clear.
Fueled By Randomness | 12.28.08 - 11:43 am | #

$\"Gravatar\"$ A subject near and dear to my heart here. I must say that the ONLY reason any in the msm are opining about the \"real\" journalists versus the rest of us is because old media is gathering speed in its descent into the toilet of obscurity.

The reason is simple: advertisers are no longer faced with only one option for their dollars. Spending advertising dollars in the old media is going the way of the dinosaur; they no longer get the bang for their buck they used to get in old media. As advertisers take their money elsewhere, newspapers, media companies are feeling the pinch, and jobs are being lost, as stock in the old media plummets. Hence, we see newspaper \"empires\" lining up for THEIR bailouts.

I am SURE that internet journalists (yes, we really ARE out here.lol) will more than survive as the msm becomes more irrelevant. It is my belief that internet journalists will thrive, and it can't happen soon enough for me!
brat | 12.28.08 - 12:11 pm | #

$\"Gravatar\"$ \"Bloggers do give their opinions or analysis of any given situation, agreed, but bloggers do something that the professional journalists do not....we provide links to the original sources to which we use to determine our opinions and analysis.\"

Just gave fair warning to a really cool site I joined recently that they *would* find I was unabashedly, unapologetically opinionated if they incidentally tracked me down elsewhere online..

Then I did something *else* bloggers do.. Told them I openly welcomed other varying views equally as well.. $\"\"$

That's something we blogger-types do that anyone who has ever tried to express an opposing POV to a \"glorified\", one-way-thinking journalist knows results in something more akin to a(n impatient) \"talk to the hand\" silence: We take time to research and listen to, well, at least genuinely *hear out* opposing views because doing so regularly yields yet more avenues of pursuit and/or juicy supportive meat behind what we've already shared..

Peace and best wishes from North Georgia.. $\"\"$
Cindy Sue Causey | Homepage | 12.28.08 - 5:09 pm | #

$\"Gravatar\"$ I must be a journalist then. For I attend meetings, read through documents and analyze things. In fact I am trained as an analyzer.
Katie | Homepage | 12.28.08 - 6:36 pm | #

$\"Gravatar\"$ OK.. I can name many Intelligent Bloggers who deal in Facts and TRUTH... How many so called MSM Journalists can one name????
redhawk | 12.28.08 - 7:09 pm | #

$\"Gravatar\"$ It's Called \"NewScraping\" when a blogger lifts a quote or a paragraph and then turns it into a new article.

The Mainstream News Media is like a gattling gun of
of misinformation and propaganda and any \"scrapings\" that bloggers can take the time to review is one small step for mankind.

Pundits are unpaid puppets, I wouldn't brag about being one if I were a news reporter / pundit.

http://www.DailyPUMA.com
Alessandro Machi | Homepage | 12.29.08 - 3:54 am | #

$\"Gravatar\"$ um, and womankind as well.
Alessandro Machi | Homepage | 12.29.08 - 3:54 am | #

$\"Gravatar\"$ I believe the bloggers do the best investigative reporting regardless of their spelling!

Delle
Delle | 12.29.08 - 8:27 am | #

$\"Gravatar\"$ Is it really surprising to see the rapid demise of many overly Liberal MSM vehicles?? Lack of Integrity.. lack of Objectivity... lack of REALITY .. overly manufacturing \"news\"..and in many cases Distorting facts to promote their insane liberal agenda... RIP to all..
redhawk | 12.29.08 - 12:11 pm | #

$\"Gravatar\"$ The problem is it actually helps their ratings to be over the top. Keith Olberman's contract was renewed for four years and at double what he was making.

All for spewing his opinion as if it were fact.
Alessandro Machi | Homepage | 12.29.08 - 5:44 pm | #

$\"Gravatar\"$ Opininions of the Gas bag... But what are his credentials?/ Bad Sportscaster... Insane talking head...Numb Skull.. Oh wait I got it.. BONE HEAD!!!
redhawk | 12.29.08 - 8:19 pm | #

$\"Gravatar\"$ What a bunch of crap! I guess they are steamed because they all leached so called sources off of bad blogs like Kos and got burned during the election! HA! The \"real\" media would not know real news if it bit them in the ass and took over their country!
Nicole | 12.30.08 - 3:21 am | #

$\"Gravatar\"$ Excellent points, all! I'm thrilled with the rise of \"bloggers\", especially after I cancelled my local newspaper subscription a couple of years ago over the highway robbery price they wanted. I told them I could read their paper and any other I wanted online for FREE (well, I pay for internet service), so what did I need them for? It's been a delightful blessing to search for news - aka TRUTH - online through blogs!
Kim R | 12.30.08 - 9:06 am | #

$\"Gravatar\"$ BTW, I just read a wonderful perspective by Michelle Malkin on how the MSM is drooling over Obama's workout regimen yet complained heavily when Bush was doing the SAME thing. Case in point against the lame-brain \"journalists\": http://www.onenewsnow.com/Perspe....aspx?id=368088
Kim R | 12.30.08 - 9:08 am | #

$\"Gravatar\"$ ... MSM in Decline .. and they did it all by themselves.. to themselves.. and Air America was their biggest diaster of the Century.. By promoting hate and untruths it shot itself in the arse!!!
redhawk | 12.30.08 - 11:14 am | #

$\"Gravatar\"$ I would not associate maninstream media with your local newspaper subscription. Newscraping still requires somebody else (aka reporters) actually interviewing people of note, then the newscrapers try and weed out the BS from the more accurate aspects of the interview.

You can't have newscraping without news.

http://www.DailyPUMA.com
Alessandro Machi | Homepage | 12.30.08 - 12:18 pm | #

$\"Gravatar\"$ Alessandro, it depends on how big of a city you live in and whether the local paper throws in a lot of AP and other sources as \"news\". While I wouldn't say my particular local newspaper was extremely left leaning, I still prefer getting my conservative news from other sources now, and cancelling their subscription \"forced\" me to do that.
Kim R | 12.30.08 - 4:00 pm | #

$\"Gravatar\"$ Two unique aspects to a newspapers. They MUST commit to a story, and can't change or retract it once it is printed or delivered.

Places like MSNBC that spew constantly are more likely to wing it as they go along.

Secondly, the local businesses still might be relying on newspapers for some of their advertising as well.
The concept of the local newspaper is that it is local.

In Pasadena they have started to hire Indian journalists (yes, from India), to watch webcam feeds of local events such as the City Council meetings and then they write a recap of the meeting.

Definitely strange times.
Alessandro Machi | Homepage | 12.30.08 - 7:10 pm | #

$\"Gravatar\"$ I agree Kim! I also will not buy my local paper. It is crap...many AP reports and the local reports are slanted with hype or their personal views. They can not even report on local tragedies without bias. The facts can be found other ways by bloggers. I have many times read reports here with out any slant, just facts and make up your own mind. They will keep reporting crap out there as long as people buy it....do not buy it and they will wake up. The Internet and this election has changed things for the media and they are feeling it.
Nicole | 12.31.08 - 6:12 pm | #

$\"Gravatar\"$ A/P and Reuters are also getting feed back from Call centers in India whose Writers have NO clue of the actual happenings.. but then neither does the NY Slime ..
redhawk | 01.03.09 - 3:43 pm | #

Commenting by HaloScan

$\"\"$ ");