Yet another article on blogging:

My blog, my self - Tech News - CNET.com

Blogging isn't about to replace journalism, but it is bound to change it. First, because it challenges the bias of the major media. Second, because it is more interesting and, I suspect, more attractive to the young audience the Networks are after. Third, it helps news junkies broaden their horizons by linking to foreign news outlets and calling attention to stories that are ignored elsewhere. Fourth, to quote Ken Layne, "We can fact-check your ass!"

The "ethics" of mainstream journalists seems to require them to make everything bland. Balance seems to be a synonym for avoiding conclusions and truth. "The Israelis say this, but the Palestinians say that." Hey! We want to know who is telling the truth and which ones are lying bastards! And we want facts, not your high and mighty opinions!

One of my pet peeves is commentators like Daniel Shore, who come on and say something like, "The president will need to address such and such issues in his policies, without ever saying anything that adds to what I already knew." This ponderous punditry pointing out the obvious. but having no real comment is worse than no news. It's also a bad imitation of CBS patron saint, Ed Murrow, because when he commented, he made points. When Shore comments, he blurs matters and makes his listeners sleepy.

Mainstream media people are scandalized and mystified at the success of Rush Limbaugh and Bill O'Reilly, neither one of whom I can stand for 5 minutes at a stretch. They are popular and rich because they have an attitude and they interpret events in light of that attitude. They aren't right all that often, but they do make for interesting listening, especially O'Reilly, because he confronts the poseurs and the stupid theorists who are dumb enough to come on his show.

If ABC wants younger viewers, they should get some bloggers from different viewpoints to come on and make intelligent points,
sort of like "Politically Incorrect" but with all intelligent people instead of celebrities. No shouting and no old farts like me and Tim Russert. When was the last time anybody got to hear an intelligent liberatarian discuss current events. CNN's Crossfire, would be interesting if all its personnel were bloggers. With who they've got, however, it's totally predictable and just pointless. I'd like to see Tim Blair, James Lileks, Virginia Postrel, Glenn Reynolds and the people Glenn Reynolds links to on Instapundit.