He writes:
They make a good reporter look better. They expose the phonies, the poseurs, the fast-writing conmen, with the speed of light.
They give the journalist a greater access to more information and informational context than ever before.
They provide swift exposure to varied points of view, and, most importantly, a constant, sometimes rough, but always important gauge of a reporter's skill, judgment, industriousness and integrity.
Never before has weak reporting, biased reporting, dishonest reporting, or lazy reporting been more swiftly exposed.
Indeed, the whole idea of whether journalism is indeed a profession -- or just a happy combination of craft, curiosity, cleverness and confidence tricks -- is being tested for the first time out there in the ether....Blogs are not a substitute for the dogged, primary source reporting that still marks great journalism. But they bring a new efficiency to the "hunt," and enhance the journalist's reach and grasp of the world to a degree never before possible.
They are forcing the journalistic priesthood out of the temple. It's disconcerting. It's fun. And it's good, real good.
Read the whole thing here.
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