Now the little guy is the true pit bull of journalism

I am frequently asked if the rise of the blogosphere is the death knell for Big Media. My answer is that Big Media isn't dead; it's critically ill but will actually be saved by the transfusion of passion and immediacy of the blogging revolution. Blogging and the new media are transforming the way news and information are disseminated, as evidenced by the number of traditional media outlets, like this one, dipping their collective toe into the blog pond.

Blogs are by nature very personal - an intimate, often ferocious expression of the blogger's passions. You're much more intimate when you're writing a blog than when you're writing a column, let alone a book: the conversational nature of it; the way that it draws people in and includes them in the dialogue. You may set out to write about politics but, in the end, you write about yourself; about the things you care about beyond politics. And this creates a close bond between blogger and audience.

It really does become conversation. I've always enjoyed bringing people together from different parts of my life and facilitating interesting conversations. In the past, these have taken place around dinner tables. Now, via cyberspace, those conversations have gone global. And they are happening in real time.

Just a year ago, I'd have an idea on a Monday, write a column about it on Tuesday, it would be published on Wednesday ... and readers would respond with letters to the editor two or three days later. Now, I can get an idea Monday morning, blog about it and immediately get comments. And these comments then take on a life of their own, as our community of commenters begins responding to each other.

All true except I've seen very professional blogs, blogs that are published by multiple writers, etc. Otherwise - sure, independent sources are bound to beat the mainstream now that the playing field is leveled by the technological advances.

tags: blogs  bloggers  media  huffington