BLOGGING AND JOURNALISTIC LEGITIMACY

Boy, that sounds like a serious title for an Esther blog post. I almost don't even want to write it. But I will! Why? Because it's important.

Last week, media consultant Susan Mernit started blogging about what she'd like to see happen at the Democratic National Convention, bloggerwise. She's been posting regular reports as news organizations, notably CNN, announce their plans to include bloggers in their coverage.

Then on today's daily media news feed from Media Bistro, there was this announcement:

BLOGGING AGAINST CONVENTION
Adam Penenberg: At this year's Democratic convention, the 35 bloggers covering the festivities could liven things up. Hell, a couple of them could even become media stars.
http://www.wired.com/news/culture/0,1284,64273,00.html?tw=wn_tophead_2
 
Penenberg reports:
The Associated Press has even joined the blog parade, launching its own -- to be written by Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter Walter R. Mears. MTV, not to be outdone, has tapped snarky, inside-the-Beltway blogger wonkette -- known in real life as Ana Marie Cox (or is it the other way around?) -- to be its on-air convention reporter. Meanwhile, the Democratic National Committee has enlisted its own "official" blogger -- Eric Schnure, a former speechwriter for Vice President Al Gore.
 
What does it all mean? That the word "journalism" is about to be redefined more broadly. That our blog voices are not just voices in our collective head. That our words are powerful, even if they do not appear in the conventionally acceptable media outlets.

Welcome to the blog revolution.

BLOGGING AND JOURNALISTIC LEGITIMACY

Boy, that sounds like a serious title for an Esther blog post. I almost don't even want to write it. But I will! Why? Because it's important.

Last week, media consultant Susan Mernit started blogging about what she'd like to see happen at the Democratic National Convention, bloggerwise. She's been posting regular reports as news organizations, notably CNN, announce their plans to include bloggers in their coverage.

Then on today's daily media news feed from Media Bistro, there was this announcement:

BLOGGING AGAINST CONVENTION
Adam Penenberg: At this year's Democratic convention, the 35 bloggers covering the festivities could liven things up. Hell, a couple of them could even become media stars.
http://www.wired.com/news/culture/0,1284,64273,00.html?tw=wn_tophead_2
 
Penenberg reports:
The Associated Press has even joined the blog parade, launching its own -- to be written by Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter Walter R. Mears. MTV, not to be outdone, has tapped snarky, inside-the-Beltway blogger wonkette -- known in real life as Ana Marie Cox (or is it the other way around?) -- to be its on-air convention reporter. Meanwhile, the Democratic National Committee has enlisted its own "official" blogger -- Eric Schnure, a former speechwriter for Vice President Al Gore.
 
What does it all mean? That the word "journalism" is about to be redefined more broadly. That our blog voices are not just voices in our collective head. That our words are powerful, even if they do not appear in the conventionally acceptable media outlets.

Welcome to the blog revolution.