While only a fool would get all his information from blogs--or from the New York Times, for that matter, blogs have a number of advantages over the mainstream media for me. Two of them:

First, it allows me to hear what people on the scene are actually seeing and learning. The difference between what troops in Iraq do and say and what comes through the New York Times is staggering, and believe me, the troops have noticed this.

Second, everything that shows up in a blog is open to criticism from around the world, and almost instantly. Corrections come rapidly and in real time, good information starts to drive out bad in the better blogs, and the better blogs are the ones that get the most hits. A reputation for reliability is gold for a blogger. A reputation for printing lies is poison. See for yourself. The market works. You don't like my links, locate your own.

On the other hand, twenty years ago if you disagreed with the New York Times, you could write a letter, and hope they printed it on some back page. Or print and sell your own newspaper. End of story.

The news networks and newspapers are reeling under this competition. I haven't posted much on that subject (a recent example), but believe me, I've been tracking it. I'm not surprised that the elitists in the media business are getting hives.

Hewitt's book on bloggers and blogging is currently #91 on Amazon.