Everyone wants their opinions heard
After a much heated debate in one of my journalism classes where we started a blog called GW BlogSpot I started to compare newspapers and blogs.
Blogs are great as Adam Green from MoveOn.com states
I'd argue that what separates a blog from a traditional media outlet is: A) Community, B) Reader empowerment - to speak new ideas and to hold prominent writers accountable, C) The ability for new voices and new norms to break through.
and this is completely true. When a newspaper cannot cover a topic blogs are good at digging deeper and questioning, why wasn't that story a front page article? Also, Matt Stoller the founder of OpenLeft.com spoke to the class and opened the idea that blogs really hold websites accountable for their actions such as Emily's List
Blogs are meant to cause action, to spill lots of ideas and comments and get the public riled up, BUT they will never take over newspapers as people say. So many times I have heard bloggers talk about how blogs are the new wave and papers are going down the tube. Yes, I get it, jobs are going down, newspapers are losing money, but are you kidding me?
Newspapers are unbiased for a reason. They give both sides of the story and try not to put any of their own ideas, and personally I trust them and their coverage and find them much more factual and correct. Blogs are OPINION...anyone can state what they want to say and claim it is fact, and sorry to say it, but many people will NOT go off and find the real facts, they will agree with someone who has the SAME opinion as them.
I want to say congratulations to blogs for really expanding the market of getting views out, but face it...it is going to take years to gain the credibility that newspapers have today, and until that credibility is gained, blogs will never take over the print media