Longstreet on Blogs vs Newspapers

Longstreet, a local blogger, has posted a piece you should read, and here is a teaser to whet your appetite:

Why the Blogosphere Has Dealt a Near Death Blow to the Newspaper Industry.
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I came across a letter to the editor in my regional newspaper the other day complaining about bloggers. It seems the writer was concerned that bloggers were allowed to write about anything they wanted, say just about anything they wanted, and there was no one to screen, or “edit” what they write.

At first, I thought this was a joke. Then, as I took another sip of my fresh, black, coffee, it began to dawn on my just awakening mind, the horrible truth… this person was SERIOUS!

Either the writer is not aware of a little inconvenience called the US Constitution and the First Amendment, or he has no idea why the Blogosphere exploded, overnight, into a totally unexpected phenomenon of free speech… or both. I suspect the latter.

Some of the finest pieces of journalism I have ever read have been on the blogosphere. Writers are free to express themselves and their ideas in all their blazing glory through their blogs and reach millions of reader around the globe. By the same token, bloggers are equally able to make complete fools of themselves and have their ignorance exposed to the same millions around the globe.

The Blogosphere has been described as “The Wild West” of Cyberspace. While I don’t agree with that description totally, it certainly is wide open for creativity.

Oh, and that complaint about the lack of an editor for bloggers… that is the driving force behind the blogosphere, at least from my perspective.

Source: Longstreet's Insight on Freedom