Comments on: Newspapers woo bloggers with mixed results

Plenty of papers are blogging. But mixing old-time news gathering with new "citizen journalism" isn't always easy.

[sexlove2046]

it's

inevitable

[gnarlyolsen]

Modern Newspapers

First, I have always just loved reading the newspapers and still
keep trying. Unfortunately these days I find the picking pretty
darned slim with newspapers merely glossing over the most
prevalent stories with little or no in depth investigating or
reporting.

The big reason I see in the decline of newspaper popularity is
their aggregate failure over the past 20-30 years to uphold any
real responsibilities as public 'watchdogs'. This is particularly
true in the recent run up to the Iraq War and it's follow-up. The
large majority of mainstream media have essentially become
lapdogs to whichever group currently holding the reins of
power. That is one consequence of big corporate ownership I
believe.

That leaves the field wide open to the fringe media and now
blogs are jumping in to fill the void as well. The public is
disposed to seek the nitty-gritty no matter what and if the
media fails to provide it the public will find it wherever they can
- even flavored or slanted in particular directions by fringe
groups.

It's a pity to see the newspapers go . . .

[virendra1711]

modern news paper

Modern news papers became proffesion today.They are doing business only. They have nothing to do with public.The cut throt compitition from blogs(in west)and other news papers ruined there responsibilty.they are no the fourth piller of democrcy eventually they became the mouthpiece of rulling govrnments.
We have to think again on the theory of checks and balances.

[Raemir]

And the NY Times...

lost me as a reader when they started charging. The opinion pieces were the main reason I read the Times. It may be the "paper of record" but there really isn't any in-depth coverage of any issue--and like most papers is written at about the 7th-8th grade level. Even poorly written blogs surpass that!

[docscook]

Couldn't agree more - Try the LA Times!

I find even articles I missed a day ago are now in a pay-to-play archive. No access to the editorial writers. It's all a bunch of *****. LA Times has superiour writing throughout and has become my first source.

[df561]

great news

many journalists got too full of themselves, and thrived on manipulating public opinion for selfish gain.

[SpaceStories]

Blog v Internet news site

My blog (http://skymania.blogspot.com) is indeed an Internet news
site and what is wrong with that? I'm a professional journalist with
many years of Fleet Street experience and I see this as a great way
of getting space stories out there and hopefully getting better
syndicated and adding a strand to my income.

Paul
SpaceStories.com