"Stand-alone Internet journalism and commentary is emerging as an alternative news source -- and thus preoccupying traditional media -- because the most popular such sites are anti-Establishment, whether coming at the Established from the left, the right, or some other direction. Bloggers write in this fashion because they know that their millions of fans find discord -- and, particularly, a discordant struggle against the abuses of the powerful -- interesting. In this light, the Internet has served as a detailed, nationwide market survey that has produced the following result: The framers of the U.S. Constitution who wished to nurture the press as a confrontational Fourth Estate check on governmental overreaching weren't mere philosopher-statesmen. They were psycho-savvy economic planners, launching one of the longest-lasting, most profitable industries in world history." -- Matt Smith in a San Fran Weekley article on how The Chronicle let down the residents of SF by egregiously inaccurate reporting of an SF budget crisis reminiscent of Mike Albano's nonsense in Springfield.

Blogs, though, aren't necessarily the answer to the problems of Establishment journalism, but being a burr in the Establishment's saddle is kind of a good thing.

Individual readers of blogs, though, shouldn't necessarily consider all bloggers who blog on politics or polemical issues to be any greater than mainstream journalists though. As with MSM, don't believe the hype and consider the source. Always remain skeptical, no matter what the source.