Trust me, I'm a blogger

Blogs have the potential for great power. But, as Peter Parker's uncle taught us, with great power comes great responsibility. The freedom from an editor's influence or an institution's strictures can give a blogger the power to cover controversial topics with striking honestly. That same freedom, however, takes away a lot of the vetting, fact-checking and experience that is part of mainstream media.

Also, it's far too easy to get only the news I want with blogs. If I read my favorite pro-life blog everyday, it's pretty unlikely I'm going to get a broad picture of how abortion and women's rights are affecting America. The chances of reading news I don't like is much greater if I pick up The New York Times. And that's not a bad thing. Reading a conflicting opinion won't kill me.

Another weight on the balance is the accountability of a reporter. As a private citizen, I could write almost anything I wanted online and pass it off as fact. And if my blog post was quoted in a newspaper - bam! - instant credibility. But who am I? Who am I accountable to? What are my sources? I could be anyone with any agenda.

Tipping the scales further is the inherently amateur aspect of blogging. If trained reporters can have the wool pulled over their eyes, how much more so a citizen journalist? Would the average blogger know how to interview a source? Would she know what questions to ask or how to verify a lead? Maybe, but then again, maybe not. While professional reporters are far from infallible, there's a certain amount of trust entailed when a newspaper endorses a reporter's story enough to print it.

I think mainstream media has done the public a huge disservice in covering blogs so extensively. Networks have let themselves be led around by the nose in too many instances. If trained professionals are bowing to a small, vocal group of private citizens working from behind a screen name, then what good is a mainstream media at all? I can get all my news from a Republican blogging in Michigan or a Democrat in Oregon.

And that's the point: if I want an average person's opinion, I'll talk to my friends or classmates or people in my community. And that's about as far as I'll trust a blog, as someone's opinion. As soon as a blogger starts making claims and accusations, I'll turn to a reputable news source for more facts.

Blogs and other forums for public opinion are a great and necessary part of any democracy. They break up the homogeneous, national news and give a voice to under-represented citizens. They could even work to prod mainstream media into staying on the issues, in an ideal situation. Blogs, however, are just one component of the news, like community radio and other alternative media. There will always be a need and a place for mainstream media. I have a blog, but I sure as hell don't have the means, ability or credibility to report on conditions in Iraq or on the economic mood of Japan. Mainstream media do what private citizens can't and are held to a higher standard of accuracy. Blogs won't replace newspapers. (If they do, I'll just cash in my chips then and there.)