Yesterday Wired magazine had an interesting article titled “Web Has Unexpected Effect on Journalism,” about the effect that the web has had on journalism, and it’s not what I would have initially thought. The article explains that, rather than making journalism more democratic, the web instead serves as a medium for recycling many of the same stories over and over. Some of the examples given include how “international news” has been boiled down almost exclusively to Iran, Iraq, and Pakistan, leaving the rest of the world uncovered.
On the flip side, the article does mention that many journalists are adaptation to new environments and using the web to their advantage. Apparently many journalists have taken to writing blogs and many appreciate readers input on their stories. Still there seems to be a difference between how large “mainstream media” and “private, personal” blog treat participation; curiously the “mainstream” blog seem to allow more participation from readers, while owners of personal blogs tend to limit comments to those deemed more palatable.
You can read the complete article by David Bauder here.