The new Op-ed?
A new acquaintance asked me yesterday if I read newspaper editorials and opinion pieces, and I said don't much anymore. "What do you read then?" My automatic answer: Weblogs.
Never thought about it until then, but I realized that I rely on the Weblogs I regularly read (those in the left column, and others linked on the more Weblogs link) to point me to opinions I am interested in reading. That access gives me a worldwide perspective that I don't get from my local newspaper, or even from the major national newspapers.
I rely on the bloggers I read to help me find things I might have missed: a Times leader or Guardian columnist, an fascinating story in a small newspaper across the country, a study on an interest group's Website, a lovely piece of online art. Or sometimes to a personal opinion written by someone I never heard of but am very interested in reading.
I’ve read all the analyses of why blogging is or is not journalism, and agree with points in pieces on either side. But it's become clear to me that reading blogs has become my method of choice for broadening my understanding.
I still read my local newspaper -- and newspaper and broadcast websites local and international. But I get the straight news from them. For finding out what people are thinking, I'd rather rely on my online “friends.”