Journalism is an interesting thing. It can, at times, be VERY rewarding to inform the masses on issues and it can be equally devastating when you misinform people.

Blogging is also rewarding at times while disappointing at others. Bloggers have an ability to inform more people than just the viewers of evening news. One blog can inform the entire world with very little infrastructure when compared to print or television based media. However, the disappointing part is that you have to establish yourself in the blogosphere before anyone will consider you a legitimate source of information.

Journalism can easily misinform people and cause semi-chaotic situations. The prime example of this is CNN’s coverage of the 2000 election. Remember, “hanging chads”? The main reason behind this is that every major media outlet wants to be the first to break a story. This holds true for blogs occasionally but blogs tend to be more objective. Bloggers usually obtain their information from numerous big media sources so the information presented in their blog is well rounded.

Blogs can easily misinform people as well but popular bloggers are quick to announce their source of information and correct themselves when they are proven blatantly wrong. Those bloggers that misinform and don’t correct themselves will often times disappear or go unnoticed.

Big media has the ability to sway opinions and quickly add information about a particular story. Bloggers have the “freedom of speech” ability to refute that information and send big media into a tizzy. The prime example of this is CBS’s release of potentially damaging memos regarding President Bush’s military service and the blogosphere almost immediately calling those memos fake while citing numerous reasons as to why.

The blogosphere’s ability to fall in on new information, analyze it, comment on it, and quickly populate the vast number of blogs in blogosphere with opinions, facts, and commentary is truly amazing. Bloggers have forced Dan Rather and CBS News to scramble for more information or opinions from people willing to defend what CBS has potentially done (misinform the masses).

Whether the “memos” are fake or not remains to be seen but the “memos” would never truly be questioned by media outlets and people so quickly if it wasn’t for the blogosphere’s speedy reaction to Dan Rather’s potentially damaging report.

If you’d like more information about the Bush memos Jeff Quinton’s coverage at the Backcountry Conservative seems to be the blogosphere’s place for superb coverage:

CBS Statement Forthcoming at 3 p.m.?
CBS Statement Pushed Back to 5 P.M.?
Reactions to the CBS Delay
Liveblogging the CBS Statement
The Media: Fake but Accurate?
60 Minutes II Liveblogging
Report: CBS Docs Traced to Kinko’s