By definition, bloggers may be better news-providers than journalists

Today’s mainstream journalists might want to make sure they are defining “news” properly before assuming they are superior to bloggers and other news amateurs. For mainstream journalists, “news” is typically new information, of interest to an audience no smaller than a metro area, that ideally serves a watchdog role re: government and business, is stripped of opinion, and is reported and edited by professional journalists.

But for a citizen, “news” is any fresh information shared within a community to which they belong. It can be about any topic, within a community of any size (e.g. a small group of friends, the entire world), can consist of either facts or opinions, can include old facts the citizen did not previously know or new opinions about old facts, and can be received from anyone at all — preferably someone whom they trust because of a personal bond or shared values. So, who is more likely to fulfill the “news” needs of a citizen, a blogger or a journalist? Journalists who are unwilling to challenge themselves on this question risk being redefined out of existence.