Preface: Writing in the Blogopshere

As any observer of the medium knows, MSM's high council on blogospheric trends has proclaimed this to be the beginning of the end for'their' media. Using rhetoric and fervor that would make even an 18th century revivalist ministor blush, they warn terrified congregation sof media executives of the "balkanization" of their once great unified audience. In praise of folly, I can't help but laugh at their obsurd proclamations.

They say the audience has "balkanized". Yet, in so far as I'm aware, the audience hasn't changed at all. Rather, the audience is beginning to find alternatives to NBC that better suit their interests,tastes, and individuality. Is it not so telling that the language big media is using means -- by definition -- that their audience at one time was a single entity? That particular choice of words offers a subtle clue to big media's inability to see the reality.

Since the blogosphere is gaining MSM's former audience, we are warrented to explore the possibility that the art of writing itself is changing. Or, to put it another way, MSM's "high standards" of writing, and legions of copy editors are no match for a blogosphere that is too lazy to use a spell check, and doesn't need no stinkin' creditials. It seems the audience will even forgive the occassional cliche from Blazing Saddles, so long as the author refrains from talking down to them.

Note: I am tired, but this seems to be a topic that deserves expanding on tomorrow when my mind is fresh, and the Christmas is dull.