How the MSM will deal with the blogosphere

Now that the blogosphere has forced its way into the mainstream by exposing Dan Rather (among other accomplishments), the MSM must do more than merely ignore us or slander us. Their new strategy will be to co-opt the blogosphere. The MSM will talk about blogs and bloggers, but they will focus on leftist blogs to the exclusion of those who did the heavy lifting of establishing the new media as a legitimate source of news and information.

Case in point, Time magazine is planning some sort of story on Jessica Cutler. You may have heard of her. If not, check out Michelle Malkin's links. It doesn't really matter who she is except that she enjoyed 15 minutes of fame earlier this year as a result of a sex scandal related to her blogging activity (and Wonkette was mixed up in the whole thing somehow). [I am not concealing information - I really don't remember.]

By focusing on Cutler and Wonkette, the MSM can pretend to acknowledge the blogosphere while redirecting attention to the left side of the sphere and ignoring the truly historic aspects of the new media. It is a safe bet that Cutler and Wonkette will receive equal or greater MSM year-end-wrap-up attention than Powerline or Little Green Footballs, despite the truly historic contributions of Powerline and LGF.

This story reminds me of the Jeopardy episode where the blogosphere appeared as a category, even though every answer related either to a left wing website (Howard Dean, etc.) or something totally innocuous.

The blogosphere has made historic contributions to politics, media, etc. in the past few months, but the significance of those contributions will be lost on anyone who reads Time Maganize's year-end-review issue.

And that is just the way the MSM wants it.

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Sunday update.
It appears that Time Magazine may be a little more even handed than I have given them credit for. Powerline will apparently be named blog of the year by Time.

I still don't know that Time fully appreciates or will faithfully report the historic nature of the "60 minutes" affair on which Powerline and LGF reported.

Anything more than a footnote for the left-wing bloggers like Wonkette will be more attention than they deserve and will be diluting the historic accomplishment of the right wing bloggers. Left wing bloggers really add nothing to the process except an extension of the MSM onto the blogosphere. There is little one can get on a left wing blog that is not available on ABCCBSNBCNYTWaPoTimeNewsweekAP.

Powerline, LGF and others have truly changed the media landscape. There is no comparison and no basis to discuss those bloggers in the same conversation that one discusses leftist bloggers.