Patterico has a thought for those in the media who disparage the blogosphere:
I have a very simple suggestion for mainstream media types who feel in any way threatened by bloggers: whenever you hear the word “blogger,” think: “reader.”
Yes, we are readers. Customers, if you will.
I read a lot. I have subscriptions. I pad site traffic on those sites–both subscription and gratis. That helps increase ad revenue.
The difference is that I can comment on my site about something on their sites. They don’t like it. They want a fanfest, I guess.
I once visited a site dedicated to David Arquette to find out who he was. I think he is a terrible actor, and couldn’t understand why anyone thought otherwise. Others who visited that site felt the same, and said so. One frustrated fan responded, “If you don’t like him, don’t comment. This is a place for people who like him to come talk about how good he is.”
I assume that’s why traditional media don’t care much for bloggers. And that’s a shame.