Wall St. Journal: Still Doesn't Get What Blogs Are About

..."no exam to pass or society to join to become a blogger -- anybody can set up a "Web log" to publish his or her ideas -- and at last count, an estimated eight million people in the U.S. are doing so, writing on everything from pets to porn."

Right, great in-depth analysis on their part. Anybody can set up a weblog. Thing is, just because 8 million blogs "up" doesn't mean all 8 million are read or trusted. The readers will be drawn to the blogs that give them the information they like and believe to be accurate. In the end, that is far more important.

No you don't need a journalism degree to blog. And you don't need one to have a popular blog that people trust as accurate. That's what they seem to both be afraid of and not get.

Somewhat related: There was a Daily Show episode where either Tom Brokaw of Peter Jennings was the guest. Which ever one of them remarked to Jon Stewart (paraquoting), "I wish I had the freedom to say the things on my show that you say on your show."

I think there is a fear factor and that's a shame, because bloggers and journalists are actually very useful and sometimes helpful to eachother on several levels.

Someone at the Journal really seems to have a bug up his or her nose about bloggers. My bet is that it's an editor rather than a reporter. This story, for example, was excellent reporting, except for that vapid editorializing.

I'm going to file it under blog bashing and stay tuned.