One reporter's plagiarism has caused the careful scrutiny of journalistic ethics and accuracy of newspapers across the country. Jayson Blair from The New York Times deceited America, but he didnt' act alone. He's not solely responsible. Last few days, the editor of The New York Times, Howell Raines, and the managing editor, Gerald Boyd, resigned. The latest scandal makes me believe in the egalitarian process of weblogs and open discussion as a valid method of obtaining news and information.

James Martin Luther, a 29-year-old software engineer, started another weblog this month. It is no extraordinary act. He, like many others, sees this new brand of journalism as a way to publish his work without going through a publisher, or any intermediary, for that matter. James uses his blog, www.jamesmartinluther.com, to discuss his science fiction and comment about scientific and social issues.

"Now that I am getting back into fiction writing, I see the blog as a great way to immediately reach out to a reading community," said James Martin Luther. "In fact, it did not take long to start. It took long to want to do something worth blogging about!"

Many people like James are finding their voice and carving their niche in the vast online community through their blogs. The popularity and explosion of weblogs on the internet have caught the attention of the established press. The establishment, stuck in the age of industrial waste, criticizes weblogs for their lack of credibility. For example, Geofrey Nunberg, writer for The New York Times, degrades bloggers and their writing in his article, "As the Google Goes, So Goes the Nation," published May 18, 2003 in The New York Times. He writes, "the Web is a tool that enables people who have a life to benefit from the efforts of those who don't." Further, he states that the popularity of the sites reported by search engines such as Google reflect "the deficiencies of plebiscites in the democracies on the other side of the screen."

What is the motivation behind the criticism of bloggers and their readers? I believe the strong opposition the established press expresses towards weblogs arise from a perceived and real threat that weblogs pose to the press. The internet has empowered the individual. It enables writers and journalists to eliminate the middlemen such as third party journalists, editors, and publishers from the process of publication. Such go-betweens are no longer needed to convey information to the public. And this hurts.

These days the established press that has been perceived as the arbiters of truth is hurting even more. The credibility and objectivity that it has constructed is severely tarnished by the deception of one of its reporters. Jayson Blair, a New York Times reporter, single-handedly destroyed the reputation of the press. He resigned amidst allegations of violations of ethics in journalism. Blair had lifted quotes and faked interviews in stories published in The New York Times.

Blair's fabrication calls into question the accuracy of the great writing published by reputable publications. The same skepticism that the press holds towards weblogs should apply to it. The press has done such as great sell job that people forget that reporters and editors have their own agenda and ambition, other than reporting truthfully. For one of the world's most powerful newspapers, The New York Times, to publish articles that are not completely truthful and accurate is embarrassing. It will take years for the public to forget.

For now, the mass is communicating with the masses. It's a more direct connection. And the conversations are a lot more interesting and engaging. By the time a story is printed on paper or a newscaster reports on it, it's already old news. Bloggers are like the embedded journalists during the War in Iraq. They are often reporting from the scene. Through weblogs, people can exercise their right to report and analyze events as they unfold. The writing of bloggers usually have a sense of immediacy to it that is lacking from the structured objectivity journalists impose on their writing.

"Jayson Blair's dereliction of duty doesn't surprise me at all. Every workplace is filled with scumbags and liars. I think the difference now is that more reporters and even bloggers will be held accountable for their coverage," said James Martin Luther. "With every scandal there's a correction of people's blind belief in what various authorities tell them. Enron is an example of this. Now newspapers, online and off, get to sit in the frying pan. "

In many ways, bloggers are more accountable than journalists. Weblogs invite more participation from their readers through online chats, message boards and comments than newspapers and magazines. They are constantly being criticized and corrected. They don't believe in password-protecting their ideas, like The New York Times. Bloggers want to reach as many readers as possible and RSS, invented by Dave Winer, helps to syndicate their writing. Most weblogs have a RSS file, acronym for Really Simple Syndication, associated with them. RSS is a data file that serves as a Web content syndication format. This file enables search engines and other weblogs to easily retrieve information for publications, commentaries, and archives.

Weblogs are as egalitarian as publications like The New York Times are snooty. Through blogs, common people can express themselves and add original content to the Web. Blogs often blur the line between private and public. They are usually more personal and reveal the personality and taste of their authors. Bloggers are like embedded journalists during the War in Iraq. They often report from the scene. The different perspectives readers get from blogs are invaluable. Just as practically everyone has a web site right now, soon everyone will need their own blog. Google is making this bet by buying www.blogger.com. Even the almighty press cannot stop the revolution in journalism that is taking place right now.