The Mainstream Media (MSM) have consistently turned their backs on bloggers with portrayals as amateurs in "pajamas," among other characterizations. A lot of data on blogging has been self-serving, in one way or another. Sites like Technorati consistently overstate the importance of blog sites, and bloggers themselves often take themselves too seriously. On the other side, the MSM has usually tried to understate the impact of bloggers on the news and on the craft of journalism itself.
A new study from the Pew Foundation suggests, however, that blogging itself and the audience of blog readers has been growing steadily. Mystery Pollster reports on this, with a link to the full study. Among the interesting tidbits is the fact that nearly 40% of Internet users read blogs regularly. That number suggests that blogs are well on their way to becoming a permanent news and information channel, and not just a fad.
While it is true there are a lot of dull and/or low traffic blogs that don't deserve much attention, many blogs have become a routine source of news. The steady increase in readers mirrors the traffic on this site, which has increased steadily year to year since I started in 2002, and Technology Futures has typically seen year to year increases of 300 to 400 percent.