Howard Kurtz

is absolutely right the common opinion newspapers are "dying" is a tad premature.

Newspapers are NEVER going out--EVER--because they provide the lion's share of newsworthy information. Broadcast media is important but can't do it all. Ditto magazines. So, too the internet. And blogs? Forget it. Most of the "scoops" coming from blogs are utter horseshit or insignificant in the grand scheme of things (an example of the former is "Memogate" and an example of the latter is the fall of Trent Lott).

And yes, a handful of "bloggers" have moved into mainstream media, but the two Kurtz points to, Andrew Sullivan and Joshua Marshall, are ALREADY professional writers and were before they ever had their blogs. So they don't count.

Blogs are good for some commentary and pointing out articles that are newsworthy and aren't caught initially by the wire services. They are less good when they are longwinded and full of pretentious horseshit. In our ADD culture, short and sweet is the rule when it comes to blogs.

Kurtz Kount: Kurtz 21, C&P 37.

For the week: Kurtz 86, C&P 162. He definitely ate too much turkey or something.