Blog Supporters Perceive Bias as a Strength?

I was shocked to learn how much faith internet users place in blogs. The Johnson study reveals that people believe “candid viewpoints” to be a higher form of journalism and a more trustworthy news source than traditional media (yuck!). What a terrible world we live in when old-fashioned fogeys still get their news from a “traditional” source that relies on strict reporting standards and, compared to blogs, an unbiased presentation of facts. Who needs the truth? Wouldn’t we rather let some anonymous and self-proclaimed pundit tell us not only what to think about but how to think about it as well? The study discussion says that while traditional media are expected to maintain standards of fairness and balance, “such expectations are not extended into the blogosphere.” This would, in any other situation, seem like a laughable dismissal of blogs as a news source. Yet somehow the discussion continues with “blog supporters perceive bias as a strength that allows for a more detailed and in depth examination of the issues.” Is this a joke? Sadly it appears to be the opposite - it is the result of a scientific and quantitative analysis, and a very serious one at that. Blogs, once sources of entertainment, frivolity, and sideline commentary have today usurped the throne of media credibility in an age that allows the bar to be lowered and asks no questions.