by Elizabeth M Young

Created on: October 28, 2010   Last Updated: November 14, 2010

The mainstream media outlets and the news industry in general are driven by mobile and web technology. The whole print run, broadcast schedule or program planning setup can be put out of whack within minutes when even one amateur video of an event that the major outlets would normally have ignored goes viral. 

Then the bloggers go nuts with opinions, facts about the area, community or even individuals involved. People can do this when they have lived in the community or area for a significant time, or when they are personally involved.

The public clamors for news about the event and the news is wanted "now". The broadcast or online source that has the most comprehensive, enlightening, informative or new information will get the audience, and that is the volatile and unpredictable nature of covering the news. There is more competition both with other news organizations and with bloggers these days.

There are three areas where major news outlets have to compete with bloggers: audience time and attention, the amount and level of influence that advertisers and others exert over content, and the knowledge base of the blogger as opposed to the news outlet's staff.

In an advertising driven world, a casual blogger who has built even a small audience of 200 to 300 regular viewers can put a dent in the audience for a major cable, print or online news agency. If those people take 10 minutes to read what the blogger has to say, then they are not spending that 10 minutes viewing the advertising and content on television or at some other site.

Better yet, the casual blogger has no overhead and can blog without the influence or involvement of advertisers. The blogger can stay in business, producing ad free content indefinitely since the costs are a computer, some power, and an internet service account.

It has been long suspected that commercial sponsors are engaging in perception management activities that could include influencing the ways in which the news is reported, the bias or slant that is introduced, or the complete rejection of some news stories.

People hunger for an independent and unique point of view, some background from a person who has real experience with the topic, or even a good summary of all the best mainstream reports that weeds out the redundant ones or the time wasters. As a result, bloggers have a lot of power to push or  to pull audience to and from the major news outlets.

Then there is the "expert" analysis from ex, former, retired, or

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