I liked Lisa Stone's analogies on big media and little media dueling it out for attention as the mainstream press and the participatory journalists as Daddy and Mommy.
Lisa writes:
"Here's what I mean when I say that I feel feel as though mommy and daddy are fighting. What I have learned is that Daddy (or big media) is predisposed to value hierarchy and status, or elitism in the negative sense, whereas Mommy (or self-published media) is predisposed to value meritocracy or elitism in the positive sense. Daddy's in trouble because being a member of the club has, over time, become more important than being the top expert at his job--indeed has changed his job. As a result, Daddy's product is no longer always the best-- the most elite by definition (b). Mommy's given him some competition because, thanks to her search tool, she's a smart shopper and can find the best, most detailed expert information on any topic because she can look world-wide, rather than being limited by the club...It's essential for bloggers to keep the reader in mind too and to avoid clubby elitism."

Lisa's points--clever as they are--remind me that all writintg is ultimately about voice, accuracy and perspective--and that self-publishing tools make it easier and easier for the long tail of participatory journalism to compete for attention--especially as search tools drive the most-linked to posts to the fore.