Russell Shaw on Catholic Blogs

"On the one hand, blogging is a potent tool for expressing the responsible public opinion in the Church...

"On the other hand, no one even slightly familiar with the blogosphere can help being aware that it's the kingdom of the gossips, the ideologues, the cranks and the no-holds-barred venters of spleen — a place in cyberspace where opinion, rumor, ad hominem nastiness and unfettered ego-tripping are par for the course.

"Web logs are an extraordinary medium for the instantaneous exchange of views and information among activists. Their speed, outreach and unofficial character give them their influence. But the blogs lack the checks and balances of traditional journalism and manifest a kind of congenital unreliability."

So, the difference between weblogs and the mainstream media would be...