OK, I'll go first.
The West Wing is the ONLY television show for which I religiously block out time to watch (that is, since we dropped HBO with The Sopranos). In my opinion, the show is akin to sitting through a well taught, one-hour poli-sci course every Wednesday night. It's not that I am so gullible that I actually believe Jed Bartlett's make-believe administration is what I think our Executive Branch is really like, I merely wish it to be so.
To my knowledge, last night's episode was the first time webloggers became a factor in a prime-time TV story line thereby adding another level of public awareness of what blogs usually are - immediate, unfiltered, sometimes influential; and what they ususally aren't - traditional, rule laden, journalism. If you didn't see the episode I'm not going to explain how a blogger arrived in and affected the story line but suffice it to say two stereotypes were forwarded by the West Wing screenwriters.
Stereotype 1 - Guvment officials: Nostalgically clinging to the quaint concept of "off the record".
Stereotype 2 - Webloggers: Nostalgically clinging to the quaint concept of "the people have a right to know".
During the show, a weblogger's post and uploaded photo documenting a personally witnessed (and seemingly innocuous) event ultimately triggered a top-level policy conversation. The ensuing discussions precipitated a change in focus of the make-believe administration's efforts towards an important public policy issue.
A point of reality was offered during the short discussion of weblogs (paraphrased): "Don't kid yoursef, the media is tuned in to weblogs.", said one of the show's Presidential advisors after another advisor dismissed the blogger's post as having a limited audience. I know this 'tuning in' is an irrefutable fact, both locally and nationally. A blog's weight is not necessarily about the quantity of a blog's readership, but it is ALL about the quality of same.
Last night's West Wing gave weblogging a little more exposure than we enjoyed before the episode aired. It brought home the fact that blogs are a rapidly emerging source of information and micro-reporting of current events for which government is having to make accomodating adjustments.
Great responsibility comes with speaking with a loud voice while traditional media's ears are listening. Although I don't pretend to speak for other bloggers, I take this open mic pretty seriously. As to the above mentioned stereotypical beliefs, I adhere to the tenants of both of them - for the most part.
6:42:23 AM 
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