Report: Blogging Comes of Age

blog readership
Blogging is on the brink of a new phase that will probably include some more scandal, profitability for some, and a splintering into elites and non-elites over standards and ethics, according to the 2007 State of News Media Report.
The report unveiled statistics that show how amateur blogs are tapering off, while established blogs continue to rise in readership.
"The share of the online population that tried blogging peaked back in January 2005 at 10 percent and has hovered since at 8 percent. Blog readership, on the other hand is climbing. Some 40 percent of the online population said they have read a blog at least once," writes Steve Rubel, citing the report.
The use of blogs for political campaigns, for one, is already intensifying in the run-up to the 2008 campaign, while PR efforts are beginning to use blogs as well, often covertly. Yet what gives blogging its authenticity and momentum - its open access - also makes it vulnerable to being used and manipulated, leading to scandals like the recent Edelman PR fiascos.
At the individual level, some of the most popular bloggers are already becoming businesses or being assimilated into the established media. The report concludes: "the paradox of professionalizing the medium to preserve its integrity as an independent citizen platform is the start of a complicated new era in the evolution of the blogosphere."