The New York Review of Books is publishing a series of essays from the respected journalist Michael Massing. The first is a thoughtfully researched look at the evolution of the blog in the context of news and information provided through the Internet.

Massing takes on the criticism the Internet is a form of parasite on legacy media.

"Without the vital news-gathering performed by established institutions, many Web sites would sputter and die. In their sweep and scorn, however, such statements seem as outdated as they are defensive.

"Over the past few months alone, a remarkable amount of original, exciting, and creative (if also chaotic and maddening) material has appeared on the Internet. The practice of journalism, far from being leeched by the Web, is being reinvented there, with a variety of fascinating experiments in the gathering, presentation, and delivery of news. And unless the editors and executives at our top papers begin to take note, they will hasten their own demise."

Massing examines the impact of many individuals and organizations, and he concludes the lowering of barriers of entry to newcomers has yielded a fresh wave of voices and approaches. What he isn't clear about, though, is how the expense of journalism is going to be met in this new environment.

"Needless to say, traditional news organizations continue to play a critical part in keeping the public informed. But can they adapt to the rapidly changing news environment? And who is going to pay for quality news and information in the future?"

For the answer to that, we await his next instalment in the series.

If digital advertising is dramatically lower-priced than legacy advertising in reaching an individual, then it only makes sense to wring any costs associated with advertising out of the system. One such cost is building ads with creative departments or agencies.

The New York Times' blog, The Local, has been rolling out some interesting new features, most recently enabling users to volunteer to cover events or to request coverage from journalists.

Now it has introduced a low-cost self-serve advertising service. At five dollars per 1,000 page views, it is priced quite cheaply. The aim is to make it affordable for local retailers and services to reach audiences.

A study for the U.S. Institute for Public Relations suggests an increasing impact of social media but an enduring challenge for it to achieve credibility.

The study of public relations professionals examined the evolving role of social media. It found a growing perception in the value of social media as both complementary and influential in relation to mainstream media. Its instantaneous quality was valued and noted.

But there remains a question about expectations of honesty and integrity. Respondents felt strongly (80 per cent) that they should expect mainstream media to be accurate, ethical and honest, but half as many (41 per cent) hold those expectations of blogs and social media.

Salon features a book excerpt from Scott Rosenberg, an essay on how blogs have changed everything. It's an argument that legacy media miscalculated the Web and continues to miscalculate the value of the voices blogs bring.

Rosenberg believes the arrival of the blog is akin to the arrival of the telephone, a new form of communication that will take its own shape, and he is highly critical of those who dismiss their impact or suggest there are too many. Even if the audience is only the writer and his mother, he says, that at least binds the writer and his mother.

Moreover, "we can now see that collectively they constitute something unprecedented in human history: a new kind of public sphere, at once ephemeral and timeless, sharing the characteristics of conversation and deliberation. Blogging allows us to think out loud together. Now that we have begun, it's impossible to imagine stopping."

Alan Mutter, in Reflections of a Newsosaur, questions the viability of grassroots journalism. He suggests that it isn't sustainable economically so won't develop professionally in a form that reliably serves society.

"Although a number of do-it-yourself ventures have embraced modern technology to attempt to fill the void created by the retrenchment of the mainstream media, there is scant evidence to date that any have succeeded to the point that they will support the sustained efforts of professional journalists," he writes.

Neither he nor anyone really seriously knocks the efforts of community-based news sites to provide journalism. What he questions, credibly, is the financial underpinning of such efforts and their inability to channel substantial resources at a journalistic project or challenge.

"While it is true that the hard work of one or a handful of highly motivated individuals can create something worth reading for as long as their enthusiasm holds out, the time and hard work involved in serious reporting seems to suggest even the most impressive grassroots projects will be condemned to relatively short life spans."

The Earl Blog is the creation of Earl Wilkinson, the respected executive director of the International Newsmedia Marketing Association (INMA), and it ought to be a substantial addition to the blogosphere.

Wilkinson assembles some of the strongest overviews and analyses of the newspaper industry, so even posts that contain morsels of his Inbox should prove helpful in an era of all--info-is-good-info. He travels extensively, so while many media blogs have a geographic emphasis, Wilkinson's views are bound to be more varied and educational.

To wit: His latest post is on the multiple cultures --- and success therein --- at Schibsted, the Norwegian publishing company.