“Blog of the people, blog by the people, and blog for the people.”

Long before computers and technological advancements, President Abraham Lincoln characterized democracy as a government “of the people, by the people and for the people.”

So what does this have to do with blogging?

The emergence of the “blog” provides people who wouldn’t have traditionally had a voice in society a platform to express their opinions. After reading portions of David Kline and Dan Burstein’s book blog! It became apparent to me that one thing blogs have succeeded at is democratizing information flow. According to Kline and Burnstein knowledge once held by a few has seeped into the hands of many where the lines between creator and consumer are becoming invisible.

For citizens who rely solely on blogs for information or for amateur bloggers it’s important to not throw mainstream media out or kick it to the curb. The reporters and producers serve as news gathers and disseminate information throughout the Web. This is not the case for all bloggers but typically information that is presented by the media is picked up by bloggers and from there compelling conversation starts.

Compelling conversation can stimulate, and often does, political action. From action starts the process of change. I see the result of this conversation online today. The emergence of blogging and the role of the internet became evident during the 2004 Presidential election. Howard the scream Dean launched his presidential campaign online and raised awareness, and big money, through the Web. Volunteers and supporters were able to use sites such as Meetup.com to literally meet up and promote Dean. He didn’t make it to the White House, but he was one of the candidates to see the importance of the internet and use it.

We should be thankful for the emergence of the blog. By showing your thanks, I’m not advocating that you agree with every blog or even that you have to spend hours reading blogs. Thanks should be given because of the platform the internet provides via blogs giving ordinary citizens the chance to be heard. There are concerns about citizen journalists and the ethical guidelines that non-professionals are to follow or even what they are. Am I concerned that someone could take my future job from the comfort of their own bedroom? No. I believe there is a need for journalists and that they can only benefit from browsing these blogs. The people and their stories are the news.

Media companies see the importance of the i-Report or the citizen journalist. They want feedback from news consumers on their stories because more stories come from just that, the feedback.

The more people involved in the process the better. If only voting could catch on as the blog craze has the principles of democracy would be in full swing.