Bloggers Having Effect On Mainstream Media

The approximately 11 million American bloggers, and the 32 million who regularly read blogs, are leading to a "house cleaning" among the mainstream media. The CBS Memogate controversy is one example of the influence the blogosphere wields, calling the network on its questionable reporting and eventually leading to the resignation of Dan Rather.

"What blogging has created is a million eyes watching over the shoulders of journalists," says Matthew Felling, media director of the Center for Media and Public Affairs in Washington. "If some questionable news-gathering behavior had grown to be tolerated, the blogosphere has put an end to that."