Columnist weighs in on blogs

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel columnist Eugene Kane offers his thoughts on blogs, saying they have definitely made an impact, but "I believe there's little chance that blogging will replace traditional forms of reporting and commentary. At least, not in the near future."

He goes on to say that "blogging is best when it's a clearinghouse for ideas rather than a
long-winded exercise in self-congratulatory rhetoric," citing one particular blog that offered scatching criticism of Kane's columns and the thoughts and opinions he expresses in them.

Although he says he has developed a thick skin in response to personal attacks, he believes that at some point, the legal system will intervene to curb the more outlandish comments posted to blogs. "Some of this stuff is just too ugly to let go unchecked," he adds.

Kane acknowledges the circulation declines for the Journal Sentinel and many other newspapers and recognizes the need to interest readers in new ways. These include the paper's Web site and the blogs of several Journal Sentinel staff members, including Kane, who started his Raising Kane blog in the last month.

Kane knows that if "the battle for new consumers of information and commentary is to be fully engaged, much of it will happen on the Internet."

He offers this challenge to bloggers: "Bring it on."