The Web's impact on the news...

... is probably not what you think. At least according the Project on Excellence in Journalism:

It was believed at one point that the Net would democratize the media, offering many new voices, stories and perspectives. Yet the news agenda actually seems to be narrowing, with many Web sites primarily packaging news that is produced elsewhere [...].

While it's fashionable for critics on both sides of the political spectrum to decry the alleged biases of the mainstream media, it seems like traditional news organizations are still primarily responsible for the reporting that gets done, while most of the blogshere focuses on commentary. So what happens if (or when) "old" media can no longer offer to actually gather the news? Hmmmm....