OJR has an interesting piece on Ombudsmen from a number of major US Papers & NPR discussing the Internet, with some mainly positive feedback on blogging
Ombudsmen Discuss Good, Bad and Annoying of the Internet | OJR
“Blogs are here to stay. They are a new and somewhat untested form of journalism. They are also a positive expression of the rambunctiousness of American culture and democracy…a bit unwieldy…hard to contain…often an utterly genuine expression of political and cultural vigor and excitement. Old-line media need to figure out a way to report on them…”