How have blogs and the internet changed the way news is reported?

Blogs have allowed the general public to become their own reporters. They pass on news about themselves or something that interests them. This appeals to their niche of cronies who follow up on them, creating a small news community from person to person. This has been helpful in a lot of ways because it gets more words out there and it can communicate things on a personal level that can sometimes be unreachable by reporting. One instance is in the Middle East when Iraqis were posting protests on Twitter, showing the world first hand the corruptness that was going on. This was in a time where reporters could produce news. A downside to Blogs and the internet though, is the caliber of information that is getting sent. More than ever we have to be careful of what we read, making sure that it is verified and legitimate. With the ability to post nearly anything you want, things can become convoluted. It gives the ability for too many people to post whatever crudeness they want for national entertainment (ie. Youtube). But that is the nature and beauty of the internet, the absence of communication limitation.