I read an interesting conversation on Gary Goldhammer’s blog, Below the Fold. Gary writes on “New journalism, modern public relations and shifts in media practices.”

In a post entitled “Unbundled Journalists: Every Reporter is a Freelancer – and a Brand,” Gary suggested that new media empowers journalists to create their own brand, and thereby

“break the surly bonds of their media masters…In this new model, reporters, not newspapers or networks, are the brands.”

True. I think immediately of Jeff Jarvis, Michelle Malkin, David Sifrey, Guy Kawasaki.  I could probably name a few more but what about all us other citizen journalists?  You know, the other 35 million?

Gary received a comment from John Cass that shed some light on this topic,

“I think that while media institutions are successful when they give more freedom to journalists, it’s the combination of talented individuals and a company that provides a structure that supports a journalist is really the winning combination.”

I think Cass has it right and Gary acknowledged the contribution of his comment. I am not a career journalist so my perspective may be different but I believe that the most efficient and productive model for blogging (for those of us not on the A-list) is a network that merges independent voices in a topical platform.

• The traditional media model, with centralized (primarily New York) editorial control.
• Models where information flows uni-directional, with little allowance for correction or clarification or discussion. 
• Models that proclaim their objectivity to the increasing disbelief of their audience. 
• Models that do not show transparency of their sources so they might allow their audience to determine their degree of trust. 
• Models that serve as gatekeepers rather than authenticaters.