This response really hits the mark. Someone like Ben Clymer (or Jeff Stein) attains credibility because he's earned it, and earned it from the toughest crowd around. A journalist is ascribed credility from the media outlet; it's assumed that if you write for a credible newspaper, you are sufficiently worthy of the space. The only way bloggers (or websites like On the Dash) gain cred is to convince a whole lot of watch people that they are worth their time. They attain cred because they merit it, not because it's handed to them on a silver platter.

As for the industry recognizing it, the credibility of Hodinkee and OTD can't be denied, not because on the long tradition of the media outlet, but because they know what they're talking about. If anything, credible blogs and websites are now the basic sources for media outlets, recognized for the expertise that journalists may not have. Ben and Jeff are the guys journalists turn to, and there is no knowledgeable person who would argue otherwise.

If this makes journalists feel badly about wasting their time at Columbia J-school, then they need to suck it up and realize that the days of well-written but unilluminating content are over. The good bloggers and commentators are here to stay.

Scott