Good analysis Paul.. the one thing you don't really cover though is the concept of media reach. In countries like the US and UK where the penetration of internet is much higher than in South Africa the debate may be slightly more relevant. However the fact still remains that many bloggers regardless of how insightful their opinions may be, will never get noticed by the mass market because they don't have the reach of traditional media – i.e. marketing power and visibility.The transition from traditional media to an online blogging setup is much more feasible (e.g. Thought Leader). This is a media equivalent to bricks and mortar businesses establishing an online presence to provide an additional channel to engage their customers. I'm certain that if I were a cartoonist for Sunday Times and then started my blog it would be a lot more popular than it currently is!