Relationships?? Oh like Caroline's rumored "special friend".

Try again Liz.

Let's blog about Chris Matthews!!!

I think the 'yes if used properly' standard is okay generally - but I can also see in the case of Caroline Kennedy that Matthews would have a good sense of how reliable the blogs are and whether it would be proper to use them in this case.

I think blogs are good for quick information. CNN keeps their twitter page posted near the teleprompts during broadcasts for breaking stories.

My only issue with blogs and websites for information is when people use them as information sources in lieu of peer-reviewed work. That is a no-no.

I think it truly depends on the blog. CNN or MSNBC would be good blog sources I would think, however if you're depending on Perezhilton or Dlisted or TMZ or something, well, then you probably deserve all the misinformation you get. LOL

Yes, if they are from a reputable source, like CNN or MSNBC or the NYT - AND it's not an opinion blog.

And she DID present what was being said as not being true - that doesn't discount *all* blogs for valid information, though.

By the same token, I reject Chris Matthews as a source of "news".

Margo, very funny! Your rejection.

Well he's asking her for hard reasons for why she may have stepped aside in the untimely manner that she did. I don't believe blog chatter has a place in this context but I also give her kuddos for prefecing it as rumor because that is extremely important.

All too often in my day to day work and personal life I hear people conveying rumor or assumptions and I see the listener accepting the information as fact because the information was not prefaced with the disclaimer.. oh this is just a rumor or whatever. This stuff causes more grief and misunderstanding in the long run and I don't know why people haven't learned better by now.

If some blogs prove to be reliable over time then you can trust them but look at all the misconceptions about Obama in this election. Some rumors didn't even go together, like he's Muslim but he has a crazy Christian church leader. Both can't be possible right? So yeah, just trust the reliable sources.

Chris Matthews??? Speaking of reliable journalism???? HA

I'm just waiting for his head to explode. I know it will happen one day.

Chris Matthews starts out by asking if her withdrawal had anything to do with "a personal problem involving her marriage." I think he was referring to the affair rumors in the first place.

personally, I wish that Caroline had not dropped out. I think she would have been a real voice for the people. And I think her lack of experience was a real plus...but that's just me...
Peace to all from Indiana, USA, mTw

I don't see where she presents them as rumors... she says "questions."

He is acting holier than thou. A part of journalism is bringing up what ifs. Questioning things beyond their public statement.

Because if we just trust what the statement says, then why have reporters?

Oh geez, I've never gotten bad information from this blog, and blogs like the Huffington Post are giant players in the way people get their news now. Many people use MSNBC's own blogs to keep up to date, so Chris Matthews is being an idiot. The only print media I get now is the Economist, because their articles are too in depth for me to be able to read online. And I only get that once a week, so if i want to be updated constantly about the news, online newspapers and blogs are a good way to go. And I like the opinion content on Huffpo, even the reporting of rumors, because honestly, most people know when something is a rumor. With the whole Caroline Kennedy thing, Huffpo acknowledged they were reporting rumors, and then listed which newspapers and sources supported what angle. Chris Matthews just thinks we're all too stupid to sort that out, and honestly I don't get why him saying something makes it that much more credible than a blog like citizensugar. End rant!

if you ONLY get your news from blogs, you will be misinformed much of the time. i think blogs (and wikipedia) are a great place to hear about something, but then you should seek other journalistic sources to find more information.

i do think blogs are a great way to get people interested in current events. providing the links to other news sources makes it easier to get the full story.