Michael Danko

When word got out that Maureen Dowd accidentally published part of Josh Marshall’s blog under her own name in a column in the New York Times, more than one blogger reacted with glee.. No—Dowd’s accident is another sign of how traditional outlets are i taking cues from those who populate the blogosphere. And contrary to popular mythology, not everyone in the mainstream media has been loath to admit this.

But it’s evident every day as Internet-based reporters are increasingly setting priorities for the national news agenda. Greg Sargent lauded Murray Waas , an independent web reporter, for writing about the outing of Valerie Plame. Jay Rosen crowned Waas the “Woodward of now,” Woodward, had missed the story while reporters like Murray Waas, Jane Mayer, and Dan Froomkin aggressively reported it.