Shafer doesn't get it (redux)
There is no 'hype' here - any new idea has an incubatory period which brings in excitement (commonly misinterpreted as 'hype'). Blogging has rattled the Big Media companies and macho journalists alike. They keep forgetting that the First Amendment protects Big Media companies, macho journalists and puny webloggers equally. The main difference this time is that the puny webloggers have a direct access to a media channel - the Internet. This may change if Big Media companies lobby the legislators to tilt the new media channel to their favor.
The future does look exciting.