Tracking the Life and Death of News

Rather than "proving the obvious," most of the reported Cornell research is clearly in progress. The researchers' finding that "Almost all stories started in the mainstream" and that "Only 3.5 percent of the stories tracked appeared first dominantly in the blogosphere and then moved to the mainstream," begs a careful examination of the 3.5% for identifying features, rhetorical strategies, and community behaviors. The "mainstream" media needs to be defined carefully, as does the "blogosphere" -- the interaction between these two information spaces then becomes particularly important and interesting.

Brad Mehlenbacher of NC 1:23AM October 12, 2009