John Naughton, writing in The Observer on the 10th anniversary of Blogger:
The long-term significance of Blogging is that it reverses a trend that had become increasingly worrying in an era dominated by mass media, namely the erosion of what the cultural critic Jurgen Habermas called "the public sphere" - an area where citizens gather to generate opinions and attitudes that affirm or challenge the actions of the state. Mass media offered the illusion of diversity while narrowing the range of real choices available - the "600 channels and nothing on" syndrome. Blogging has revived - and begun to expand - the public sphere, and in the process may revitalise our democracies.
For all its negatives, the blogosphere is an important asset we have.
Very few things come without down-sides. :)
But yes, despite working in the mass media, blogging's ability to break down the mass media's hold on public discourse has been something I've treasured about it since the start.