Alan Mutter on why we will always need the professional journalist

Alan Mutter asks whether cottage industry journalism can do the job over at his blog.

He writes that

Although a number of do-it-yourself ventures have embraced modern technology to attempt to fill the void created by the retrenchment of the mainstream media, there is scant evidence to date that any have succeeded to the point that they will support the sustained efforts of professional journalists.

and worries that

the time and hard work involved in serious reporting seems to suggest even the most impressive grassroots projects will be condemned to relatively short life spans.