I was in DC much of this week, speaking at and attending different future of journalism summits. There were many things I agreed with and others, profoundly disagreed. Top disagreement: “Bloggers give great opinions. But they are not reporters.” Um-then what do you call this?

The Hillman Foundation has announced their 2009 honorees, including, Marcy Wheeler of EmptyWheel/Firedoglake.

“Just last month, Marcy Wheeler made the front page of the New York Times after she became the first person to notice that a newly-released Justice Department memo revealed that Khalid Sheik Mohammed had been waterboarded 183 times in one month. Last year, Wheeler’s groundbreaking investigative work on the CIA leak case also made the front page of the Times. Her early and powerful reporting about malfeasance by Attorney General Alberto Gonzales helped to propel him out of the Bush administration. And her live blogging from the Scooter Libby trial in 2007 is widely regarded as one of the seminal moments in online journalism. Wheeler also produced outstanding coverage of the American auto industry crisis. Combining her background in the industry with a deep commitment to American workers, her depth of analysis was unrivaled.”

The lines between blogging and journalism will continue to blur and you’re going to find more and more bloggers taking on independent reporting. Why? Because it responds to the needs of their audiences, helps them gain recognition/impact when they want to pontificate and drive action. It is also in direct response to perceived poor reporting and cut backs by the establishment media.

Jane Hamher of Firedoglake is fundraising to bring Marcy and another reporter on full-time at FDL. Check it out and give a couple bucks.

P.S. We talk a lot about the blurring lines b/w journalism and blogging in our book, Beyond The Echo Chamber, coming out this fall!!!