"It is misleading to question, as many insist on doing, whether bloggers had an impact on the 2004 election or have greater influence now as a 'Fifth Estate' than professional journalists ... The impact of the blogosphere lies in the aggregate, in its location within a larger structure. Ultimately this structure has great potential in meeting the normative expectations we have of the public sphere: access that does not depend on economic resources, autonomy from both state and market forces, and ability of the participants to communicate across professional, political and geographical boundaries ..." (Quoted from paper)