Today, most publications are built on one of two models: Rely on advertisers or rely on billionaires.

Ripe for disruption. This is what I had hoped weblogs would do; when Deep Horizon caught fire, I tried getting folks near the Gulf to report from their local experience and newspapers, but alas ... fewer bloggers with less interest than in the 00's. We could easily circumvent the 'biggies'. We just don't have the will to do so. Imagine hearing from Rust Belt blogs, or Appalachian blogs, during election 2016. Might have come out much differently.

Later: I type things like this, I hear Saruman's voice coming from Theoden: "You have no power here ..."