ONE of the things that defenders of newspapers repeat often is that moving online will mean the end of any form of investigative journalism.
I've never really agreed with that because now that blogs and other publishing tools are freely available anyone can follow and study a subject, bringing real insight into a issue and thanks to comments and search provide real depth.
One of the best examples of that is Ben Goldacre's Bad Science website and whilst he writes for The Guardian the work he highlights being produced by others shows that errors and untruths are being examined by people often more qualified than journalists.
For example, in today's column he covers how determined bloggers blew the whistle on a supposed 'miracle cure' for dyslexia.
Maybe newspapers have got to start looking beyond the newsroom and work with knowledgeable and passionate individuals, aiming to link up with other groups and bloggers in the community.
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