Samizdata.net has an article about the growing influence of blogging, and that finally the watchdogs are being watched. David Carr writes the following:

The watchers are being watched. They probably don’t like it. I expect that, in due course, they will respond by lobbying the government to bring bloggers under ‘democratic control’ which is the widely accepted procedure for laying low the competition. When that happens, we will all know that we have truly arrived.

While not all the “watchdogs” here are liberal (take note Mr. Ashcroft), I would say it’s a fair bet that most, like media institutions and (once)hallowed bastions of politics, do indeed lean in that direction.
What is interesting is the double-edged sword wielded by those who fear the changes that honest people are attempting to bring about. On the one hand, government regulation or ‘democratic control’ is another way of calling in the Magnificent Seven to fight against the evil robbers. It’s nice to have the government at your disposal in times like these.
Yet these very same people will turn right around and accuse the government of too much intervention. Or worse yet, they complain when the government makes a decision–in the best interests of the people, no less–and takes action, even when that action may mean drastic measures both inside and outside the country’s boundaries.
The clear message these cowards are sending is the symptomatic buildup and subsequent breakdown of government is only for their purposes, ie, the few. The end of their rhetoric is their unchallenged authority on every front that suits them and their desires.
Bloggers should be careful. If this indeed does become an issue, a few thousand webpages will need to be more upright than ever before, and maintain against the tide of those who would see truth silenced and integrity destroyed. We need to remain vigilant, indeed, increase our vigilance, and vocally stand against the onslaught of our nation’s ideals and principles. Whether Democrat or Republican, the powers who would rather see us snuffed out don’t care about political ideologies, just cold hard cash and the ability to control what people think. The “New York Times bust” of Raines and Boyd is only a small part of our responsibility to keep watch on the watchers, and shout from the blogtop when it all goes down.