I think it is mainly a matter of three things combined: high journalistic standards, integrity, and commitment to hard work. If you've got them, you're an investigative journalist. If you don't have one or more of them, you're not really a journalist because journalism requires a greater professional commitment to all three than do most other ways of spending your time. If your standards fall or if you think you can get by cutting corners in integrity or in hard work, you are something - maybe a stenographer or a PR person or just a bad reporter - but you are not really an investigative journalist.

Whether it's on a blog or a newspaper doesn't matter. Good journalism is good journalism. When all three of the qualities I mentioned are being watered down and vitiated by corporate consolidation and a palpable dumbing down throughout society, the blogs have presented an opportunity to us to take back ground we've lost. Taking advantage of that opportunity is vital, IMO, and why it is so gratifying for me to see the good work you are doing here, Brad.

Personally, I don't have a problem with the term "investigative blogger" - It's a mark of distinction from the print and broadcasting tribe who call themselves "journalists" but are nothing of the sort. But, again, journalism has to regain a standing as journalism --- so, really I'm of two minds on the subject.

I share your two mindsets, Arry.

How do you interview a blog?

Brad,
I'd add Voter Rights Advocate. ala wikipedia. It sure ain't a press pass that makes the journalist that's for sure!

Agent 99,
wget https://bradblog.com | grep diebold
(i'm kidding)

Come to think of it, how could someone really be an investigative journalist and not be a people's advocate? Work for a big corporation, part of the military-corporate complex, what are you going to investigate? Well, maybe somebody spit on a soldier in a protest? People aren't buying as much this year? You earn your pay by being a cog in the corporate wheel.

Until we accomplish some major media reform, the blogs, indie media, and so on are where you will find journalism that has any meaning.

99 -

Very carefully.