Picking up the slack

For all their problems, news blogs fill a void

Not a day goes by when news of Sudan isn't front and center in a major newspaper or news Web site. By now, the numbers are burned into many news consumers' minds: More than 1.8 million people have been displaced from their homes in the Darfur region and an estimated 70,000 people have been killed. There are near daily reports of brutal rapes and other violent crimes. From the U.S. Congress to the African Union, everyone is debating what should be done to help the people of Sudan, who some argue are in the midst of genocide.

Just a few months ago, though, not much of this information was out there for public consumption. Few American politicians were talking about Sudan and, certainly, it wasn't a topic of conversation among average Americans. Back when Rep. Charles Rangel, D-N.Y., was arrested for protesting outside the Sudanese Embassy in Washington, D.C., people interested in Sudan were turning to blogs for information. Sudan: The Passion of the Present was one of the only places to find information this summer. The blog reported in mid-July that since there was low interest from mainstream news organizations, activists found themselves "more and more informed by other blogs."

Now, Sudan coverage is all over the AP wire and original reporting is being done by The New York Times and other major newspapers. But when no one was paying much attention, blogs stepped to the plate and provided a much-needed public service.