For political junkies, there was no more bizarre and fascinating news night than the 2000 election returns.

Among the embarrassing moments that night—and there were quite a few—was when anchorman Dan Rather announced that Al Gore had won Florida, and then proclaimed, “If [CBS News] says someone carried a state, you can take that to the bank.”

Of course, Gore ended up losing the state, after a 36-day recount. But Rather was simply voicing the standard old-school ethos. The way journalism traditionally functioned, at least in America, news was bathed in the “voice of God.” The reporter was an objective transmitter of absolute facts, who never let his personal perspective intrude.

Now, however, journalism is changing, and many writers are trying to figure out a place in the new order. My job has certainly evolved. For about ten years, I covered the jewelry industry for my publication, JCK, solely in the “voice of God” style. But in 2006, I began a blog, and it was one of the best things I’ve ever done.

“Cutting Remarks” is devoted to news about the diamond and jewelry industry. However, sometimes I slip in a joke or two, go on tangents about things that interest me, and offer a bit of analysis mixed with opinion. If I don’t know a fact, I will say I don’t know. And if I make a mistake, I admit that too. Covering the recent bombing of a diamond area in Mumbai, I wrote that my “thoughts are with our friends in India.”

None of this is the voice of God. It is the voice of me.

And while a lot of people are mourning the loss of the old-school journalistic ethos, I think, with blogging, quite a bit has been gained as well:

  • Journalism is turning more transparent. The big question about any news story is always: “How does the reporter know this?” With blogging, you can be more open about where you get your information from. You can link to news stories you’ve consulted, any press statements, even audio or video of your interviews.
  • Journalism is becoming more accountable. One of the standard beefs about newspapers used to be that reporters rarely admit errors, and when they do, the corrections would be buried in back of the paper. That’s far less of an issue with blogging. If you get something wrong on a blog, commenters will call you on it. And if they are right, you can clear it up right there. That isn’t a perfect system, because not everyone will see the revision. But it’s much better than it was.
  • Journalists can develop their own “brand.” The best publications always had a “voice.” But now the individual voice is becoming just as important. I now have a far more personal relationship with JCK’s readers than I ever had in the past. Before my blog, I rarely got feedback on what I wrote. Now, I get it all the time, and it’s often from people I have never met. And they call me “Rob,” like they know me. Which in a way, they do.

One of the big buzzwords in the diamond industry is “adding value.” If a jeweler just sells a standard diamond ring, it is said, they will have a tough time competing, because they are only offering a “commodity” that can be sold anywhere. So instead they need to sell service, design, the store’s reputation, and any extras.

Information is also a commodity. There are plenty of reporters banging out stories that tell us “the President offered a new budget plan.” But the journalists that can convincingly analyze that plan, tell us how it came to be, scour the Internet to find the best information about it, or simply write about it in a way no other human being in the world can, add value.

And if they do this, consistently, entertainingly, concisely, and with personality, then they will connect with readers and win a following.

And you can take that to the bank. (Just kidding.)