As 'new media' proliferate, does government have a role?

The tension between government and the so-called fourth estate, or the news media, is at the heart of a mounting war of words in the blogosphere as well as in print and broadcast over when, where, why and how lawmakers should interact - some say meddle - with today's swiftly changing news environment.

As traditional print and broadcast outlets have continued to dwindle at historic rates and so-called "new media" such as blogs and web-only news sites proliferate, the FTC has convened a task force on how government "can help," with a series of public input meetings, ending June 15. At the same time, in May, Michigan Senator Bruce Patterson introduced a bill to create a state registry for journalists, which he hopes would give the public a means for verifying reporter's qualifications and credentials. The outcry over both has been swift and pointed.