One of the points we've tried to make over and over again is that if there's a demand for reporting on something, models will get created to cover it. This doesn't mean that participatory journalism will flat-out replace the legacy media. Instead, we believe that the two will just blend together, with roles for the pros alongside everyone else. But, one of the key points made by folks who insist that newspapers are the last bastion between the world and widespread corruption is the question: "but who would cover city council meetings if newspapers don't send reporters?" The idea is that no one really cares enough to cover such things. Except, that's not necessarily true. As Jay Rosen notes, it appears that when concerned citizens are interested in what's happening in their local governments, they appear to do an amazingly thorough job covering city council meetings -- perhaps much more thoroughly than the bored reporter using the gig as a stepping stone to a more exciting beat.

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