Bloggers have made a huge mark so far in 2004

Bloggers gave Howard Dean's campaign early, unexpected momentum. They fanned the flames of the Iraqi prison crisis with rapid distribution of photos, especially the most controversial ones. They catapulted into the mainstream Burger King's "Viral Chicken" campaign, as well as the controversial "Swift Boat Veterans for Truth" anti-Kerry video into the mainstream.

Bloggers are now serving as fact-checking, credibility screening, gap-filling counterweights to traditional media. We saw this in vivid Technicolor after CBS Evening News released documents alleging preferential treatment toward President Bush during the Vietnam War. Bloggers threw the "memo" story back in CBS's face with a flurry of investigatory rebuttals, counterclaims, and alleged testimonials from real and self-proclaimed handwriting or typewriter experts. Within a day of CBS airing its "scoop", bloggers effectively shifted the story from one about presidential perks to one about network credibility. CBS executives were not only caught by surprise, but will probably never think the same way about story "due diligence." Power Line, which broke the story rose rapidly to the top of BlogPulse's Top Links for September 10, 2004. This festering issue keeps CBS news anchor Dan Rather in the 4th place on BlogPulse's Key People for September 16, 2004, eclipsed only by President Bush and John Kerry who have been in the top spots all along, and guitarist Johnny Ramone who passed away on Thursday.

Take a look at the impact of this controversy through BlogPulse's very own trend graph: Buzz trends in the blogosphere on CBS and Dan Rather.

Also, check out Campaign Radar 2004, BlogPulse's analysis of blogger opinion pertaining to the 2004 U.S. Presidential Election and let us know what you think.

We are grateful to those of you who have blogged about BlogPulse as well as the new Campaign Radar 2004 or shared your thoughts with us directly.
Thank you!