Maybe it's the new circle of life for mainstream journalism

So here are some themes that keep coming up in class and our readings:

1. Mainstream media is on the decline.
2. "Alternative" or "freelance" media (e.g. bloggers) is on the rise
3. If mainstream media dies, then the bloggers will have nothing to write about because they rely on mainstream media for material.

Maybe we're seeing the start of a cyclical structure that may be a fact of Journalism for years and years. It would go like this:

(insert steps one through three from above right here)
4. Bloggers and other "alternative" media producers freak out that there is no mainstream media for them to write about. So, they go out and start doing serious reporting on their own.
5. "Alternative" media BECOMES "mainstream" media after they're operations become so huge. Advertising revenue and income starts pouring in because there's no one else to take it away from them.
6. Years or decades later, the NEW "mainstream media" goes on the decline.
7. New alternative media goes on the rise.

You get the idea.

And then Elton John writes a song about it. Oh wait, I guess he'd be dead by then.

Or I'm totally wrong or this has already been talked about and I should shut up.