They might be giants

Tuesday's FCC vote to allow more media consolidation in 30 of the country's largest markets, including Atlanta, is the biggest acknowledgement yet of the power, and looming responsibility, of the American blogger.

Citing falling revenues and declining readership, big media honchos lobbied for and won approval to commence what they call cross-ownership -- basically, the ability of a company to own both print and TV outlets in the same market.

Ironically, the very internet that newspapers fill with free stories 24/7 was cited as the reason for newspapers' declining earning power, even though papers still reap twice the revenues of the S&P 500 average. Critics say the decision will mean fewer independent voices, which they claim will result in a less-informed and more-easily subjugated democracy.

Seen one way, the FCC's decision was a victory for the internet and its army of bloggers -- a sign that the financial foundations of the evil MSM have been shaken by the sheer free flow force of a million ideas.

On the flip side, it should be a sobering moment, because, with Washington now boosting -- not busting -- these kinds of trusts, the weighty and unwieldy task of upholding an independent and vigorous press just fell squarely on our shoulders.

The First Amendment guarantees the right to a free press, but it doesn't lay out what it should look like. That's now our responsibility. And our destiny.

(Picture: Walter Matthau as editor Walter Burns in 1974's The Front Page.)