The genesis? Really from my own experience. Started blogging two years ago (and a bit) and from doing so have been able to develop a freelance career of sorts. Various pieces for think tanks, TCS Daily….OK, that’s simply more online writing, new rather than old media, but also book reviews for The Telegraph and Comment page pieces for The Times (both London). If I can do that then given that there are many writers currently blogging who are vastly more capable than I then why not offer a helping hand?
Another way of looking at it would be that there could be two ways for the “war” between new and old media to end. It might be between the two models of business….or we could simply infiltrate the old media. If many of the writers for them are in fact bloggers, fitting into those editorial teams, then haven’t we actually got what we want anyway?

While they may know more about “their topic” than the typical reader member, they’re no-where near being domain experts.

They usually write better than the typical domain expert. Does that trump expertise?

“An amateur can do a great job whenever they want to; a professional will do a good job when they do not want to.”