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Words & Reflectionsabundantly apparent.The revolution brought about byblogging—which Loewenstein dedicateshis book to exploring—focuseson how blogs are being used by “theimprisoned dissidents everywhere.” Heis clearly driven in writing this bookby the mission of calling our attentionto the struggle many dissidentsface in countries where it isdifficult—and dangerous—to tryto get heard in these repressiveenvironments. Governmentswould not crack down on theInternet and suppress its voices,if bloggers are not articulatingmessages and informationthat they find offensive or feelthreatened by.At the same time, Loewensteinis not unmindful of thechallenges facing scribblerslike himself who live in placeswhere speech is not harassed.As he writes about our changingmedia, he speaks to issuesof corporate consolidation andthe economic decline that haveled to deep cutbacks of reportersand the dumbing down of newsoutlets. Given these connectionsLoewenstein is making about the roleblogging now plays throughout theworld, it is significant that many newsorganizations that initially criticizedbloggers as not being “real journalists”have now opened their pages to theirstaff blogs in a mode of “if you can’tfight them, join them.”At the same time, what real journalismis remains unresolved—as if it evercould be fully defined. In the openingparagraph of his book, Loewenstein offersa quote from the now offline andin-exile Iraqi blogger Riverbend, withwhom I’ve corresponded. (Disclosure:This blogger wrote a blurb on one ofmy books and is quoted in “When NewsLies.”) She is quoted as saying:Bloggers are not exactly journalists,which is a mistake manypeople make. They expect us to bedispassionate and unemotionalabout topics such as occupationand war. That objective lack ofemotion is impossible becausea blog in itself stems from passion.There isn’t one way to commitjournalism. We know that in countriesother than ours, reporters are expectedto bring their personal perspectives tocoverage. Nor is the AP Stylebook auniversal guide.Given these connections Loewensteinis making about the role bloggingnow plays throughout the world,it is significant that many newsorganizations that initiallycriticized bloggers as not being ‘realjournalists’ have now opened theirpages to their staff blogs in a mode of‘if you can’t fight them, join them.’The writers, diarists, commentators,artists and activists Lowensteininvites us to visit in his good read ofa “blog around the world” book area diverse lot, though each of them ischallenging government and pushingback against orthodox ideas. Hewasn’t content to work from secondarysources. As he traveled to meetbloggers in Iran, Egypt, Saudi Arabia,Syria and Cuba, he found an engaged,talented, sometimes tenacious decentralizedtribe of committed and caringpeople, who speak in many tonguesas they confront common enemiesin the form of authorities who wantthem to disappear.The remarkable diversity amongthese bloggers is what makes readingabout them so interesting. It isn’tpossible to boil down their words intosound bites. Each confronts a specificsituation, and Loewenstein spendsenough time with each to profile themwithin their circumstance’s context—and thereby offers readers memorablemoments and close observations aboutthe culture and their experiences aswell as their aspirations. It also helpsthat Loewenstein writes so well andknows how to tell a good story.Restricting Online ContentCloser to home, Loewenstein explainshow big U.S.-based technologycompanies have been complicitin helping governments monitorand restrict online content, especiallyin China, where its GreatWall is now the government’sfirewall. His discussion abouthow American-made software—he names Google, Yahoo!, CiscoSystems, and Microsoft in thisvein—has assisted with policeprosecution of bloggers highlightsthe controversial intersectionof business interests vs. thebedrock American principle ofprotecting freedom of speech.All too often, such corporatepractices are not the focus ofhuman rights advocates, such asthe Committee to Protect Journalistsand Reporters WithoutBorders, who tend to be moreconcerned about government actions.In these cases, however, these organizationspublished detailed accounts fromthis cyber battleground and sent outaction alerts to urge people to channeltheir outrage into action on behalf ofbloggers facing persecution and jail.This is sadly a familiar story, even ifan ongoing one.On occasion, courageous bloggersare given awards for their work. Yetwhen this does happen, few U.S.news organizations send reporters tointerview them or link to their blogson their own Web sites. Rather thancollaborate with them as colleagues,they and their words are marginalizedeven as crippling cuts in foreign reportingare happening at newspapers andtelevision stations. At the same time,newsroom managers are not actingto make their international coveragemore inclusive and decentralized,given the amazing resources thatnow exist online. There is one newsoutlet, GlobalVoicesonline.org, where94 Nieman Reports | Summer 2009