We hate use of the term MSM, or for those not familiar with blogger speak, the “main-stream media.” It’s not that the acronym or the definition itself annoys us — it is accurate — but the use of MSM as of late suggests that there is some concrete line in the sand between journalism and blogging that will always be firmly in place. The use of MSM suggests that in the evolving media, there will be haves and the have-nots and no middle ground to share.

Over the past week, the intersection of the blogging-based news dynamic and that of the main-stream media got prominent placement in the daily news cycle. Jessica Cutler, like Helen, may have been the woman who launched a thousand blogger-laden ships last year (with the help of Wonkette, of course), but the recent sustained skirmishes over Jeff Gannon and Eason Jordan have continued the undeclared war between blogs and the main-stream media. Is there going to be a giant wooden horse with hidden menacing bloggers ready to pounce, storm Troy and doom the MSM?

We think not, but for the time being, the conflicts are palpable, both to media observers and those who fall victim to pesky bloggers directly or indirectly. So what’s next?