Given that a new blog is created each second, media analysts have predicted that by 2021 "citizen journalists" will produce half of the world's news, writes Yahoo News (via MediaBuyerPlanner). Several newspapers are cashing in on the blog surge by creating online outlets for bloggers to share local news and opinions. In turn, bloggers attract advertisers and readers by focusing on individual neighborhoods rather than on a large metropolis.

A recent study by the Project for Excellence in Journalism said that as newspapers face "a seismic transformation in what and how people learn about the world around them," audiences "are moving from old media such as television or newsprint to new media online."

"It really enforces your leadership in the community as the voice of the community," said Fran Wills, VP of interactive and product development for the Denver Newspaper Agency - publisher of Rocky Mountain News and The Denver Post. Half of Denver's yourhub.com registered users do not read the Post or Rocky Mountain News, and 40-50 percent of the site's advertisers are also new, Wills said.

"When push comes to shove and there's controversy on a subject (readers) really look for what reputable sources say," Wills added.