Agonizing and breast-beating (and some slighty unhealthy obsessing) has characterized old media's standard reaction to citizen journalism: "Who can trust bloggers to be [objective/honest/accurate/your-adjective-here]?" Now a senior member of the newsgathering establishment has dropped seven million dollars on a new media play that crosses the picket lines.

Reuters Group has taken a stake in web-media syndication site Pluck and plans to offer Pluck's BlogBurst blog syndication service to thousands of its media customers worldwide, Reuters reports. BlogBurst was already acting as matchmaker between old and new, providing vetted blog content to leading media such as USA Today and the Washington Post. The Reuters linkage expands Blogburst's reach across the world, heading first into Europe, then toward Asia.

It's a win-win. BlogBurst scores establishment endorsement and a very well connected partner to further its global ambitions. And Reuters earns street cred in the blogosphere while protecting its customers from unsanitized bloggery (thanks to moderation by BlogBurst).

The BlogBurst model - rant but edit - works well in old media. Turns out to be a good formula for new media as well. Everything in moderation.