Everywhere new media appears to be having an effect which the old media doesn’t seem capable of keeping up with.

Blogs Send Stocks Into Reverse was a headline today on Reuters, after the markets suddenly realised that “chatter on the Internet speculated that early exit polls had Sen. John Kerry leading the presidential election in key swing states.”

As Nick Denton notes: “In an internet era, it’s impossible to maintain an information embargo, particularly when attention is so intense. The news organizations put up bland holding headlines, so as not to affect polling while stations are still open. This is the last election cycle they’ll be so restrained.”

Remember Howard Dean? People thought the blogs of political candidates would be important. When Dean failed, the effect was discounted as blogger hype.

But what seems more likely is that it’s the people talking back and between themselves via blogs and other forums that could have the real effect in the future.

Especially when the mainstream media refuses to discuss issues people actually want to know about (like was bush wired).