I found this article about the effects of independent political blogs on elite's influence over public opinion-
Meraz, S. (2009). Is There an Elite Hold? Traditional Media to Social Media Agenda Setting Influence in Blog Networks. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 14, 682-707.
The increase in independent bloggers and their apparent influence on public discourse is a new area of public opinion research not analyzed by Zaller. Based on the Meraz (2009) study, the emerging influence of citizen bloggers could change the current understanding of how public opinion is formed. Many people are already turning away from mainstream media sources and seeking more niche sources of information. This trend, coupled with the increased usage of the Internet, creates a new political atmosphere where messages may not be consistent with traditional media. If popular bloggers hold different agendas than the elite, the result may be a decrease in the level of persuasion of the elite and mass communication on public opinion.
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This brought to mind Prior's (2007) book, "Post-Broadcast Democracy." Prior argues that news consumption, learning about politics, and electoral volatility have changed not so much because people are different today, but rather because the media environment is different. People have not necessarily changed; they have merely changed the channel. And they would have done it sooner, had they been given the chance (p. 19).
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