Last week, the two most popular stories among bloggers highlighted the roles of—and differences between—traditional journalism and digital media in a rapidly changing news universe. For the week of July 19-23, 22 percent of the news links on blogs were about a Washington Post report on the photo that made the BP crisis center look busier than it was.

Work is expected to begin by fall on construction of 1,100 miles of new, high-capacity, fiber optic communications line through much of Maine. The goal of the project is to provide affordable, high speed Internet service to areas and customers not presently served, and those who are under-served.

Senate Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) said he plans to hold hearings this fall before agreeing to change a law giving the government the power to obtain more information on the electronic communications of U.S. citizens. The Obama administration is seeking changes to the Electronic Communications Privacy Act that would allow the FBI to obtain from Internet service providers additional information without warrants.

The furor over Shirley Sherrod, may or may not serve to foster a broader national discussion on race. But it did open a window on how information and misinformation can careen through the current media ecosystem.

Last January the FCC issued an order designed to put an end to cable operators preventing competitors from accessing local sports channels owned by the cable company. DISH Network announced this week that it was filing a complaint about Comcast with the FCC, claiming the cable operator refused to negotiate access to the channel in "good faith."

Mexicos drug cartels hang banners, attach warning notes to bodies and post videos on the Internet to intimidate the police, the military, the news media, their rivals and anyone else who gets in their way. But this week, one gang adopted a new tactic: Kidnapping journalists to get their videos on the air.

The Obama administration is seeking to make it easier for the FBI to compel companies to turn over records of an individual's Internet activity without a court order if agents deem the information relevant to a terrorism or intelligence investigation.

Rep. John Dingell (D-Mich.), former head of the Commerce & Energy Committee, said that the chairman of the FCC should drop his push to re-regulate broadband lines.

Despite having the first African-American in the White House, African-Americans as a group did not draw much attention from the mainstream press, according to a new study.

By the time the U.S. Postal Service announced plans to raise rates earlier this month, an unusual alliance of customers was in place to oppose it. The Affordable Mail Alliance includes more than 700 publishers, direct-mail companies, nonprofit groups and other mailers that fear the economic impact of proposed increases.