"Amateur" journalists? To my way of thinking, the phrase "Amateur journalist" is redundant. Since when did journalism become a profession?
Nevertheless, this Columbia Journalism Review article about bloggers' influence on the "journalismsphere" -- "The New Amateur Journalists Weigh In," by Matt Welch of Reason magazine -- contains some keen insights not only on blog journalism, but also on the state of the so-called alternative press, or "dull pieties of official progressivism."
Update: In the original post, I meant to say that journalism is a craft, not a profession. Professions are guided by codes of ethics, and journalism cannot function properly if bound by a code of ethics.