I just left this comment on Contentious (a couple of edits here):

Modern reporters need to become digital natives. It’s more than just the tools, it’s the the attitudes. They need to stop thinking of the Web as just another way to publish, but rather, another way to participate. Most of what works best on the Web isn’t finally crafted bits of prose and high production — it’s the quick takes, the dashed off observation, the instant communication. It’s a conversation.

That’s not to say there isn’t a place for Big-J journalism, but we need more reporters who think digital first, and think like people who think digital first.