MICHELLE COTTLE DEBUNKS the hysteria over child kidnappings. Just another wave of media hype. Imagine that! Next she’ll be telling us that last summer’s hysteria over shark attacks was bogus. (Via Howard Kurtz.)

I can’t help but note that many of the legacy-media critics of weblogging say that the blogosphere will be prone to waves of hysteria because it lacks the steadying hand of editors and producers. To which I reply: Nyah, nyah!