With tens of millions of existing blogs and more created each day, journalists and non-journalists alike are able to reach previously untapped audiences.

ONA Conference attendees agree that the ability to reach groups organized around personal interests, geography or identity is affecting journalism in significant ways, but journalists are reacting differently to this phenomenon.

Some large news organizations acknowledge the importance of niche audiences but are not yet actively embracing them. Other large organizations are actively seeking them out. And some smaller organizations are basing their entire existence around the presence of specific audiences.

Associated Press Database Editor Troy Thibodeaux said the proliferation of targeted sites will not spell the death of organizations that appeal to a more general audience.

"As the niche market grows - as people become more and more focused on the hyper local - there's still going to be a need for the things that go beyond that," he said.

Thibodeaux said he thinks major organizations, like his, serve an important role in following up on stories that originate on niche blogs and Web sites. He added that local news sites have the greatest potential to tap into niche markets.

"Those sites already have to power to do what a lot of people are trying to come in and do now," he said. "They just need to take advantage of it."

Yahoo video production editor Jeff Schenck agreed that large news organizations will remain essential, but also feels news is headed in the direction of targeting more specific audiences.

Schenck said if smaller organizations try to cover prominent, national stories, larger organizations will beat them to the story.

What small organizations have going for them, Schenck said, are their niches.

Ultimately, Schenck sees a future in which micro sites and major information outlets will coexist.

"There are going to be a lot of niche markets," he said. "But there's going to definitely be a place for a news aggregator."

One of the biggest problems in concentrating on niche markets, Schenck said, is making a profit.

He predicts that because advertisers are more attracted to wealthier audiences, some stories won't be told, and some groups will be neglected.

"There will be niches that can't be covered because they can't be supported by advertising," he said. "I've never seen a daily specially targeted at poor people."

One group that traditional news organizations are trying to reach is young people, specifically college students.

For example, U.S. News and World Report launched its "Why My College Rocks" video contest in August in an effort to reach a younger demographic. The grand prize is a spring break trip.

Matthew Belvedere, director of video and audio production for the magazine, said the contest is a new way to reach a niche audience, building on their success with the publication's "Best" lists.

"[The contest is] definitely an effort to extend our brand to an audience who hasn't seen it before," he said. "Organizations do need to start striving to separate themselves from all the other noise."

One organization that has separated itself from the idea of traditional media is TruthDig.com, which targets a politically progressive audience.

Appealing to a particular niche is the company's "bread and butter," said Managing Editor Peter Scheer, adding that much of the mainstream media could benefit from trying a model that incorporates niche appeal.

"I can't see a mainstream newspaper pandering to a political group or anything like that," he said. "But I definitely think there's room for experimentation."

--Abby Selden