Speaking Power to TruthOnline discourse has created a new media environment forcontributions to public life, one that challenges the socialsignificance of the role of public intellectualsintellectualswho, whether by choice or by circumstance, offer commentary on issuesof the day. The value of such commentary is rooted in the assumptionthat, by virtue of their training and experience, intellectuals possessknowledgethat they understand what constitutes knowledge withrespect